Veil and the Women

Veil and the Women
By Tazeen Fatima

Islam is a complete way of life. It is not a religion whose foundation is laid on some rituals and prayers in personal life and it is also not a religion which owes allegiance to some particular holy land. Its principles serve as guidelines for man in every field of life. Islam, on the basis of the concept of monotheism, Prophet-hood and life-after-death gives an outline of such a social order, in which an individual is not completely free but obedient to the order of God.

Whatever be the human society, its feature is shaped by men and women. There should be peace in the human society. This is the only way, in which there can be cultural and moral development and progress. Advancement of every sort of knowledge is also possible in such a society. By means of most modern weapons of science and technology all the hidden energy of nature can be harnessed.

The tenets of the Holy Qur’an and proclamations of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) are the main sources of Islamic values. Through them we can derive social, moral, political and economic principles. If the believers in Islam follow these all-pervading principles, a panorama of vicegerency of God can be observed by all and sundry. This is the loftiest objective of human life.

For the achievement of this objective, Islam has given us a code of conduct in which it is said, that the working field of men and women should be separated. To put in practice this high ideal Islam makes Hijab compulsory for women. It is the demand of a young lady’s nature that lustful eyes should not catch her. Otherwise a tiny blot weakens her character Psychologically and the natural growth of her personality is retarded. Hijab is not less than an ornament for a lady. The conception is wrong that Hijab is an obstacle in the path of progress of women. There are several examples that Hijab observing students achieve distinctive success in Arts and Science. They have also got success in medicine and surgery, and Hijab has not proved hindrance for them. There are also many examples of ladies who were not renowned writers before observing Hijab and getting success and honour after observing Islamic Hijab.

Hijab is really a kind of compulsion but it is for discipline. If men and women are not disciplined they will neither become respectable citizens nor get success in the field of progress and prosperity. Women should not make their aim only a spirit within themselves to develop moral qualities, modesty and discipline.

Amongst the observers of Hijab, Hazrat Khadeeja, Ayesha, and Fatima (R.A) are the best examples for Muslims. The names of some dancers, singers and actresses can be mentioned as the opposers of Hijab.

Women can get education within Hijab and they can also learn useful skill and only such women can be helpful for their family and society. They can also spread goodness and prevent evil in the society. If there is no such instrument in a society, which may spread goodness and check evil, vices will grow. If a traditional place is given to Hijab, the teasing of girls and tyranny towards woman can be reduced considerably.

Today, much is said about the rights of women. Unless woman gets her right place in the family and society, her personality will remain incomplete. Chastity is the greatest right of a woman. It is not to be blotted with coercion. If we survey, we will find that woman’s permissiveness and mixing with man without any hesitation is solely responsible for incidents of sexual promiscuity.
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Repentance

A man after many years of abandoning his wife and child, turns back to them in repentance. He looks across the gulf of time and realises the mistakes he had committed, the pain he had given to them, the injustice he had done. Look at the irony of life. Those from whom he was running away all these years are today wanted by him. He finds her sitting behind her working desk, her elegance and her majestic look touches his heart. She appears to be very strong and well compiled on the outside but there is so much of pain in the depth of her eyes, which shatters his soul into thousands of small pieces. He had come to talk about the past and to seek her forgiveness but now he is at a loss for words. Today he stands in front of her, not being able to meet her eyes, weeps continuously. It seems that everything around has frozen in time, she slowly gets up from where she sits. He senses the calm air which surrounds her, the cold gaze which tears him apart seems to be growing stronger as each minute passes by. His face is wet with tears, his vision clouded, he pleads with her to say something. After a long silence she questions him, “What right did you have to abandon us, to go out of our lives without justifying your action? For no fault of ours, why did you punish us with this long, lonely life? If you could not take up our responsibilities, if you could not give us our rights then why did you commit yourself into this relationship and why did you bring forth a child? What right did you have to take away the smile from the lips of our child, what right had you to rob her of her childhood and what right had you to make her a target of the many questions which were thrown at her by this ruthless world? “At this moment he has no answers for her, he is ashamed of himself and feels like hiding in one of the dark corners of his heart. He finds himself to be very small in front of her, she had gone far ahead of him, now even if he wants to, he is not able to reach out to her. She sits down, her face is pale as if all her energy has drained out and before she can say anything more, a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest puts her to silence. He tries very hard to wake her up but all in vain. Realisation draws on him that she had been put to sleep by the angel of death. His cry echoes in the darkness of the night which lies in front of him. He had turned to her in repentance but was a little late to repent.

Oh! Followers of Islam, let us not be like that man who does turn in repentance but is a little late in doing so, as Allah has said, “Repentance is not for those who commit evils upon evils until death appears before them, then he cries out. “Now I repent (ref: Surah Al-Nisa)” In the fear of death and the punishment he might receive, a dying man repents, but such a repentance is of no value in front of the Almighty; Says a hadith that, “Allah will accept the repentance of him who repents before the gurgling of the throat, i.e., the last breath”. So let us all bow our heads in front of Allah and pray that he gives us a chance to repent (as is said that, the will to repent is gifted to a man by Allah only) and please let this chance be given to us when it is not too late to repent. Ameen.

Oh Lord! With praises to you I bear witness that there is no deity but you. I seek your forgiveness and turn to you in repentance, as you are the most merciful and the most forgiving.
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