Purdah: It gives you freedom I
PURDAH MEANS MODESTY, CONFIDENCE, CHASTITY AND ABOVE ALL GUARDING THE WOMANHOOD WHICH SHE FINDS SO DEAR TO HER, WRITES
SAMINA YAQOOB
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2005
‘It is not befitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path. (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:36)
Purdah is the practice that includes the privacy of women from public observation by wearing concealing clothing from head to toe. Purdah is practiced by Muslims and by various Hindus, especially in India. The limits imposed by this practice vary according to different countries and class levels. Generally, those women in the upper and middle class are more likely to practice all aspects of purdah because they can afford to not work outside the home.
Dress expresses identity, taste, income, regional patterns of trade, and the religiosity of its wearers. Dress and its use vary with regard to gender, age, marriage, status, geographical origin, occupation, and even political sentiment.
Purdah is a great dress. It gives women protection and an identity. It always gives woman immunity from staring by men. There is a great dignity and comfort in purdah.
Innocence is what the veil signifies. Purdah is an identity of the Muslim woman that distinguishes her. Unveiling is a violation of the Qurân and Hadith. It shows woman’s weaknesses in belief. It is a cause of temptation for men and women. It strips off her modesty that is an integral part of Faith as Prophet Muhammad said: “Modesty is a part of Faith” (Al-Bukhari)
Purdah probably developed in Persia and later spread to Middle Eastern lands. Purdah flourished in ancient Babylon.
No woman could go outside unless masked and chaperoned by a male from the family. Even parts of the household were separated as a practice of segregation. The ancient Assyrian women also had to remain inside behind curtains where darkness and little breeze prevailed. In the 7th century C.E., the Muslims adapted the idea of purdah to their religion. The Prophet Muhammad (saws) reintroduced the custom as part of the Islamic tenets of faith. As time went by the laws associated with purdah became more severe. During the British domination in India, the observance of purdah was very strictly adhered to and widespread among the Muslims.
“Good women”, says the Qurân, “are the obedient”. Muslim women are working in factories and offices and driving to supermarkets, and still perform Purdah. Wearing the hijab gives women freedom from constant attention to their physical self. Because their appearance is not subjected to public scrutiny, their beauty, or perhaps lack of it.
“No one looks twice or asks silly questions, because we are surrounded by various religious dress styles....” said a Muslim lady from America. “I wear the hijab, a scarf that covers my head, neck, and throat. I do this because I am a Muslim woman who believes her body is her own private concern”, said another Muslim lady.
“Put on the helmet of Hope; the breastplate of Righteousness, the sword of Prayer” - Greek Monastic Tonsure
A woman from North America says, “But, why would I, a woman with all the advantages of a North American upbringing, suddenly, at 21, want to cover myself so that with the hijab and the other clothes I choose to wear, only my face and hands show?” “Because it gives me freedom”.
The Qur’an teaches us that individuals should not be judged according to gender, beauty, wealth, or privilege.
The only thing that makes one person better than another is her or his character. Our society is really getting too immodest. Things are really much better for everyone when women dress more modestly.
But those who choose any religious form of dress should be respected, and each educated citizen should take the time and trouble to learn enough about Islam, so that they may understand and respect the Islamic woman with purdah.
External signs of our beliefs and traditions of any sort help us to constantly remember important spiritual truths and who we are in our moment to moment daily life, when we might otherwise so easily become distracted. Purdah corrects us sprititually.
As has been rightly said that, Purdah is a kind of safety. The body finds a place to hide.
The cloth fans out against the skin much like the earth that falls on coffins after they put dead men in.
In the Western world, the hijab has come to symbolize either forced silence or radical, unconscionable militancy. Actually, it’s neither. It is simply a woman’s assertion that judgment of her physical person is to play no role whatsoever in social interaction.
Purdah is not a barrier for women to venture into any field including media. Media is one of the powerful weapons in today’s info-tech world. It sets agenda, makes policies, moulds public opinion and propagates.
Gone are the days when a media man used to carry a plastic bag and a fountain pen, with no or little money in pocket, to report the day’s events. Today, media is a dignified profession. Education brings a change in our thinking and it opens new vistas for us and it pays. Women can work while wearing purdah and within social limits, girls in Muslim countries are a witness to it.
Some critics see purdah as an evil influence that has only suffocated the rights of women and perpetuated male chauvinism. Purdah is a very positive and respectful practice that actually liberates women. It is liberating because it brings about an aura of respect. Women are looked at as individuals who are judged not by their physical beauty but by their inner beauty and mind. By covering themselves, women are not looked at as sex objects that can be dominated. For the Muslims, purdah is an act of faith that entails the acts of honor, respect, and dignity.
Purdah stills remains an integral part of everyday life for some peoples and marks a part of their culture.
“Oh you who believe, enter the fold of Islam completely”.(Qurân, 2:208)
This is the command given by Allah (SWT) to those who have submitted to him (i.e., Muslims). Since the Muslims’ greatest desire is to attain the pleasure of our Creator, we must accept all of the rules and regulations prescribed by our Lord for He understands us best and He has given us the best possible system of life; a balanced system which satisfies us intellectually, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
Once we truly accept the statement “La ilaha illallah mohammadur-rasoolallah” then we must accept all of the commandments such as Zakat, Saum, staying away from Haraam, eating Halal meat, etc. Similarly, we must follow the Islamic code of behavior and dress. The Muslim woman is required to cover-up in a specified manner.
--To be concluded
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/Full_S...=11&ItemID=759