The Hijab (Head Scarf)
The hijab is a part of the Muslim woman’s identity and a personal act of worship. The Qur’an and the Hadith state that Muslim women should cover their hair and wear outer garments outside their home and in the presence of men they would be eligible to marry.
In Islam and in Christianity:
The hijab in Islam and the attire worn by Christian nuns both symbolize modesty, piety, and devotion to faith. Maryam (Mary), the mother of Jesus (phut), is often depicted as a model of chastity and virtue, and her example is reflected in the practice of wearing a head scarf, which signifies a commitment to modesty and spiritual purity.
Similarly, Christian nuns wear habits, including head coverings, as a sign of their consecration to God and their vow of humility. Both garments serve as outward expressions of inner spiritual commitments, reinforcing the individual’s connection to their faith and their community’s values.
The Niqab (Face Covering)
How a woman fulfills the requirements of the hijab varies from culture to culture, but historically, the face covering was practised by many cultures before Islam and scholars say the adoption of its practice by Muslims was part of fitting into these societies (which goes against the progress brought to women by Islam).
The niqab (face covering) has brought a lot of negative attention to Islam and what it represents in Western societies.
Unfortunately, in a lot of cases what non-Muslims know most about Islam is the niqab, terrorism, and the Middle East conflict.
For these reasons, some scholars have asked Muslim women to refrain from wearing the niqab in the west because it can lead to harassment for them and act as a barrier to inviting people into the true Islam (not the one portrayed by the media). Muslim women who refuse to hear the call of the scholars and choose to wear the niqab should keep in mind that they are the ambassadors of Islam in the west.
It is forbidden for a women to cover her face during Hadj:
If you are woman and you are still not convinced about why you should remove the Niqab, please try to come up with a logical answer to the following question: If the Niqab was mandatory an obligatory to wear it (like some think) why would it be forbidden for a woman to cover her face and her hands during the Hadj, while performing the 5th pillar of Islam?
The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: The women during the state of Ihram are not to cover their faces, nor to wear gloves.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 25, Hadith 1; Sahih Muslim, Book 7, Hadith 2845).