The Essence of the Veil: The Veil as a Metaphor for Islamic Women¹

Fatima is a fifty-three year old woman living in Damascus, Syria. Married, with six children, her day is busy with family responsibilities, grandchildren, household chores, and errands. But before she leaves the privacy of her home on any outing, she slips a baggy overcoat over her clothing, regardless of the temperature outside. Carefully covering her hair with a large scarf, she checks her reflection in the mirror, grabs her purse, and heads out the door.

Noor is a woman living in Tehran, Iran. Only twenty-eight years old, she already has four young children. She wishes she had the freedom that Fatima enjoys, however limited it may seem to others. Noor must veil herself in a chador, a large piece of fabric that covers her from head to toe, whenever she appears outside her home, which is rarely. Since the penalty in Iran for even a slight violation of Islamic dress is twelve months in prison and possible flogging, she avoids public places (as do most women).² Confined within the walls of her home, her only outings are occasional trips to the market and to the local mosque, where she joins the other women who are sequestered in separate quarters from the men.

However restrictive Noor's dress may be, it is preferable to that of her cousin Nadia, who married a strict Muslim from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) when she was only seventeen. According to UAE law Nadia must wear an abaya, a full-length coat; the burqa, a face mask made of stiff fabric; and gloves that cover her arms to her elbows.

Then there is Leila, a twenty-five year old single woman living in her native city of San Diego, California. With a graduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Leila is the image of the successful, well-educated twenty-first-century woman, with a bright career ahead of her. Yet Leila, who was raised in a moderate Muslim home, has begun to cover her hair with a scarf and wear loose clothing in the traditional Muslim fashion when she appears in public. Having seriously reexamined her faith, she chooses to veil herself as a sign of her devotion to Islam.

Despite the vast diversity in their lives, all of these women "veil" themselves in obedience to the Qur'an and Islamic law. To some degree, most Muslim countries adhere to Islamic law, which requires women to cover their heads and often their entire bodies in public. Westerners may be surprised to learn that Muslims such as Leila, who live in secular countries where no veil is required, wear one anyway. These women do not see the headscarf as repressive or restrictive. Rather, it is viewed as a sign of their identity and their devotion to the Prophet Muhammed and his teachings.

The Meaning of the Veil

To understand Muslim women, we must grasp the importance and meaning of the veil and other pieces of traditional Islamic clothing. There is great diversity in the Islamic community worldwide, which is easily seen if you look at a map of the world. The Middle East and much of Africa consists of Muslim countries, and the largest Muslim population is in Southeast Asia. Europe and North America both have significant Muslim populations, including many converts. Although regional customs and traditions are influential in women's lives, many factors contribute to a remarkable unity among Muslim believers worldwide. The dictate of the Qur'an regarding veiling is one that almost all hold in common. The practice of veiling goes far beyond local mores, cultural perceptions of beauty, or even legal requirements.

The use of the veil has a long history in the East and was used by women years before the Islamic rise to power. Centuries before Muhammed, a veil signified that a woman was in the king's harem. The isolation of wealthy upper-class women, signified by their veiling was common in classical Greece, as well as in the Byzantine Empire, Persia, and India. Veiling became accepted among the followers Muhammed primarily because it was a sign of wealth and position. The veil became accepted as the norm around the tenth century and has moved in and out of fashion since.³

The first followers of Muhammed wore traditional Arab dress. As time progressed and the Qur'an was applied to practical aspects of life, women began to cover their heads out of respect to the Prophet and his commands. It became an act of religious obedience. Now the veil is considered obligatory for most devout Muslim women. It is seen as a reflection of one's faith, purity, and adherence to Islam, an identification worn with honor.

With few exceptions, most women in Muslim countries are required to wear some form of Islamic dress. In the West, Muslim women wear the veil usually by choice, although those who do so are viewed with suspicion or pity. Most American women are genuinely puzzled as to why any woman who lives in their neighborhood and works in their community would choose to wear an unnecessary headscarf or other head covering. To Western women, the scarf symbolizes repression and discrimination. To most Islamic women, it symbolizes devotion. Many have dared wear it even where it is outlawed, as in Turkey and Tunisia. The veil expresses their return to Islamic values. Understanding the deeper meaning of the practice of veiling should help us better understand and appreciate Muslim women who may be friends and neighbors. Rather than pity or fear a veiled woman, we should respect her in this choice and appreciate the long history that stands behind it.

