Hijab: Religious Symbol or Obligation?
The received notion that hijab is a religious symbol is a misperception. Hijab has an indispensable function in the
 life of a Muslim woman. That function is protection of the Muslim woman and preservation of her honor and chastity.
 This means that a woman who wears hijab does not do so to declare her religion or to distinguish herself. Rather, 
she wears it out of obedience to her Lord.
 

Conversely, preventing hijab on the basis of preserving the secularity of the state is a fallacy. Secularism in a liberal 
community means that the state authority should be neutral in matters of religion. The government should neither
 accept nor reject, neither be for or against any religion. The state is to provide freedom of religion for all people. 


One might further ask: If a non-Muslim woman chooses to dress modestly by covering her body and even her hair, 
would she be prevented from doing so by such state ban on hijab? And if the answer is ‘no' ( that is, she is given the 
freedom to cover herself because she is not a Muslim), why then is a Muslim woman not given the same freedom? 


In this concern, the eminent Muslim scholar, Dr. `Ali Jum`ah, Mufti of Egypt, states: 




"A Muslim woman is obliged to wear hijab as soon as she reaches puberty, as indicated in the Qur'an, in the Sunnah 
of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and in the consensus of Muslim scholars from early ages of Islam up
till now. Hijab is known to be essential and necessary in religion; it is not merely a symbol that distinguishes Muslims 
from non-Muslims. It is an obligation that forms part and parcel of the Islamic religion. 





Allah Almighty says: "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks 
close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is 
ever Forgiving, Merciful." (Al-Ahzab: 59)
 

He also says: "And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that 
which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms." (An-Noor: 31) 


Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Asma', daughter of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them): 
"O Asma'! Once a girl reaches puberty, nothing of her body may be seen (by non-mahrams) except this and these, (he pointed 
to his face and hands while saying so)."





Sheikh Muhammad Husain Fadl Allah, a well-known Shiite jurist of Lebanon, also comments: 




"Wearing hijab derives from religious commitment; it is in the same status of religious obligations in 
the way that non-compliance with it constitutes a sin. Has secularism become so frail that the secular 
authorities fear a scarf, a turban, or a cross hanging from the neck can threaten its stability?"
 




Moreover, the eminent Muslim scholar, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, states: 




"I completely reject and condemn the French resolution that prevents the Muslim female students from 
wearing hijab at schools. By doing so, they force Muslim women to ignore the teachings of their religion 
and to disobey Allah's commands, which say: "…and to draw their veils over their bosoms", and: 
"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close 
round them (when they go abroad)."
 

Actually, all Muslims with their various affiliations and inclinations agree upon the obligation of hijab. 
Hence, we have been struck by the hijab ban, which is a discrimination against the Islamic teachings 
and values. It is strange that such a ban is promulgated by France, a country that claims to be a land 
of liberalism and openness. This is also incongruous with the motto of the French Revolution, that is 
liberty, equality and fraternity. Moreover, France has the largest Muslim community in Europe. Such 
resolution contradicts both individual freedom and religious freedom, two basic human rights, which are
asserted by all constitutions and charters of human rights all over the world. 


Claiming that hijab is a sign of religion is by no means acceptable. A religious sign or symbol, such as the 
cross for a Christian and the kippa for a Jew, has no function but to declare the religious belief of the one 
who wears it. Hijab, on the other hand, has a religious function. A hijab-clad woman does not wear it for 
declaring her religious belief. Rather, she does so in obedience to Allah's commands.
 

Therefore, the hijab ban contradicts the principles of freedom and equality that have been asserted by the 
French Revolution and stipulated in all heavenly revealed religions and international charters of human rights. 
In fact, the hijab ban is a form of persecution against the committed Muslim women; it infringes upon their 
freedom, as it denies them their right to learn and to work.
 

It hurts to hear the claims that one who wears hijab bears hostility towards others. What hostility can a woman, 
who tries to protect her honor and is committed to the teachings of her religion, bear towards others? Hostility 
and enmity is never expected from a truly pious person, man or woman, who is conscious of Allah and fears Him.
 

Courtesy:www.islamonline.net

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