The Beauty Behind the Veil

By Salma Jayne A. Tamano

I consider myself more of a spiritual Muslim rather than a religious one. This is because I believe I have attained a connection with God, through the five daily prayers prescribed by Islam, and especially through the little conversations I have with Him throughout the day. I tell Him of my problems, my dreams, my thoughts. These conversations brought me much closer to Him and I believe I have gained a personal relationship with him.

When I speak of spirituality to a fellow Muslim, he/she would sarcastically point out to me, “If you’re so connected with Allah, why are you not even wearing the Hijab (veil/scarf)?” To this, I absolutely clam up because I feel I do not owe anyone an explanation. It’s only God I should be answerable to.

I used to wear the veil when I lived in Saudi Arabia and Marawi City. But I stopped wearing the Hijab when I moved to Cagayan de Oro City about seven years ago. My reasons were the following: 1) It is so hot in Cagayan de Oro and wearing the veil makes me feel itchy (the most stupid reason I ever came up with), and 2) Many people of the non-Islamic faith would give me the stares when I cover my head, making me so uncomfortable, as if I were an alien of some sort. Guess how Muslims like me felt when Erap Estrada declared an all-out war against the Muslim rebels and then 9/11 happened after that? There was a silent hatred against us and many already came to the conclusion that most of us are terrorists and war freaks. So anyway, those were my reasons. Very petty, I know, but in time, I would wear the Hijab again, when my heart and mind are both willing to do so.

Friends would ask me, why do we Muslim women wear a veil? Being curious and sometimes hungry for information, I went to the internet and started my research. And then did I suddenly realize the reason behind the veil…

The Hijab does not only refer to the veil but the entire dress code of a Muslim woman. We are instructed to wear loose clothes that cover the whole of our bodies with the exception of our faces and hands. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Messenger of Allah, was quoted as saying, “If the woman reaches the age of puberty, no part of her body should be seen but this.” And he pointed to his face and hands.

There are, however, Arab women in Saudi Arabia who cover even their faces and when I asked a classmate of mine why she does that, she answered, “There’s too much sand storm here in Riyadh. It’s actually protection from that. It hurts to get sand in your eyes, nose and mouth.” How right you are, sweetheart. It happened to me once and I tell you, I got scared of sand storms after that.
In wearing the Hijab, it should also be accompanied with a certain attitude. The Muslim woman should conduct herself with dignity and good morals. The cover makes her constantly aware of her behavior. If a covered woman however is flirting with men, she is considered by God as naked. Actually, a woman not wearing the Hijab but has self-respect and modesty in her character and attitude is more beautiful in His sight.

Muslim women should bear in mind that the reason for wearing a veil and loose clothes is to please only God and not to please other people. I know a lot of Muslim women who wear the Hijab so as to gain the respect and approval of the society. It is not really in their hearts to cover themselves. I say this because when they are in a Christian place, their clothing is replaced by tight jeans and short-sleeved shirts, their hair exposed for everybody to see.
My research also led me to something very interesting. Jewish and Christian women are also instructed to cover their heads. Ancient Rabbis said, “It is not like the daughters of Israel to walk but with heads uncovered. Cursed be the man who lets the hair of his wife be seen…a woman who exposes her hair for self-adornment brings poverty!”

In the New Testament, I Corinthians 11:9 state:
I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you. Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

The Holy Qur’an states in Chapter 24, verses 30-31:
"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty...And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and adornments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers…”

And in Chapter 33, verse 59:
"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons...that they should be known and not molested.”

In these holy sayings, it can be determined that the Jewish women are ordered to wear the veil because it symbolizes luxury and nobility. For them, wearing the veil is a sign of dignity and aristocracy. As for the Christian women, they are to wear the veil as a sign of man’s authority over women. It is a sign of men’s dominance over them. As for Muslim women, Allah the Almighty ordered them to be covered simply for purposes of modesty so that they would be protected from molestation. Allah the Almighty is just so concerned with protecting the bodies and reputation of women that He even stated in the Holy Qur’an that those males who falsely charge a woman of unchastity will harshly pay for their accusations.
Women do need protection these days. Statistics state that in America, a woman is raped every two minutes. In South Africa, a woman is raped every twenty seconds. In India, a woman is raped every thirty-four minutes and molested every twenty-six minutes. The Council of Europe states that nine out of ten rapes go unreported.
Another good thing about wearing the Hijab is for scientific reasons. The big hole in the ozone layer can cause skin cancer. According to www.70south.com:
The ozone layer protects humans and animals from the harmful UV-B rays of the sun. When this protective layer is reduced, it has dramatic consequences on life. The metabolism of plants is affected, which means a slower photosynthesis. The ultraviolet radiation destroys micro-organisms, which play an important role in the food chain. E.g. When the amount of phytoplankton decreases in the Antarctic ocean, it has also dramatic consequences for mammals such as whales and seals as well as penguins higher up the food chain. Humans are affected most directly by increased chances of skin cancer.

Through the Hijab, we can actually decrease our chances of acquiring skin cancer. According to www.themodernreligion.com, an advice currently being given by the United States Department of Health And Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is to wear covering, so as not to be exposed to skin cancer. The said web site declares,

“These centers have sponsored a campaign called ‘Choose Your Cover’, encouraging people to protect themselves from skin cancer. One of the recommended methods is wearing clothing that covers skin and protects against the sun's UV rays. The campaign’s section on clothing notes that ‘a long-sleeved shirt and long pants with a thick weave provide the best protection.’”
The Hijab therefore is actually protection from physical harm caused by man in the form of rape and/or molestation, and by nature in the form of sand storms and skin cancer. The Hijab is also a statement by a woman as if she is saying, I am to be respected. A friend of mine named Naira Moner always wears the Hijab. She said one of her reasons is that it covers her true beauty from spectators. She believes her true beauty should only be seen by her future husband in the comfort of their bedroom.

As ordered by God, it is only a woman’s husband who has the right to see her uncovered. “Wouldn’t your first night together as husband and wife be pretty exciting for the both of you when you stand up in front of him and he can see the real you for the first time?” Naira said. “If he loved you all covered up before he married you, how much more when he sees you with no barriers at all. And he will respect you even more because it is only him who saw you unclothed”

So that is where my research led me. Yes, it would be pretty exciting and mind-blowing for husbands to see the beauty behind the veil.