Hijab in the Qur'an

Hijab is the general term used to describe the dress and veiling customs of Islamic women. Hijab comes from the Arabic word hajaba, which means "to hide from view."⁴ The literal meaning of the word is "curtain." In its strictest sense, hijab refers to the scarf or veil worn over the head to cover the hair. In most Islamic countries, it is the minimum covering required for all women, including girls as young as nine years old. The Qur'an instructed Muhammed's followers on the proper way to address the Prophet's wives: "If you ask his wives for anything, speak to them from behind a curtain. This is purer for your hearts and their hearts" (surah 35:33).

This "curtain" was supposedly meant to be a protection against the sexual temptations that Muhammed believed would inevitably occur should men and women intermingle. He apparently believed that any contact between men and women would inevitably result in illicit sexual relations or at least lead to impure thoughts: "If a man and woman are alone in one place, the third person present is the devil," he said. This conviction is clearly seen in Islamic law and customs throughout the Muslim world.

Muhammed left similar instructions for female believers other than his wives:

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty, that they should not display their beauty or ornaments except what they must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. (surah 24:31)

From this verse, the practice of veiling has evolved into the head and shoulder coverings and loose clothing that will not attract attention to a woman's body. The intent of veiling is to hide the woman's body and/or face to avoid attracting male attention. Because of this directive, devout Muslims consider veiling one of the Prophet's commands and a sign of a woman's adherence to the Qur'an: "Veiling has become a measure of a woman's honor, dignity, nationalism, and devotion to Islam."⁵

Just as Christians base their beliefs on Scripture, Muslims believe the Qur'an is the ultimate authority on life. Muslims believe that the Qur'an is to be studied in the original Arabic, which ensures the purity of the Prophet's words. There are no cultural modernizations or translations of the Qur'an, though the ulema (scholars) have provided translations with side-by-side Arabic text. Therefore the directives on veiling are taken literally rather than set in a historical context. Veiling is not considered a mode of dress of past cultures but an instruction for women in the past, present, and future.

Because the Qur'an is considered to be without error and cannot be criticized or defiled in any way, in some countries donning the hijab is considered the sixth pillar of Islam-especially in societies that observe shari'a law.

Shari'a Law

Understanding the authority of shari'a law gives a perspective from which to view the veiling and dress of Muslim women. All details of life, including modes of dress, are addressed in one of three sources of Islamic law: the Qur'an; the Hadith; and shari'a law. Of the three, shari'a law is the most specific regarding women's dress. This code of law is based on the Qur'an, the Hadith, and the work of Muslim scholars throughout the early centuries of Islam. It is applied as a civil law code to the most obscure areas of life. This volume of laws is best understood as a religious code for living, encompassing every aspect of life from governmental law to personal dress codes to family life. Along with shari'a descriptions of acceptable dress are the fatwas, legal opinions by Muslim scholars on interpreting a law in specific situations. Religious Muslims believe that shari'a law describes the highest form of Islamic life, as laid out in the Qur'an and Hadith. Though shari'a law is expected to be part of the conscience of devout Muslims, often it is also formally instituted as the legal code of Islamic states. Sometimes the law is strictly enforced, as in Saudi Arabia. In other countries it is more loosely interpreted, such as in the more open-minded Malaysian society.⁶ However it is enforced, shari'a governs all areas of life, with severe penalties for disobedience.

