In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
There is a common misconception that shame has directly to do with human clothing and woman hijab. The ayah on women clothing (hijab) was given importance only about 16 years after Prophethood but shamelessness/indecency was talked about extensively in the Qur'an before that.
The "hijab" fashion industry is growing like mushrooms especially in Muslim countries. Like all fashion industries, the main target is our youths. Some of these "hijabs" are egregiously expensive but youths still buy and wear them. It is abundantly clear that the majority of our youths who you see cover their heads are merely following the trend; it has nothing to do with Islam and far from being the hijab intended in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
When you see youths with "hijab" engaging in shameless acts of kissing, hugging, free mixing with opposite gender (Muslims and non-Muslims) on a concert stage and other public places, then you know that they have no clue what hijab mean. Who to blame? Everybody, not just those kids and their parents.
Allah Almighty says,
[Qur'an, An-Nur 24:30-31]
قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾ وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١
Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do. (30) And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms,) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islâm), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful (31)
It is very unfortunate, even among those who cover their heads for most of their adult life are not putting their hijab properly. You will find women with their heads covered but wearing short-sleeved blouses or T-Shirt, thus exposing part of their arms. Then there are those who cover their bodies with long clothes but loose sleeves, thus showing that part of the skin above the wrists when they raised their hands. Then there are those who wear tight clothing like jeans and tights, thus showing the shape of their bodies, the legs, chest, bottoms, etc. Then there are those who, for some reason, must show their necklaces or earrings, thus part of their neck or ears exposed. And there are those (which is quite common even in traditional Muslim households) who are lax around their non-mahram relatives and so they took off their hijabs around them and freely mix with each other. A'udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajeem (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed shaytan)
Those are all not proper hijab. And shaytan wants you to think it is okay -- how many times have you heard "partial hijab is better than none" or "I (she) is better than those girls who don't wear hijab at all" or "they are family -- my cousins, in-laws, etc." You should not fall into this waswasa (whispers) of shaytan.
There is no such thing as partial hijab and you will not be partially rewarded for the extra material on your head nor will you be saved from punishment for the disobedience. You must cover your nakedness (awra) and not an inch of it should be seen by non-mahram. And non-mahrams are non-mahrams -- the opposite gender non-mahram can't see your nakedness whether he/she is your cousin, brother/sister in-law or niece's/nephew's spouse, foster/adopted children/sibling, step sibling, etc. Any commandment from Allah is not to make your life difficult or to prevent you from enjoying your life. On the contrary, it is to make our life easy and to enable us to enjoy this temporary stop on this earth. If disobeying Allah seems enjoyable and fun to you, it is because you haven't tasted the sweetness of faith.
So, if you want to wear hijab, wear it properly. Because if you do it to obey Allah and for His sake only, Allah will bless your life and increase you in faith and eventually you will taste its sweetness.
On the other hand, anything less than covering your whole body except face and hands up to the wrists (some scholars said also include the face) under loose and modest clothes and on full time basis (not occasionally), not only you have wronged yourself big time, you have done a huge disservice to this Deen and have deceived others. If you can't be meticulous about this (after knowledge), then certainly shaytan has gotten a hold on you and you are in for a slippery slope unless you immediately turn to Allah and sincerely repent.
Hijab is supposed to prevent you from shamelessness, but if it does not restrain you from acts of shamelessness, then there is something wrong with your understanding of hijab.
It is upon parents to educate their sons and daughters about hijab and Islamic manners. Do not rely on the schools and the masjid to do that for you. And if you are a mother, make sure you wear your hijab properly because your children learn best by example.
May Allah protect us and our youths from shamelessness and grant us haya'. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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