The Veil & Spirituality
Archived under My Writings .
Last Monday I was asked to give a 10 minute presentation regarding the niqaab, how I came to wear it and my experiences post 7/7. The audience comprised mainly of Jews and Christians as it was an inter-faith event and alhamdulillaah, it went quite well. The Headteacher at my local Masjid's madrasah first gave the Shar'ee perspective of the niqaab which was very concise and comprehensive. After my talk the floor was open to comments and questions and one question posed to me was:
"How does the face veil relate to spirituality?"
This question was posed in response to my mentioning of how my mode of dress reflected my spiritual state – i.e. my state of eemaan. In reponse to the question I said what follows [it has been edited for flow].
"For me personally, when I started practising Islaam - as I said - my clothes became looser and longer. It was gradual steps like when a child learns to crawl, then learns to walk and then he can run. I was reading a lot and as you do, you become very excited and enthusiastic and you want to know everything and then you want to read everything. [At the time] I was wearing the headscarf and long dress and it came to a point where I didn’t think it was enough and I was yearning for more. As mentioned, when you are new to something you want to do everything perfectly. I came to a point where I felt I had reached a dead end; where I had reached two roads and I could only go down one: one where I carried on dressed with the headscarf and long dress or the other where I would follow the scholarly opinion that the face veil is recommended or obligatory.
As a university student [at the time] I still had the peer pressure thing going on having just come out of college and I hadn't shed a lot of things I had from my days before Islaam, but the face veil was something I was sure and definite about and what I felt was most pleasing to God.
To be able to wear the veil, people have to understand that it's not about placing a piece of cloth over your face. You have to be conscious of what you are doing. You are sacrificing alot. You are no longer worrying about what you look like outside – you longer go out looking good for people and you are shedding a lot of what you had during your days before Islaam. It's a long process in and of itself.
Wearing the veil is one thing but keeping it on is another. There have been many cases where women have worn it and end up taking it off because they felt that they were spiritually ready for it.
It is a case of you and God: the veil is something one does because they feel it is pleasing to God. It's not done for the sake of one's husband, or one's father or brother or mother. It's done purely for the pleasure of God and when you have such an intention you are inevitably coming closer to God. As mentioned, there have been women who have worn the veil and taken it off – they may have rushed into it without thinking – like trying to run before one can walk. Maybe they were not spiritually ready to wear it. Maybe they've hit a low in their spiritual state and now doubt their reasoning for wearing it. And this is how the wearing of the veil relates to spirituality."
There's more I could have added, but within that setting and time restraints, this had to do. Alhamdulillaah this was NOT the actual talk, just an answer to a lady's question. May Allaah open their hearts to Islaam, aameen.
~ Umm Junayd.
Your Thoughts
Thank you for explaining this!! It makes so much more sense to me now.
Salam,
I believe wearing of niqaab or hijab for that matter is a reflection of the depth of ones understanding and love for Allah providing it is done with sincere intentions. A lot of women get discriminated against for dressing Islamically even from their families. I remember when I started wearing the hijab my parents threatened to disown me. Tried as hard as I could to convince them that I wasn't doing it to hurt or embarass them, they still couldn't accept that I would dress that way because I wasn't a fanatic. So there's a lot of ignorance, even among Muslims about the essense of female modesty. Many thing the women are forced, its hard for them to conceive that they are doing it because they love Allah and for no other reason. Glad you responded to the call to give the talk. It would have opened up more hearts and minds. May Allah reward you abundantly. Amin.
Assalaamu 'alaikum sisters.
Farhan: Welcome to my humble blog. I'm gald you found it beneficial, walhamdulillaah.
Eka: Yes, yes yes! I agree with all that you said and totally understand the 'we'll disown you' threat. I've always found it hard to understand why the wearing of the hijaab or the niqaab is seen as an act of 'fanaticism' or 'extremism'. I've also had my share of name calling, but I pray that Allaah guides them and us.
Let me also mention a comment a man made at the gathering. He implied that the niqaab is the work of the devil(!). He said (I'm paraphrasing):
"The devil always makes people think that they're doing some kind of good, when infact they are not. So we should be careful because the devil makes extremism seem normal."
He said something along those lines. SubhaanAllaah! This is what he needs to tell the current 'rulers of the world', not us niqaab (or hijaab) wearers!
~ Umm Junayd.
asalaam alaikum warahmat Allah,
since i've moved here alhamdulilah i'ven been wearing niqab..but am unsure of what to do this summer insha'Allah when i travel back to the "west". i am like u that my clothes was a gradual loosening until before i came here to madinah i was in a jilbab and long khimar anyway, but going back to a visit i hope i will do what pleases Allah the most..
jazakAllah kheir for this post sis :-)
Salaam mashallah a lovely informative site. Re Niqab can or sould husbands demand for it to be worn, and why do some scholars say that if a husband demands the wfe to wera the niqab she should, as hes asking her to do good. surely if she waers it upon his request she's not really doing it purely for allah, i mean its confusing as i no of a sister in this positions who wants help,she doesnt want to wear it full time but the husband is forcing her to do so, is there any thing we can give her to read with him which may help him understand inshallah? jazekallah kher.
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As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu my dear sister,
Ameen.
Masha'Allah. Very well answered. It's all about pleasing Allah Most High :)
Wonderful blog! Masha'Allah
Ma'salaama
Farhana