On Hijab— Hair is not the concern, Haya (modesty) is.
The four major concerns for the modesty of men and women are “gaze, gait, garments, and genitalia.” Among these four, much controversy is evoked on how much coverage by garments is reasonable, and this always brings up the subject of women’s revealing (parts of) hair. We know God never makes it harder than we can handle. However, we, humans, surely make it much complicated.
Like a trend, there are videos and text posts all over my social media revolving around this one concept of a headscarf worn as a 'Hijab’. Among these include females struggling to keep up a scarf on their head, with the main focus of covering their hair.
And with it emerged 'Hijabi Influencers' who influence people to wear a headscarf, inventing many different ways to cover their hair. In this attempt, the definition of 'modesty' has been limited to only covering hair— forgetting that a 'headscarf' merely does not make one’s 'hijab’.
It’s crucial to bring up that the Hijab as manner and clothing is specified in these two verses of the Qur’an:
First,
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils over their chests, [...] Let them not stomp their feet, drawing attention to their hidden adornments. Turn to Allah in repentance all together, O believers, so that you may be successful.” [24:31]
And secondly,
“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” [33:59]
Upon enough research about the topic, it’s revealed that women already used to wear headscarves in the past, in the form of 'khimar’, without the rest of the scarf or khimar brought over their bosoms (i.e, they used to drape from head to their back). And that specifically has been referred to, in the Quran, to incorporate dressing modestly, for the Believing Women.
What is even more disturbing, is that even though the Quranic emphasis is on the proper covering of the body and making it unobtrusive, we, as Muslims, often overlook it and stress covering every strand of hair. When it is commonly proposed as it's an obligation that your hijab must conceal every visible part of your hair, a lot many of Muslim females attempt to cover only their hair (making it look gaudy or even delineating their curves) and claim to fulfill the requirements of hijab.
But Hijab isn’t a rule of Science that requires you to cover every part of hair and body, in any manner whatsoever. Hijab is rather an Art of wearing it in such a way that appears unpretentious, serene, and modest.
Someone who wears loose garments of proper length and is not ostentatious in adornments—is indeed obeying the manner of modest clothing, regardless of some hair showing out of the scarf. However, with the current obsession of people with the coverage of hair, arises unnecessary criticism of females who are not known as 'hijabi’.
Personally, I don't like to be called a 'hijabi', even while wearing a headscarf. This new term coined by the Muslims to address other Muslim females separates us into two sections— Hijabi and non-hijabi. We are no longer identified as Muslim Women or the Believing Women. It has become more of a label rather than an expression of devotion towards God.
Our community has made it more difficult for women to understand and practice faith, because of force and constant judgment. One cannot (and should not) expect to help someone to cover herself fully by forcing, shaming, or chiding her. Consent is important in religion as is the intention of the person practicing it.
We practice Islam for God, and not for pleasing people. While criticizing, we forget that we must not look down upon someone not (properly) wearing a headscarf, for we must not disregard that everyone has their own degree of deeds to worship God, and it is unfair to evaluate anyone's beliefs on superficial factors like appearance. Wearing your hijab in your way is as a personal connection with God as any other form of worship.
The intention to have this written simply is to highlight to shift our focus from any outward facet to the most important aspect of covering up, which is MODESTY.
If only we, as a Muslim community, stressed more the concept of our 'haya' and purifying the 'nafs' (soul/ self), it might eventually influence the heart to cover the head as well. If men focused more on observing their hijab which is simply by 'lowering their gaze' instead of scrutinizing how much hair she conceals, and if women concentrated on covering up for the sake of refraining from enticing attention, perhaps there would be much less confusion in women's determining how to put on a headscarf to maintain modesty.
To sum up the whole point— Hair is not the concern, Haya (modesty) is.
In the end, we are no judges to approve or reject a Muslim female’s way of observing the hijab. It is none but God who knows her intention and attempts in maintaining modesty. An appropriate behavior for us is to be less judgemental of fellow females on the matters of hijab, and understand that in her effort to observe the manner of modesty as per the correct interpretation of the verses, to the best of our ability to please God, is rewardable.
wa-Allahu A’alam (And God knows the best).
