I would've put this under the comments on the Hijab post but its too long. Insha'allah this will also make it easier to read. :)
2 things I would like to point out :
1. You should read my Intro. blog b/c I am not a Sunni, a Shia, Ahmadi or anyone else who follows the hadith or sunnah. So that’s not exactly a compelling argument for me.I don't particularly care much what Bukhari or anyone else who was around 100+ years after Muhammed thinks he or the companions may have said or did. To me and many others, it is simply not a reliable source. This doesn't mean I don't respect those who do, its just something I choose not to do and you can see from the link in my first post or on any site regarding Quran Alone why exactly that is. You will also note in that post that it is not up for discussion here on my blog. Email me about it if you want but I will not debate here. I would suggest www.Free-minds.org for a good summary and a few articles on this topic.
2. Stephanie: The Quran clearly states that believing women are to cover their chest and wear loose garments so as not to attract undue attention and specifically to mark them as respectable believing women who do not engage in various inappropriate activities. It does not state what garment to use to accomplish this. Khimar just means 'a cover'. A tablecloth for instance is khimar for a table. It is not a specific item and it certainly does not specify a headscarf.
Some translations add veil or scarf and some also include niqab and other items.All of this extra nonsense is an addition to Allahs word. Thats why its usually in parentheses. It is the translator’s interpretation.
This is a mercy and wisdom from Allah as it allows women to use whatever is culturally acceptable to accomplish this (a headscarf , a sari,a loose dress, some kind of coat or w/e), without having to look specifically like an Arab or some other ethnic or cultural group they don’t belong to.
If you choose to accomplish this chest coverage with a hijab, or you choose to wear it for some additional reason, that is wonderful! :)
I thoroughly enjoy wearing hijab actually but it is not requiered to cover the hair or head, only the chest region. Many of the current hijab styles are actually pretty pointless, as they cover that which Allah does not require and yet do not cover the thing they are supposed to! :) Feel free to disagree if you choose but these are the facts. Everything else is a matter of interpretation. It is up to you personally to make your own choice on how to cover, based on what is culturally acceptable and what is pleasant to your eye and comfortable for you. It is not a sin TO wear a headscarf nor is it a sin NOT to wear it.
Mrs. Khan has it right when she says it is only sunnah and that it is her choice. She would be just as correct if she chose to wear a coat or a loose shalwar kameez as many women do. That may actually go over better than the hijab Mrs. Khan, since you say your husbands family is Pakistani and objects to the hijab. Perhaps a shalwar kameez with a dupatta worn across the chest and loosely over the head would be a good compromise if they continue to bother you about it. That being said, if you continue wearing the hijab then I wish you the VERY best of luck and I hope they learn to accept it soon. My experience with my family has been similar. :) I support whatever garment a woman chooses to wear as long as it meets Allahs standards of modesty ( as shown above) and it makes you feel beautiful and happy. No sense in wearing something you don’t like, right? For instance, I favor shaylas and comfy things like jeans and loose hoodies. Everybody is different, as it should be. :)
However, it IS a sin to attribute to Allah what is not stated in the Quran or to make something forbidden that is not forbidden by Allah or likewise to permit something Allah has expressly forbidden, such as the consumption of pork.
Therefore Stephanie, I will NOT state that the *headscarf* is a command from Allah b/c its not and not only did many of the garments women use to accomplish this coverage nowadays *not* exist when the Quran was revealed ('amiras' for instance)but, it is clear from historical documents that the early Muslimahs covered in a variety of ways that suited them and that this was acceptable. I will not follow what the scholars happen to think nowadays at the risk of disobeying Allah and attributing things to him that he did not say. Allah does not run out of words ,nor does he leave things out or forget things.He states things in the Quran a certain way for many reasons. Even if the seas were turned into ink, as the Quran so beautifully says, they would not be enough for Allahs pen.
There is *no* authority equal to or above Allah, I do not associate partners with Allah and I do not allow others to make my decisions for me,including the scholars. I am responsible for my actions and Allah will not accept "but the scholars told me to do it" or anything else as an excuse on Judgment Day.
The best garment for a Muslim of either gender is righteousness(7:26). So, if you or anyone else doesn't like to listen to the truth and would prefer lies or specific interpretations that make you feel more comfortable or fit your cultural preconceptions, I would suggest you go elsewhere. Its as simple as that. :)
I also apologize if this seems a bit curt. I take my faith very seriously and state things plainly as I see them.
I will post WHY I was not wearing the hijab in my next blog entry, which should be sometime tomorrow insha’allah. :)
Insha’allah everyone is having a good day or evening depending on where you’re located and thank you for commenting so honestly on my blog. This post was really meant for my family members and close friends but it is always good to hear others thoughts too. :)
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3 comments:
Hello Again,
I was excited to see your response so soon.
And, I take back what I said about not listening to if you say Allah did not command us ladies to wear a scarf. I will listen to you, because your thoughts are intelligent in my opinion.
I really think we are saying the same thing, but as you said, the blessing is that everyone can interpret things differently. I pray Allah forgives me for my own misinterpretations.
To me, my understanding of Khimar is not a piece of cloth, it is a scarf. This is much different than hijab (but that is not exactly what we are talking about here, since hijab is much more than just a scarf).
It is my understanding, historically, the early Muslim women wore scarves on their heads, not around their necks. They may not have covered every last piece of hair, or their whole head for that matter. I am pretty sure that it isn't something that cloaks a women completely from head to toe, but it was a piece of fabric that was on their head most of the time. I have never heard any arabic speaking person refer to a table cloth as a khimar, but that could be because in modern days, khimar now means only one thing, but 1,000's of years ago it had more meanings?
Here is a question: If, as you say, Allah does not specifically tell us believing women to cover our heads/hair, then why would you want to? As you read in my post, if I knew for sure that Allah did not mean for me to cover my hair, I wouldn't. So, why would you if you believe that to be true? If the same purpose can be reached by covering the rest of your body alone, then why even consider covering your hair? Just a thought.
And, no I don't think you are being curt. I think you are well thought out and poised to stand for what you believe in. As you read, it is much worse, in my opinion, to do something without understanding why, or having a reason.
I enjoy the fact that you let a stranger intrude in your family/friend blog. Thank you for the opportunity to think and ponder something that is important to many.
Salam Sisters,
Thank you for the complement. I also want to say that I love your post. You point out a very blunt opinion and aspect of Islam and that is very refreshing!! I hope you continue to post regularly Insha'Allah.
I will look for the passage once I get home. Allah commands us woman to cover our heads and body in modest clothing when doing our prayer. As well as men, this is in the Qu'ran. Wearing the head covering through out the day is Sunnah.
Again once I find the quote I will repost it on here.. If I do not find it I will also post this, I do not want to give out wrong information.
My husbands family will get use to it. I do wear their traditional clothing when we have functions and I wear them at home because they are sooo comfortable. Anywhere else I just got my jeans and shirts on lol..
Anywho I hope I didnt offend anyone I ask for your forgiveness as well as Allahs.
Salam,
Liza
Salam,
Liza
i know it's a women topic and you do not want to argue about it here,i just want to comment only on the part where you say you do not accept the Prophet haddith!! Girl ! that's awful!! and gives not so pleasant impact.
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