HIJAAB-THE UNVEILED MYSTERY

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment. And turn unto God together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed. (Qur'an, An-Nur-24: 31)

That will be better, so that (Muslim woman) may be recognized and not annoyed. God is ever Forgiving, Merciful. (Qur'an, Al-Ahzab-33: 59)

 American Muslim women today are rediscovering the pristine Islaam as revealed by Allaah, God, to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, more than 1,400 years ago but without any of the contradictions of ancestral culture. Consequently they are essentially engaging in a life-long exercise of rediscovering their own selves - what it means to be a human, a Muslim, and more so, a Muslim woman. Wearing the Divinely Mandated hijaab, the veil, as a part of their everyday dresses is among the first steps toward this rediscovery. In a society which shamelessly publicly exposes a woman's body and intimate requirements where nudity somehow symbolizes the expression of a woman's freedom and where the most lustful desires of men are fulfilled unchecked - it is little wonder such an introspection leads many Muslim women to the decision to wear hijaab

However, generalizations about Islaam and Muslims are replete in today's media and, by extension, in the minds of many Americans who shape their image of the world through the media. Veiled Muslim women are typically unfairly stigmatized. They are regarded on the one hand as suppressed and oppressed, and on the other, as fanatics and fundamentalists. Both depictions are grossly wrong and imprecise. Such portrayals not only misrepresent these women's strong feelings towards hijab, but also fail to acknowledge their courage and the resulting identity hijab lends to them. Amongst such misconceptions is also the belief that any Muslim woman who wears hijab is forced to do so. Nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, the final determination to wear hijaab is often not easily reached. Days of meditation, an inevitable fear of consequences and reactions, and ultimately, plenty of courage weigh heavily in reaching the decision. Wearing hijaab is a very personal and independent decision, coming from appreciating the wisdom underlying Allaah's command and a sincere wish to please Him. 

"I believe hijaab is pleasing to Allaah, or I wouldn't wear it. I believe there is something deep down beautiful and dignified about it. It has brought some beautiful and joyous dimension to my life that always amaze me," said Mohja Kahf, assistant professor of English and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in an internet posting.

"To me hijaab is a gift from Allaah. It gives me the opportunity to become closer to Allaah. Also quite importantly, (it provides me) the chance to stand and be recognized as a Muslim," Fariha Khan, 18, of Rockville,

Maryland, said. However, with this recognition comes tremendous responsibility as highly visible representatives of Islaam and Muslims. Anywhere covered sisters go, Muslims and non-Muslims alike recognize them as followers of Islaam. In a land where misinformation about Islaam and Muslims abounds, Muslim sisters have the opportunity to portray Islaam in its true light. But the greatest responsibility related to hijaab is the understanding that there is more to hijaab than just the scarf; the internalized modesty really matters. This internal moral system gives meaning to the external scarf. This can be perceived from the overall demeanor of any Muslim woman - how she acts, dresses, speaks, and so on. Only when the internalized modesty manifests itself through the external hijaab can sisters represent Muslims according to the beautiful example set by the Prophet, upon whom be peace, and followed by his companions. 

"Hijaab by itself is just a piece of cloth, at some level. I do not think we should take (it) as an exclusive marker of a woman's moral worth or level of faith. It is the surrounding context - the etiquette, the morals - which make it anything" Kahf said.

Saba M. Baig, 21, is a recent graduate of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. She was 17 when she seriously started wearing hijab, and feels she is still in the process of learning internal hijab. "My biggest realization was that hijaab was not just about wearing a scarf on my head, but more of a (veil) on my heart," said Baig. "Hijaab is more than an external covering. That's the easy part of it all. It has a lot (more) to do with modesty and just the way you present yourself."

"In this life, I couldn't think of anything better than being a Muslim. Wearing hijaab signifies it and reminds me of it. Hijaab is important to me and it means everything to me when I wear it," Khan said.

"Unfortunately, it also has its down side: you get discriminated against, treated as though you are oppressed. I wear it for (Allaah), and because I want to. Period," said Imaan, a convert to Islaam, currently studying in Australia.

Yet, the general society, to some extent defines the image of hijaab. "The surrounding context can make it oppressive," explained Kahf. "For example, in social contexts where observing hijaab includes (the practice) of separating women from the resources of society including education, mosques, sources of religious and spiritual guidance, economic livelihood, etc., (hijaab) develops oppressive qualities. Or when hijaab is literally imposed through punitive sanctions rather than encouraged benignly, this distorts the underlying beauty of hijaab and turns it into something ugly. "I believe hijaab is pleasing to Allaah, or I wouldn't wear it. I believe there is something deep down beautiful and dignified about it. It has brought some beautiful and joyous dimension to my life that always amaze me."

"(At the same time,) the surrounding context can make it liberating, as we in the United States often experience. For many of us, in a society which imposes degrees of sexualized nakedness on women, wearing hijaab has been a liberating experience. To us hijaab has meant non-conformism to unjust systems of thought. We have experienced social sanctions for wearing it, and these experiences are seared in our memories, rather than experiences of being forced to wear it," Kahf concluded.

For many women hijaab is a constant reminder that unlike other women they should not have to design their lives and bodies for men. "Before I started covering, I thought of myself based on what others thought of me. I see that too often in girls, their happiness depends on how others view them, especially men. Ever since, my opinion of myself has changed so much; I have gained (a lot of) self-respect. I have realized whether others may think of me as beautiful is not what matters. How beautiful I think of myself and knowing that Allah finds me beautiful makes me feel beautiful, said Baig softly, her eyes glowing.