VEILING IN ISLAM

The Twenty-Fourth Flash

Although this treatise originally formed the Second and Third Matters of the Fifteenth Note, its importance has led to its being designated as the Twenty-Fourth Flash.

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحٖيمِIn the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

يَا اَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ قُلْ لِاَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَٓاءِ الْمُؤْمِنٖينَ يُدْنٖينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابٖيبِهِنَّ - اِلٰى اٰخِرِO Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters, and the believing women to draw their outer garments over themselves…” — to the end of the verse. — The Quran 33:59.

This verse enjoins veiling for women. Yet modern licentious civilization opposes this Qur’anic command. It does not regard veiling as something natural, but rather considers it a form of oppression. What, then, should be said in response?

Answer: We shall explain only four of the many instances of wisdom that demonstrate that this Qur’anic injunction is entirely in harmony with human nature, whereas its rejection is completely contrary to it.

The First Instance of Wisdom

Veiling is natural for women and accords with their innate disposition. Women are naturally delicate and vulnerable, and therefore stand in need of the protection and support of a man who safeguards both them and their children—children whom they often cherish even more than their own lives. For this reason, they possess a natural inclination to make themselves beloved to their husbands, while avoiding anything that might provoke aversion or resentment.

Moreover, six or seven out of every ten women are either advanced in age or do not consider themselves physically attractive, and therefore have no desire to display their age or appearance to everyone. Others are naturally jealous and prefer not to appear less attractive in comparison with those who are more beautiful. Still others fear harassment or false accusations and therefore wish, by their very nature, to remain veiled in order to avoid both unwanted advances and suspicions of infidelity in the eyes of their husbands.

Anyone who observes carefully will notice that it is often older women who conceal themselves the most. Indeed, among ten women, perhaps only two or three are both young and beautiful and feel no discomfort in displaying themselves openly. It is well known that people feel uneasy and distressed when subjected to the gaze of those whom they dislike or hold in contempt. Thus, even if an attractive woman who chooses not to veil herself enjoys the attention of a small number of men, she will nevertheless be disturbed by the looks of the vast majority. Furthermore, a woman who has preserved her modesty and moral sensitivity will naturally be troubled by lustful and degrading glances.

Indeed, we even hear that in Europe, where revealing dress has become commonplace, many women complain of such predatory attention and report to the authorities: “These disgraceful men imprison us with their stares and make us uncomfortable.”