Question for women who wear the hijab

[Anonymous]

i spent a couple of weeks in malaysia and the muslim women there wear the most beautiful headscarves, some of which are adorned as you described. it really varies amongst countries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not muslim however I believe it has to do with their hair, as it does in some Jewish sects.


I am catholic and I veil, it has everything to do with humility before the presence of God and nothing to do with modesty, so maybe it is a bit of that too, since the "big 3" religions are so intertwined.

Great question, I'll be interested in learning more!

Why? That went out with Vatican II

It did not go "out" it became a choice. I choose too, just like I choose daily mass and pre vii fasting rules.

Actually, veiling in the Catholic church has made a big comeback. Go google it. Three women were veiled at a recent Catholic funeral Mass I attended (not Opus Dei).

I am a practicing Catholic and I find this both super weird and super depressing. Just for reference sake, I come from a family where daily mass and rosary are common; priests in the family; close family friends who are nuns; Catholic educators (both CCD teachers and parochial school administrators) in the family. Even my grandmother that was born in the 19th century and prayed almost constantly was glad to ditch the hat/veil.
This is like the people that insist on Latin mass....it's going backward, not forward.

Sounds more like a fashion choice to me. And the Latin mass lives on in some of the finest music ever written.

And rarely performed in a Catholic church. Most churches lack the talent and the budget to pull off a sung mass and if they did, people would probably complain about it being too long

[Anonymous]

Muslima wrote:Hello OP,

There isn't a clear definition of what the hijab should look like and as such, you will see it worn differently in different cultures. The way it is worn in Malaysia would be different from how it is worn in Dubai, Saudi, Egypt, Somalia, Iran ect, because there are no specifics as far as color/style/ect so women do add a cultural/stylish touch to their scarves. Yes, there is the argument that you shouldn't be flashy since your goal is to be modest, but that is still debatable as there is no rulings around that. In essence, Muslim women have varied styles just like non-muslim women, some like to wear colorful outfits, others wear black every day, some like to wear make-up, others don't. I personally have super flashy, colorful crazy hijabs, and also very simple monotone ones, really depends on my mood.

There are even Hijabi lolitas:

Speaking as a modestly dressing Christian only, I don't understand how this is modest. There's such a huge spectrum between head to toe black and this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whoa! Over the top response. OP was under the impression that the hijab was worn to essentailly hide oneself. Thus, she is confused by an attention-getting one and is wondering if hijab is about something else.

Answer--it is about something else. It is about covering what the Quran refers to as "zeinat" or beautiful things. It is not really clear what this means, but some interpret it to mean your hair, body, arms and legs. Faces, hands, and feet are okay (but the more extreme versions in Islam would say those need to be covered too).

As long as you cover those things, your dress can be as sober or as garish as you wish, though, again, the more extreme forms of Islam would have every piece of clothing be black, or, as in Afghanistan, white or blue.

What the hijab is designed to cover can be compared to modesty codes in the West, but we are fine with more being uncovered. We also tend to have different standards for different venues--church and office are one thing, weekend wear another, and beach and resort yet another. Traditional Muslims, however, tend to employ the same modesty standards everywhere. That said, many Muslim women are perfectly fine with the Western modesty code.

Why don't men have to cover up their"zeinat"?

They do, but it's limited to only their "navel to knee." So that's why sometimes you will see men in t-shirts and shorts with spouses in hijab and abayas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Christian here, who has a question.

My understanding of the hijab or other forms of scarves or clothing worn by some Muslim women is that they are supposed to be a sign of modesty to help draw attention away from their physical selves. Earlier today as I was at a red light a woman crossed the street in front of me wearing a hijab, however it was gold and sparkly with what looked from a short distance to be rhinestones or some other type of shiny ornamentation. I'm curious if anyone of the Muslim faith can explain to me why this would be, or if it conforms to some interpretations of Islam. I've seen women wear hijabs that are black or white but never something so attention-getting and colorful.

I don't mean this with disrespect but from a place of curiosity as I have no friends or colleagues that I'm close enough to that I'd feel comfortable asking.

OP, Muslim women are women like everyone else, and like to beautify themselves within the rules of their religion. Hijabs are as much for modesty as they are for marking the wearer as Muslim. The Islamic world is very diverse and there are many, many ways to wear the headscarf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not OP but I do have a question in case anyone knows - in Saudi Arabia the women wear black and in Iran the women wear blue. Why don't women in Saudi Arabia wear blue? Wouldn't in be cooler? Is the color dictated by the government?

Do you mean in Afghanistan?

In Saudi, Saudi women must wear black niquab (only eyes showing). Foreign women can wear any type of headscarf, but they also risk harassment if dressed a lot differently.

In Iran, women are required to wear headscarves, but not of a certain color. You often see much more hair peeking out in Iran, too.

In Afghanistan, women were required to wear a burqa under the Taliban, and they are generally blue. It wards off the evil eye. Now you will see women wearing regular head scarves, but many still wear the burqa for safety.

