For Muslim women, covering the head is not the sign of degradation or oppression. It is a commandment from Allah, who is not male or female, and thus, would not discriminate against women, a segment of His creation.
Rather, Head-covering is a sign of purity and dignity. It highlights the Muslim woman as a pure, chaste woman and sets her apart from the immoral behavior associated with women who dress immodestly.
The hijjab is a sort of " screen" between the chaste muslim woman and the evil that exists in the world. When a woman wears a hijab she is less likely to be harassed by men with lusty motives; she is less likely to b eexploited for her beauty and feminity.
The Hijab allows a woman to move about outside the confines of her home with her attention on the tasks she has set out to do. The Muslim woman does not try to impress anyone but Allah when outside of her home. She is not concerned if men find her attractive, or if people are impressed because she has the latest fashions, or the newest hairstyle. She leaves her home as a self-confident part of human race, not as a fashion-plate seeking stares and adoration in order to gain self-esteem.
In the holy quran it states the following;
"Say to the Muslim women that they should lower their eyes and not display their adornments except for what normally shows and draw their head coverings across their bosoms"
These verses from the Qur'an contain two main injunctions:
1. A woman should not show her beauty or adornments except what appears by uncontrolled factors such as the wind blowing her clothes, and
2. The head covers should be drawn so as to cover the hair, the neck and the bosom.
It must be noted that the dupatta oftenly sold with outfits is not acceptable as hijab. Draping a virtually transparent headscarf leaving hair showing underneath, it does not do the job.
Hijab is not merely a covering dress but more importantly, it is behavior, manners, speech and appearance in public. Dress is only one facet of the total being.