Shari'a law is a concept foreign to most Westerners. Muhammed saw little, if any, difference between the political and faith expressions of Islamic belief. Where shari'a law is implemented, there is no separation of state and religion. The religious law is the civil law. H. A. R. Gibb writes, "For the early Muslims there was little or no distinction between ‘legal' and ‘religious.' In the Qur'an the two aspects are found side by side, or rather interwoven one with the other, and so likewise in the Hadith. . . . The meshing of law and religion results in the belief that the law is divinely inspired and immutable."⁷

It logically follows that the belief that women should be covered would be the law of the land. Contemporary veiling practices are a response to interpretations of the shari'a, which gives women a specific set of garments referred to as "lawful dress."⁸ The term "lawful dress" is rather general and can be seen in the various styles of hijab adhered to in Islamic cultures.

Under societies practicing strict adherence to shari'a law, women can be shot for random violations, as shown in the video "Inside Afghanistan: Behind the Veil," which was broadcast over the Cable News Network (CNN) during the 2002 war in Afghanistan. In this film, an undercover woman reporter secretly documented the plight of women under the oppressive Taliban. Covered with a thick veil and a small grille for her eyes, she found life impossibly difficult. Even if she accidentally showed her face or ankles, she could have been arrested.⁹ This may be an extreme example, but similar practices are common in the most conservative Islamic countries, such as Iran and the Persian Gulf states. A woman who does not conform to the local standard of hijab is likely to be punished severely. Worse, she brings shame on her family in the eyes of her community in a culture where honor is tightly interwoven with the virtues of modesty and purity. The standards extend from dictates about wearing the hijab to laws regulating behavior toward men, however innocent it may be. Often a woman is forbidden even to look at a man other than her husband or an immediate family member.

"Honor depends on a woman remaining chaste; should she be violated in any way, the men of the family risk being seen as weak perhaps even being ostracized."¹⁰ Here is a crucial point in understanding the predicament of Muslim women. The reputation of families rests on their shoulders. Even if a woman is completely innocent of any wrongdoing, she bears the shame when sexual misconduct occurs.

It is from this core idea that "honor killings" take place. In her book Nine Parts of Desire, author Geraldine Brooks tells of interviewing a young Palestinian woman who'd had a love affair with a young doctor. She became quite concerned for her life, fearing that she might become the victim of an "honor killing" by her father or younger brothers. Fortunately that did not happen, but when she attempted to protest this horrid practice with the help of Muslim women's rights advocates, she met with total resistance. According to Brooks, about forty Palestinian women a year are victims of this type of killing, which is believed to remove the shame of adultery from the family.¹¹ Most killings take place in rural villages, where the majority of residents are uneducated and live in poverty. One of the reasons that honor killings are more easily documented in this area is because, under Israeli occupation, murders are more likely to come to the attention of civilian police.¹² A number of Muslim women are speaking against this barbaric practice, such as Riffat Hassan, an activist who founded International Network for the Rights of Female Victims of Violence in Pakistan. An Islamic theologian, she effectively speaks for women's rights, especially regarding honor killings. Hassan courageously appeared on the ABC news program Nightline in February 1999 to address this "misogynistic" practice.¹³Although the extreme application of shari'a is not common in every Islamic country, it does occur.

Certain aspects of the shari'a law institutionalize women's oppression and have been a central concern of women's movements in the Arab world. The ability of men to divorce their wives without cause and with little penalty, the vesting of ultimate child custody with the father and his family, and the permitting of polygyny are all stipulations of the shari'a still in force in most Arab countries.¹⁴

An example of this gender inequality is found in the law regarding rape in Pakistan. Women who are raped are charged with "adultery or fornication" known as zinah. To prove that there was truly a forced rape and not just consensual fornication, the victim must produce four honorable Muslim males who witnessed the actual act. Of course, this is impossible, so the perpetrator cannot be punished. The fault for the crime is charged to the victim, who has confessed to unlawful sexual relations just by alleging that a rape occurred.¹⁵For the woman, the suffering extends beyond the physical violation to the intense shame and reproach of society and her subsequent isolation due to the stain on her family name.

Prescribing hijab is the Islamic law's attempt to protect women from such troubles. Because sexual assaults are relatively common in Islamic societies, one can see why women might want to hide their faces and bodies to avoid male attention of any sort.

