The Practice of Veiling
A Look at the History of the Hijab in Islam
Hijab in Arabic means “to cover” and is generally translated as “veil.” Commonly worn today by Muslim women, the veil is a hair covering or scarf that covers the head, but hijab also refers to modest dress and seclusion — the system of separating women from men.
The issue of seclusion is hotly debated in Islam. Some argue it is part of the religion, others say it’s a cultural issue, but the practice is not commonplace, as only wealthier people can afford to keep women in seclusion.
Islamic law requires modesty in dress, especially in public. This holds true for both men and women, but the focus tends to be solely on women. Modesty is usually interpreted to mean covering the whole body with the exception of the face and hands, but the laws and customs surrounding hijab vary by country. For example, women who cover their face in Jordan are rare, but in Saudi Arabia, the hijab is enforced by law, so women have their hair and often face covered, and wear a full black cloak.
History of Veiling Women
From the earliest records, veiling was a sign of status. An Assyrian legal text dating back to the thirteenth century B.C., forbade prostitutes from wearing the veil, restricting its use to "respectable" women.
Veiling took place in the Greco-Roman world and respectable Athenian women were known to be secluded. In pre-Islamic Iran and the Byzantine Empire veiling and seclusion also existed and appear to have been indicators for urban-upper-and middle-class women to show that their husbands could afford to “keep” them.
Wealthier families could afford to own slaves and hire servants to keep their women from working and shopping outside, as well as protecting them from the advances of strangers. Women agreed to the hijab because to work outside and be less covered were marks of low status.
Veiling appears to have been a class phenomenon and an urban one, as tribal, rural, and working women usually had no facial veil. The bulk of these women would have spent most of their lives in the home and much like today, were less concerned about the veil and cloak than what they wore beneath these outer garments.
Wealth aside, at the heart of the separation of the sexes is the notion of male honor. In Mediterranean societies, both Christian and Muslim, a man’s honor is directly connected with the purity of the women in his family. Therefore, female behavior is to be controlled in order to maintain male honor.
Veiling and the Rise of Islam
During Islam’s rise in the Middle Ages, the use of the veil and gender segregation was commonplace in the Christian Middle East and Mediterranean regions, but their influence on Islam was relatively minor in the lifetime of Muhammad. In fact, his wives were not required to wear a veil or take up seclusion until the end of his life, and other than his wives, women in the general population still mingled freely with men.
According to Moroccan sociologist and researcher Fatima Mernissi, the institution of the hijab went against the principles that Muhammad had originally initiated.
Muhammad sought an ideal society, one that would have been revolutionary by seventh century standards, one in which men and women shared greater equality, where women were considered valuable and had more freedom to control their lives. Muhammad’s own wives enjoyed a great deal of freedom and authority, which would have been contrary to the established practices of society at the time.
Mernissi contends that Muhammad came under attack for these radical changes and was pressured by men in his entourage to adopt the hijab for his wives. He acquiesced to this and the reestablishment of male supremacy, even though it stood for the opposite of his ideals.
It was only well after Muhammad’s death that the veil became a commonplace item of clothing among Muslim upper-class women, who began to veil as a sign of status following the example of the Prophet’s wives. It is unknown how and exactly when these customs spread to the general Muslim population, but it would have been following the Muslim conquests of areas where veiling was prevalent, and when the Muslim state was attaining greater wealth.
Veiling in the Qur’an
Even though Islamic traditions say that the foundations for veiling and seclusion for all Muslim women are in the Qur’an, this is a rather partial reading of the actual text.
While the Qur’an instructs Muslims to dress modestly, the only specific reference to veiling is Surah 24:31, instructing women to veil their bosoms and hide their ornaments. This was later interpreted to mean all parts of the body except the hands, feet, and possibly the face, which many argue defies logic as there would be no need to mention bosoms specifically, if the reference was intended for the entire body.
Surah 33:59, tells women to “draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad)” so they may be recognized and not annoyed.
These are the only two references to veiling in the Qur’an.
Veiling has been rapt in controversy throughout history. Today, the veil stands as both a symbol of Islamic identity and resistance to Western ways. While in much of Western thinking, the veil has become the symbol of the Middle Eastern woman and oppression.
Want to read more? See Conflict behind Women Wearing the Veil in Egypt: How Colonialism Turned the Veil into a Symbol of Resistance.
Sources:
- Leila Ahmed. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate.
- Fatima Mernissi, Women and Islam: An Historical and Theological Enquiry.
- Nikki R. Keddie. Women in Middle Eastern History: Shifting Boundaries in Sex and Gender, ed. by N.R. Keddie and B. Baron.
- Muhammad M. Pickthall. The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’an: Text and Explanatory Translation, ed. Arafat k. El-Ashi.
- Andrew Rippin. Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices.
A veiled woman in Palestine
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