Incorrect, KSA requires an abaya (loose garment on top of regular clothes) only, it does not require women to cover their faces. Culturally, women in many parts of the kingdom will veil their faces but it isn't required by law.

Foreign women are required to wear an abaya but not a headscarf. Realistically, it is safer to wear a headscarf but it is not mandated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christian here, who has a question.

My understanding of the hijab or other forms of scarves or clothing worn by some Muslim women is that they are supposed to be a sign of modesty to help draw attention away from their physical selves. Earlier today as I was at a red light a woman crossed the street in front of me wearing a hijab, however it was gold and sparkly with what looked from a short distance to be rhinestones or some other type of shiny ornamentation. I'm curious if anyone of the Muslim faith can explain to me why this would be, or if it conforms to some interpretations of Islam. I've seen women wear hijabs that are black or white but never something so attention-getting and colorful.

I don't mean this with disrespect but from a place of curiosity as I have no friends or colleagues that I'm close enough to that I'd feel comfortable asking.

OP, Muslim women are women like everyone else, and like to beautify themselves within the rules of their religion. Hijabs are as much for modesty as they are for marking the wearer as Muslim. The Islamic world is very diverse and there are many, many ways to wear the headscarf.

But can't you beautify yourself without calling attention to yourself? I think you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not OP but I do have a question in case anyone knows - in Saudi Arabia the women wear black and in Iran the women wear blue. Why don't women in Saudi Arabia wear blue? Wouldn't in be cooler? Is the color dictated by the government?

Do you mean in Afghanistan?

In Saudi, Saudi women must wear black niquab (only eyes showing). Foreign women can wear any type of headscarf, but they also risk harassment if dressed a lot differently.

In Iran, women are required to wear headscarves, but not of a certain color. You often see much more hair peeking out in Iran, too.

In Afghanistan, women were required to wear a burqa under the Taliban, and they are generally blue. It wards off the evil eye. Now you will see women wearing regular head scarves, but many still wear the burqa for safety.

Incorrect, KSA requires an abaya (loose garment on top of regular clothes) only, it does not require women to cover their faces. Culturally, women in many parts of the kingdom will veil their faces but it isn't required by law.

Foreign women are required to wear an abaya but not a headscarf. Realistically, it is safer to wear a headscarf but it is not mandated.

I was talking about foreign Muslim women, since we are talking about Muslim women in general. And they are required to wear a headscarf in KSA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not muslim however I believe it has to do with their hair, as it does in some Jewish sects.


I am catholic and I veil, it has everything to do with humility before the presence of God and nothing to do with modesty, so maybe it is a bit of that too, since the "big 3" religions are so intertwined.

Great question, I'll be interested in learning more!

WHAT?

How old are you? The last time I saw someone Catholic "veil" was in my father's hometown in Italy. She was in her 80s.

I am 42. I am not a nun.

I never assumed you were a nun.

Why did you mention that?

The veiled old lady in Italy was my father's cousin - a widow.

[Anonymous]

These costumes are ridiculous and definitely infantile.

Muslima wrote:Hello OP,

There isn't a clear definition of what the hijab should look like and as such, you will see it worn differently in different cultures. The way it is worn in Malaysia would be different from how it is worn in Dubai, Saudi, Egypt, Somalia, Iran ect, because there are no specifics as far as color/style/ect so women do add a cultural/stylish touch to their scarves. Yes, there is the argument that you shouldn't be flashy since your goal is to be modest, but that is still debatable as there is no rulings around that. In essence, Muslim women have varied styles just like non-muslim women, some like to wear colorful outfits, others wear black every day, some like to wear make-up, others don't. I personally have super flashy, colorful crazy hijabs, and also very simple monotone ones, really depends on my mood.

There are even Hijabi lolitas:

[Anonymous]

"These costumes are ridiculous and definitely infantile. "

That's why Muslima posted them as an example of a hijabi Lolita.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whoa! Over the top response. OP was under the impression that the hijab was worn to essentailly hide oneself. Thus, she is confused by an attention-getting one and is wondering if hijab is about something else.

Answer--it is about something else. It is about covering what the Quran refers to as "zeinat" or beautiful things. It is not really clear what this means, but some interpret it to mean your hair, body, arms and legs. Faces, hands, and feet are okay (but the more extreme versions in Islam would say those need to be covered too).

As long as you cover those things, your dress can be as sober or as garish as you wish, though, again, the more extreme forms of Islam would have every piece of clothing be black, or, as in Afghanistan, white or blue.

What the hijab is designed to cover can be compared to modesty codes in the West, but we are fine with more being uncovered. We also tend to have different standards for different venues--church and office are one thing, weekend wear another, and beach and resort yet another. Traditional Muslims, however, tend to employ the same modesty standards everywhere. That said, many Muslim women are perfectly fine with the Western modesty code.

Why don't men have to cover up their"zeinat"?

Because men wrote religion.