The Manifestations of Modesty

It is difficult to overstate the Islamic emphasis on female chastity, modesty, and social order to avoid sexual perversion. The virtue of veiling modesty shown in Qur'anic verses about covering is of paramount importance. It is the basis for all hijab. However, the practical application of "modesty" can be subjective. Some interpret the Qur'an to call for a simple head covering, as worn in Egypt, Morocco, and the more moderate Muslim countries. The hijab and the jilba, similar to a caftan, are a common ensemble there. On the other hand, the most extreme form of hijab was recently seen in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, where women were required to wear the burqa, a shapeless form that covers the body from head to toe, with a type of face mask covering the eyes. These are also worn in regions of Pakistan.¹⁶

One can only imagine the intense discomfort experienced during the summer heat. The abaya, a long black cloak with arm slits, is worn in the Persian Gulf countries. Iranian and some Lebanese women wear the chador, a large square fabric piece worn over the head and pinned under the chin. A niqab, worn in some regions, is a veil that covers the face and shoulders completely. In various parts of the Gulf States, women are even required to cover their hands with long gloves. Jordanian and Syrian women generally wear scarves and loose-fitting clothes, perhaps covered by a long coat. The fabric must be opaque except over the eyes where a type of netting is used. Despite the restrictions, it is interesting to note that there can be all sorts of fashion additions to the hijab, assuming a woman has the time and resources to decorate them. A visit to various Islamic Web sites for women shows all types of dress with varying colors, fabrics, trims, and designs. Debra Decker, a writer for the Dallas Morning News, tells of a journey she took to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Uzbekistan with the National Conference of Editorial Writers. Her assignment was to better understand Islam and its effect on women. She tells of interviewing Saudi women and ob- serving, to her surprise, that when their abayas were removed in the privacy of a home, the women were dressed quite stylishly, with full makeup and Western haircuts.¹⁷

When the Taliban was vanquished in 2002, Afghan women officially were freed from the suffocating burqas. However most women continued to wear it, mystifying the Western reporters. Considering the importance placed on respect, virtue, and modesty, one can see why these women did not cast off their traditional dress. Their culture demands that they maintain their covering and dress appropriately, despite the new legal freedom. Despite the law of the land, which may change from time to time, Muslim women must continue to bear the cultural and religious pressure to conform, even when dress is not regulated by law.

Application of shari'a law in regard to hijab can be carried to extremes in such countries as Saudi Arabia. Saudi women are sequestered from the world by more than dress. They live very restricted lives. Whenever they travel outside the home, they must be accompanied by a male relative. They cannot drive.¹⁸ In a restaurant, they may take their veils off to eat only if isolated in the privacy of family cubicles. Again we are reminded of the goal of shari'a law to protect the culture from sexual immorality by separating women in public, whether in dress or location. It is solely the woman's responsibility to avert any male attention or glances.

Strolling along the busy streets amid the traffic, shopping areas, and outdoor cafes of Morocco, one will rarely see a woman who is not a tourist sitting in a restaurant. Although Moroccan women are legally allowed to appear in a public place, cultural expectations do not give such freedom. There are so few women in public that even a visiting Western woman feels uncomfortable.

Modesty is protected by more than dress requirements. It is also safeguarded by a wide-ranging standard for behavior in social interaction. Modesty as a virtue also applies to men, according to the Qur'an. In public, a man is to be covered from the navel to the knee. In practice, however, there is more inequity. Brooks tells of her experience on a Caspian Sea beach, where she saw Iranian men swimming in normal swim trunks near women who were swimming in chadors.¹⁹Conspicuously absent in shari'a law are complementary constraints on the responsibility of men to guard their own thought or behavior.

