From: darice@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Fred Rice)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Hijab in Islam
Date: 14 Oct 92 02:46:33 GMT


Subject: Re: Hijab in Islam

in Article: 6814 of soc.culture.arabic jamshid@socrates.ucsf.edu (J. Naghizadeh)writes:

-------Begin Quote----------
in Soureh Noor which refers to covering the "BREAST" and not the "HAIR".
This type of "hijab" is no different from the practice in most of the
world. If you have any other Ayah in Koron which refers to 'hijab"
please produce it here.
-------End Quote------------


Translation from "The Message of the Qur'an" by Muhammad Asad.
Surah An-Nur, 24:31

"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and to be mindful of
their chastity, and not to display their charms [in public] beyond what
may [decently] be apparent thereof; hence, let them draw their
head-coverings over their bosoms. [...]"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Asad's accompanying footnote 38, page 538, says in part:

``The noun _khimar_ (of which _khamur_ is the plural) denotes the
head-covering customarily used by Arabian women before and after the
advent of Islam.''

Thus, the Muslim woman's head-covering is explicitly mentioned in the
Qur'an.  One could say that this Qur'anic passage provides an implicit
order for women to wear "head-coverings", as they cannot "draw their
head-coverings over their bosoms" if they are not wearing a
head-covering.

Yusuf Ali's use of the word "veil" for _khimar_ in his translation of this 
ayat is, to my knowledge, too vague.  (I do not read Arabic, but this is
my understanding from an Islamic teacher of mine who is fluent in
Arabic.)

Muhammad Asad, however, has a different interpretation.  For
completeness, I will include it at the end, however if you read it,
remember that Muhammad Asad's viewpoint here is contrary to the opinion 
held by the vast majority of Islamic scholars.

Wassalam,

 Fred Rice
 darice@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au   

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------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is are Muhammad Asad's comments in full, with his translation.  I
repeat, Muhammad Asad's opinion here is contrary to that of the vast
majority of Islamic scholars.  I provide it here out of intellectual
honesty - although my knowledge is limited, I personally disagree with
Muhammad Asad's viewpoint here.  You have been warned.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Translation from "The Message of the Qur'an" by Muhammad Asad.
Surah An-Nur, 24:31

"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and to be mindful of
their chastity, and not to display their charms [in public] beyond what
may [decently] be apparent thereof; hence, let them draw their
head-coverings over their bosoms. [...]"

Footnote 37, page 538:

``My interpolation of the word "decently" reflects the interpretation of
the phrase _illa ma zahara minha_ by several of the earliest Islamic
scholars, and particularly by Al-Qiffal (quoted by Razi), as "that which
a human being may openly show in accordance with prevailing custom
(_al-`adah al-jariyah_)".  Although the traditional exponents of Islamic
Law have for centuries been inclined to restrict the definition of "what
may [decently] be apparent" to a woman's face, hands and feet - and
sometimes even less than that - we may safely assume that the meaning of
_illa ma zahara minha_ is much wider, and that the deliberate vagueness
of this phrase is meant to allow for all the time-bound changes that are
necessary for man's moral and social growth.  The pivotal clause in the
above injunction is the demand, addressed in identical terms to men as
well as to women, to "lower their gaze and be mindful of their
chastity": and this determines the extent of what, at any given time,
may legitimately - i.e., in consonance with the Qur'anic principles of
social morality - be considered "decent" or "indecent" in a person's
outward appearance.''

Footnote 38, page 538:

``The noun _khimar_ (of which _khamur_ is the plural) denotes the
head-covering customarily used by Arabian women before and after the
advent of Islam.  According to most of the classical commentators, it
was worn in pre-Islamic times more or less as an ornament and was let
down loosely over the wearer's back; and since, in accordance with the
fashion prevalent at the time, the upper part of a woman's tunic had a
wide opening in the front, her breasts were left bare.  Hence, the
injunction to cover the bosom by means of a _khimar_ (a term so familiar
to the contemporaries of the Prophet) does not necessarily relate to the
use of a _khimar_ as such but is, rather, meant to make it clear that a
woman's breasts are _not_ included in the concept of "what may decently
be apparent" of her body and should not, therefore, be displayed.''

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remember, some of Muhammad Asad's interpretation expressed here is
contrary to that held by the majority of Islamic scholars.  The majority
of Islamic scholars consider that the wearing of a "head-covering" for
women is mandatory in public.
Xref: sparky soc.religion.islam:1724 soc.culture.bosna-herzgvna:324