Hijab: the social responsibility

QUESTION:
Is hijab a piece of cloth?

ANSWER:
No.

Excerpts taken from:
http://www.missionislam.com/comprel/brochures/8.pdf


Excerpt 1:
"But the greatest responsibility related to hijab is the understanding that there is more to hijab than just the scarf; the internalized modesty really matters. This internal moral system gives meaning to the external scarf. This can be perceived from the overall demeanor of any Muslim woman – how she acts, dresses, speaks, and so on. Only when the internalized modesty manifests itself through the external hijab can sisters represent Muslims according to the beautiful example set by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and followed by his companions."

Excerpt 2:
"Hijab is not worn for men, to keep their illicit desires in check. Rather, Muslim women wear it for God and their own selves. Islam is a religion of moderation, of balance between extremes. Therefore, it does not expect women alone to uphold the society’s morality and uprightness. Rather, Islam asks men and women to mutually strive to create a healthy social environment where children may grow with positive, beautiful, constructive and practical values and concepts. Men are equally required to be modest and to conduct themselves responsibly in every sphere of their lives."

Excerpt 3:
"The concept of modesty and hijab in Islam is holistic, and encompasses both men and women. The ultimate goal is to maintain societal stability and to please God."

Excerpt 4:
"Furthermore, modest clothing and hijab are precautions to avoid any social violations. Contrary to popular belief, this is not limited to women only."

Conclusion:
As women, covering our awrah properly is our responsibility to Allah, our obedience to Allah results with benefits for the society in general.

We cannot control everyone around us in with absolute control, but we can obey Allah, and obeying Allah results with thousands of benefits we are unable to think of. And similiarly, disobeying Allah results in many problems for man, society and even the environment. It is significant to understand this, and it is a fundamental belief, as the syahadah involves a "disclaimer" or "denial" a There is NO God (ilah) but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger. The definition of "ilah" and the essence of this "denial" as a proclamation of belief will be discussed in another entry, inshaallah.

Suggested reading:
http://seventythousand.blogspot.com/2010/06/rape-hijab-and-love.html