Social and Political Implications of Hijab 

Above, we pointed out the interesting phenomenon that Muslim women choose to wear the hijab in secular countries where it is not required. To the Western mind-set, the veil "symbolizes the relegation of women to a secluded world."²⁰ However, as part of a minority culture within a larger society, people often want to identify with their heritage, even if it means standing out and drawing discrimination. A sense of ethnic pride and identity may surface when one feels marginalized in a foreign culture. Many women feel that the veil frees them from sexual harassment and prejudice that can occur in work or social situations. After choosing to veil herself, one North American young woman wrote:

No one knows whether my hair looks as if I just stepped out of a salon, whether or not I can pinch an inch, or even if I have unsightly stretch marks. Feeling that one has to meet the impossible male standards of beauty is tiring and often humiliating. . . . The idea is that modest dress and head coverings allow women to appear as individuals, rather than as purely physical objects.²¹

Islamic believers often claim that wearing the veil frees a woman from the tyranny of the beauty industry and its exploitation of the female body. Given that many women enjoy styling their hair, using makeup, and wearing fashionable clothing under their hijab, this is a questionable liberation. Nevertheless, the social message of the veil should not be overlooked. The trend to promote Islamic values in a secular culture is enforced by the wearing of hijab, and these women want respect for their beliefs.

Beyond culture, there are political implications to the veil. In 1923, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk began to secularize Turkey, moving the country away from Islamic law. One of his proclamations condemned the veil as "demeaning and a hindrance to a civilized nation."²² This decree was not well received within the religious community.

In the 1930s, the shah of Iran outlawed wearing the hijab in an effort to Westernize society. His efforts to establish the Family Protection Acts of 1965 and 1975 improved the lives of Iranian women. However, in the Revolution of 1979, things quickly changed.²³ The laws were promptly overturned amid the backlash against the shah. Female protesters took to the streets, veiling themselves as a sign of the revolution. Their demonstrations protested the increasing Westernization of their society. As political pendulums swing away from modernization in Islamic societies, the veil becomes an outward sign of Islamic fidelity. In a political context, the veil symbolizes rejection of Western values, or the lack thereof, and support of Islamic law. It is a "shield against the invasions of Western bred corruption and immorality."²⁴

Among Islamic women's issues, the veil is an ongoing topic of controversy. Some groups, such as the Woman's Action Forum in Pakistan, argue that any dress code for women denies basic freedoms. Other groups that support stricter interpretations promote the dress codes, even publishing requirements for modest dress. Anyone who wishes to understand this debate can get a good introduction by touring Islamic Web sites that address the matter.

Conclusion

Reaching Muslim women with the liberating message of the gospel of Christ is indeed a challenge. However, understanding the important facets of their lives helps build a bridge of communication to friendship and opportunities for ministry. In regard to hijab, some observations might help us to do this.

First, recognize the virtue that lies behind veiling. "Modesty" is described in the Oxford Dictionary as "unpretentious, or not excessive." Surely, we Christian women can appreciate this value. We are exhorted to exhibit modesty in dress and behavior in 1 Peter 3. Because Western culture is characterized overseas by television programs that depict a low view of morality, Western Christians can see why Muslims sometimes come to consider Western society as the epitome of evil. We can appreciate their serious approach to virtue and their willingness to adjust personal appearance to reflect genuine modesty.

Second, the veil is an obvious metaphor for the separation between genders required by Islamic law. Often emotionally and physically separated from their husbands and sons, as well as from the world around them, women can experience loneliness, depression, and frustration. Their profound responsibility for upholding the honor of the social order is visible to all-epitomized by the protective veil.

Despite the implications of the veil, there remains one undistorted truth: Islam regards the female body essentially as evil and the cause of sexual immorality. Geraldine Brooks, in reflecting on the deeper meaning of hijab, concluded that it is "the dangerous female body that somehow, in Muslim society, has been made to carry the heavy burden of male honor."²⁵

In the Christian worldview, the body can be used as an instrument of sin, but the Bible teaches that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps 139:14, ESV). As we prayerfully consider how to reach Muslim women like Fatima, Noor, and Leila with the good news of Christ's love, we must remember that honor and dignity are important values to them. We also must remember that they may be hidden from human view by their covering, but they are not invisible to God. "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart," according to 1 Sam 16:7. God knows each person's name, dreams, and fears. He loves to show his mercies and blessings. May God give us the grace and opportunities to speak his truth with unveiled love.