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Ħijāb ( Modest ly. The Qur'an orders Muslims to dress in a "modest" fashion. THE QUR'ANIC INJUNCTIONS
''Jalābib'' is the plural of ''jilbab'' (derived from Old Ethiopic ''gəlabib'' "cloaks"); ''khumūr'' is the plural of ''khimar''. Salafis insist that the garments known today as Jilbab and Khimar are the very garments demanded by the Qur'an. Most Qur'an translators and commentators translate the Arabic as veils, head-coverings, shawls, and other English words with a general rather than a specific meaning. See {Link without Title} for a collection of Qur'an translations, compared verse by verse. AHāDīTH RELATING TO DRESS The '' Ahādīth '' (singular ''hadith''), or oral traditions relating the early Muslim community, were transmitted orally for more than a century before the first collections were written down. The hadith collections accepted as canonical by Sunni Muslims took their final form some three centuries after Muhammad's death. Many Muslims trust these collections implicitly; academic historians are much more apt to regard them as reflecting the views of the hadith collectors rather than early Muslim practice.
PROBLEMS OF INTERPRETATION These injunctions may have been clear to the earliest Muslims, but their exact meaning is less clear to later Muslims. We do not know precisely what seventh century CE Arab men and women wore or what was then considered modest or immodest. How do these rules apply to Muslims in later times, in different societies, wearing different clothing? SCHOLARLY INTERPRETATION OF THE INJUNCTIONS Various Islamic scholars have interpreted the meaning of ħijāb in different ways. Although certain general standards are widely accepted, there has been little interest in narrowly prescribing what constitutes modest dress for Muslim men. Most mainstream scholars say that men should cover themselves from the Navel to the Knee s; a minority say that the ''ahādīth'' that are held to require this are weak and possibly inauthentic. They argue that there are ''ahādīth'' indicating that the Islamic prophet Muħammad wore loose clothing that uncovered his thigh when riding camels, and hold that if Muħammad believed that this was permissible, then it is surely permissible for other Muslim males. As a practical matter, however, the opinion that Muslim men must cover themselves between the navel and the knees is predominant, and most Muslims believe that a man who fails to observe this requirement during Salat must perform the prayer again, properly covered, in order for it to be valid. More detailed scholarly attention has been focused on prescribing female dress. Most scholars agree that the basic requirements are that when in the presence of someone of the opposite sex other than a close family member ('' Mahram ''), a woman should cover her body, and walk and dress in a way which does not draw sexual attention to her. Some scholars go so far as specify exactly which areas of the body must be covered. In many cases, this is everything save the face and hands. A minority view requires everything save the eyes to be covered; this view, like all such rulings, does not exist in a vacuum, but is part of an ongoing dynamic involving both scholarly influence and actual social custom. In the presence of ''mahram''s, a woman should at least cover her sexual organs. In private, in the presence of her husband, there are no requirements for coverage (and, indeed, eroticism is promoted in this context). Most scholars agree that the rules of ħijāb can be waived if following them would result in risk of death or extreme hardship. (See the article on Ikrah , or Physical Compulsion .) In one well-publicized case in 2002, Saudi religious police ( Mutaween ) effectively killed fifteen female students by not allowing them to flee a burning school. The students were not sufficiently veiled in the opinion of the mutaween. CULTURAL PRACTICES AND CONTROVERSY Just as Muslim scholars differ on what should be covered, or what may be exposed, Muslim communities have interpreted ''ħijāb'' in many ways. Different Muslims have different practices according to their interpretation, and according to their circumstances. Some women choose freely to adopt very conservative interpretations, and even state they enjoy the lifestyle this provides. Other women, however, adopt a more modest style of dress because of pressure from others. Such pressure can be extreme; there are many cases of Muslims carrying out to achieve that end. History of ħijāb Contemporary Islamic dress Like most people, Muslim men and women generally dress according to the custom of the country in which they live, modifying styles as necessary in order to observe whatever degree of modesty they or their community think appropriate. This requirement usually falls lightly on men, wherever they live. Muslim women, however, must sometimes make difficult choices. .]] In some Muslim countries, such as Saudi Arabia or Iran , women must wear the national version of Islamic dress or face punishment by religious police. (See '' Strict Versions Of Women's Modest Dress '' below.) In most Muslim countries there are no such laws, but family and society still expect a woman to dress modestly, as locally defined. Usually this is some variation of long-sleeved dresses, long blouses or pants, and a scarf or veil over the hair. Rebels will face family pressure and social scorn. Tradition is strongest in the countryside. Cities are usually more relaxed and urban women can dress in the latest Western styles without fear of public taunts. Muslim women living in predominantly non-Muslim countries may face social pressures to dress like their schoolmates or workmates, on the one hand, and to dress for their families and their mosques, on the other hand. The situation is complicated by rising Prejudice Against Muslims in many countries, so that a woman wearing obviously "Muslim" garb may have to endure public harassment. Conversely non-Muslim women living in predominantly Muslim countries and not observing local dress customs also endure harassment. "Modest dress" can also pose a problem when school, military or work uniforms are required. These uniforms may be modest by local standards but some Muslim women feel that they are too revealing. Sometimes a compromise can be negotiated; sometimes authorities insist that local mores be followed. A case in point is the recent (2004) furor over the French Government's Ban On Religious Wear (large crosses, yarmulkes, turbans, and headscarves) in public schools. Many French Muslims felt that this ruling was in fact directed against Muslim schoolgirls who wore headscarves. However, it should be noted that one survey showed that 49% of the Muslim women (whether they wore the ħijāb prior to the law or not) supported the ban, while 43% opposed it (the rest failed to comment). {Link without Title} . Recently, wearing the '' Niqāb '', a more extreme form of ħijāb that covers the face, was made illegal in Belgium. The Netherlands is also considering a similar ban {Link without Title} . Women can also choose to wear styles that are more ostentatiously modest than local mores require, usually as a sign of Islamic enthusiasm and Exuberant Piety . A girl who wore jeans and T-shirts last week may turn up in black robes and full face veil. Some Western converts to Islam, such as Sultaana Freeman , have taken such enthusiasm to extremes, refusing to show their faces for identity-card photos and facing fines and jail sentences as a result. Most Islamic scholars deprecate this kind of attention-seeking behavior. Strict versions of women's modest dress A number of cultures, principally in Arab countries and parts of South Asia , take the requirement for female modesty beyond that accepted by other Muslim communities. In these cultures, this means that women must be completely covered with veils or cloaks when outside their home.
CURRENT USE OF THE WORD "ħIJāB" IN MEDIA AND ACTIVISM The word "ħijāb" is frequently used for the headscarf worn by many Muslim women around the world with various forms of dress, from jeans-and-shirts to Salwar Kameez , Sari s and business suits. It most often refers to a square scarf which is folded diagonally and worn over the Head to cover the Hair , ears and throat, but not the Face . In Malaysia the headscarf is known as a ''tudung''. The word used in the Qu'ran for a headscarf or veil is ''khimar'' ( refers only to the headscarf, not to modest dress in general. SEE ALSO
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