Foreword Hejab
in a society has its roots in the culture of that society, a culture
comprising the manner of apprehension and the type of views of the
society about man and life. It is on the basis of these apprehensions
and types of views that culture delineates the human existence in
general and the position of women in particular. In the Islamic hejab
culture, a human being occupies an honourable and dignified position in
whose body, made of clay, God has breathed His soul, and therefore he
possesses the innate capability of acquiring the divine qualities in
the course of his evolutionary journey. Naturally this holds good even
in case of woman, being half of the mankind. However, Islam believes
that the Creator of man and the world, in order to regulate the human
affairs and the society, has created man and woman in two different
forms, and has assigned basically different roles to each of them in
the society. It is these differences based on divine Wisdom, which are
responsible for the mutual attraction in both the sexes, which also
guarantee companionship, playing the role of a complement to each other
and lastly the continuation of the human life on earth. What is
important and valuable for a man and a woman from Islamic point of view
is the occupation of their respective positions and the proper
fulfillment of their own roles with the help of their existential
capacities. In the Islamic hejab culture one can easily find the
elements of realism, kindness, truth and perfection. This culture
relies upon realities in its dealing with man and the problems relating
to him, and keeps itself away from indulgence in fanciful whims,
idealism and aberrant thinking current these days, assigns the roles
carefully and delicately and does not neglect the tender sides of human
character particularly in dealing with woman. It does not utter a word
irresponsibly or unrealistically, and takes into account the respective
qualities of man and woman and saves them from degeneration,
degradation and deviation in thoughts and deeds. In such an
intellectual system, hejab has some meanings. Hejab is meant for
covering and concealing the attractive and delicate parts of the body
and controlling the undue exposure of the sex-appeal (in a woman) in
the society. Islam recognizes man and woman on the basis of existing
realities and the laws governing the human existence, and is fully
cognizant of the fact that they possess appeal and attraction for each
other. Although this appeal and attraction applies to all the
existential dimensions of the two sexes, yet their most superficial
manifestation is their outward attraction for each other. From the
Islamic viewpoint, woman occupies a number of delicate and attractive
qualities which, if exposed in a vast and unlimited manner in the
society, may not only cause sexual, emotional, intellectual and
psychological disorders and ruin the very foundations of the society,
but may also lose its healthy and useful effects within that framework.
When sex is allowed an unlimited and uncontrolled sway in the society,
it destroys its very foundations based on human relations in a
reasonable and solemn manner. So also when it wields its adverse
effects on the family that is based on profound spiritual and emotional
relations, it shall also ruin its foundations. This would be the
greatest tragedy one can imagine in a society, since most of the social
crises in the West that have led to the unrestricted and free sexual
activity in all the fields and departments of human life emanate from
the same source. It is possible for some people to conclude that the
best solution for this problem is to remove woman from the sphere of
social activity so that the society may be cured of the plague of her
sex-appeal and attraction. Another group holds the view that we should
basically fight against sex-appeal itself, since it is the source of
all sufferings and disturbances. Both these views,
the former being forwarded by the dry and fossilized minds throughout
the past centuries and the latter held by Christianity, are the product
of aberrant thinking and indulgence in fanciful whims, and have tread
the wrong path in dealing with woman and the sexual instincts, and, due
to superficial and aberrant thinking, have tried to rely on wrong
solutions. Islam repudiates both the above viewpoints, and
finds the solution of this problem in the adoption of hejab system by
woman, and thus brings woman to society in the most active and best
manner without allowing her to be a source of sexual disturbances and
disorders. In fact, woman enters the field of social activity sans
sexuality, so that firstly she may have the opportunity to utilize and
manifest her capabilities and creative faculties as a human being, and
secondly, society may be allowed to benefit itself from her energies
and useful qualities. Of course, Islam has not been heedless to
the priorities and necessities. It considers woman as the only person
competent to bring up children, and as such it has assigned some
particular role to her. From the Islamic viewpoint, woman, in the
position of a mother, has to play a very important and delicate role in
the proper functioning of her society, since due to a special emotional
texture she happens to possess a great collection of capacities and
energies for the physical, intellectual, spiritual and religious
training of the children, which, if and when fully realized and
properly utilized, can bring about a great change in the society.
However, even this important factor does not prevent her from
participating in the general social life. This is why we find
that in the Islamic civilization, woman occupies the highest peak in
the human values, and enjoys the most beautiful and delicate
manifestations of human life. From the Islamic point of view, all the
importance and value is attached to this very active and evolutionary
role of woman in the human society, and nothing else. Here is
"The Message of Hejab from a Muslim Woman" one of the most valuable
works of Sister Zahra Rahnavard. It carries a message in all the
domestic, social, political, cultural and other fields for you, O
woman! For you who form half of the body of the human society. For you
who possess the capability and capacity to move towards the achievement
of a supreme and sublime objective. Such movement may turn you into an
unparalleled innocent person, in the same way as it did with Fatimah,
the venerable daughter of the holy Prophet, peace be upon him. Cultural Consulate, The Islamic Republic of Iran, Islamabad, Pakistan July, 1987 Download
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