These days we see a lot of women wearing hijabs walking on the streets. When we see these women a lot of questions arise in our curious minds. Such as “Why do women wear hijab?” or “Can they remove their hijab?” “When can they take off their hijab?” and more. We are here to answer your curious questions about the hijab. We will elaborate on whether a woman can take off her hijab.
What is A Hijab?
Hijab is a veil or a piece of clothing that is worn by a woman who is practicing Islam. A hijab is worn to cover up a woman’s hair, head, and chest. It is generally the modest Islamic clothing women wear to cover their heads when they go outside or in front of men who are outside of their immediate family.
Hijab is an integral part of the Islamic culture. A woman practicing Islam wears a hijab to maintain privacy and modesty from men that are not family or are non-mahram. Mahram indicates to those men in front of whom a woman can take off her hijab according to the holy Quran. And apart from the mahram, all other men are non-mahram for her. Hijab is considered to be a part of the modest clothing of Muslim women.
The Quran, the religious book of Muslims, instructs both men and women to dress modestly. Since we are discussing Muslim women, It has instructed them to wear loose clothing so that they don’t attract the opposite gender. Well, There is nowhere indicated in the Quran to wear the Hijab. In fact, this holy book of Islam has in fact instructed women to wear modest clothing that doesn’t reveal their bodies. And Hijab in this case is considered to be a part of this modest clothing.
Is wearing Hijab Mandatory?
You might be wondering whether Hijab is made mandatory in the countries in the middle east or the Muslim countries. “Is Hijab enforced by the law in Muslim countries? Or “Does not wearing the hijab mean breaking the law?” Well, Even though most countries follow the Islamic Sharia Law, Many Muslim countries didn’t issue any law regarding wearing hijab in public. In Saudi Arabia, the center of all Muslims, it is not required by law to wear the hijab in public. On the contrary, It is mandatory to wear the hijab in Iran, Afghanistan, and the Indonesian province of Aceh.
Most women wear hijab to their will. Hijab is the representation of their love and belief in their religion Islam. Yet, there are some unofficial cases where women are forced to wear or not wear the hijab.
Why Do Women Wear Hijab?
In simple words, Women wear hijab because they want to represent their religion. We all know, every individual is the brand ambassador of their religion and belief. The women in Islam wear the hijab out of love and respect for their religion.
To Muslims hijab is not just a veil or piece of cloth. It is the sense of dignity, modesty, and confidence. Muslim people follow the Quran and hadith to lead their life in a righteous way. The Quran has instructed the women to cover themselves and protect themselves from the eye of the men outside their family. It is a part of Purdah which is mandatory for Muslim girls. Hijab is considered to be the clothing of modesty and sanctity.
So, if you see a woman wearing a hijab, she might be wearing it for 4reasons which are –
- For religious sentiments
- For modesty and confidence
- For fashion
- For protecting their hair from dust and pollution.
Why do some women don’t wear Hijab?
You might also see some Muslim women not wearing the hijab. Well, Hijab is worn by will. There might be cases when girls are forced by their families to wear and not wear the hijab. Well, most Muslim women don’t wear the hijab because they don’t want to. They want to match themselves with the world, especially the western world where the majority doesn’t wear a hijab.
When Can A Woman Take Off Her Hijab?
Hijab is worn by women who want modest attire as instructed by their religion. It gives a sense of confidence and protection against their sanctity as they are represented as the ambassador of their religion. Many of us think the hijab imprisons women but in fact, it frees women. Now, we might wonder if Islamic women wear the hijab 24/7. It means they sleep, eat, bathe or do everything in their daily life while wearing the hijab. Well, this is wrong, there are certain times when women are allowed to take off their hijab.
- When she is at home – it means, when a Muslim woman is doing her homely chores or other work such as sleeping, bathing she doesn’t need to wear a hijab
- When she is not with men who are not related/ non-mahram – Well, a woman needs to wear the hijab in front of men who are not her immediate family. She can take off her hijab in front of her husband or men who are her father, brother, son, or nephew.
- When she is with only women – A Muslim woman can take off her hijab in front of other women where there are no unrelated men.
- When she is with family – A Muslim woman can remove her hijab when she is spending quality time with her family.
- When she is alone – A Muslim woman can remove her hijab when she is alone in a room or at her home.
- Before she hits puberty – It is not mandatory to wear the hijab for girls before their puberty. Yet, you might see girls wearing the hijab, it might be because their family wears the hijab and they wore the hijab.
- When she is not praying – Well, it is mandatory for Muslim women to cover their heads when they are praying. They can in fact take off their hijab after finishing their prayer or when they are not praying.
- For official purposes – Muslim women can take off their hijab due to some official purposes such as if their doctor wants to see their head or scalp, or for some government confirmation work.
Is It Appropriate To Ask A Woman To Remove Her Hijab?
Technically, the answer to this question is yes and again no.
Yes, in a case when you are a doctor and want to see your Muslim patient’s head or scalp for medical purposes. Or, during any airport check-up or, at any checkpoint. Or, if you are a girl at a girl’s party you can ask your Muslim hijab-wearing friend to remove her hijab.
If a woman is reluctant to remove her hijab, well it is a good idea not to force her to remove her hijab.
Except for any official purpose, it is not appropriate to ask a Muslim woman to remove her hijab. If you want to see her hair or If the hijab is irritating you, well NO! Don’t ask her to remove her hijab. It might be hurting the other person’s sentiments. Hijab is the representation of a Muslim woman’s belief and love for her religion. We live in a world where every individual has the right to live according to their beliefs. We should let Muslim women live the life they want.