What is hijab?

Translated from Arabic, the word “hijab” means barrier. In other words, hijab is clothing that is designed to hide a woman’s face and body from prying eyes. For various reasons, such as religion, family traditions, personal choice, Muslim women dress in clothes that completely hide what, according to Sharia law, cannot be exposed.

Recently, a special Muslim headscarf that can be used to cover the hair, neck and part of the face is called a hijab..

A little history of its appearance

The history of wearing closed clothing goes back to Ancient Iran. In Persian culture, it was considered a shameful act for a woman of any age to go out in light and open clothes, so she threw a blanket over herself. Women's beauty evoked envious glances, and for the Muslim woman's family this was an insult. The groom could see his bride only once before the wedding, while her face and body were completely hidden under the stole.

In addition, completely covered women's faces and bodies could not be seen by outside married men; it was believed that this way they remained faithful to their wives, did not engage in sexual relations on the side, and therefore could not become infected with a sexually transmitted disease. Some women with figure flaws and facial features hid under clothing everything that was considered a flaw.

After Iranian women, Muslim women from Asia, Tunisia, Egypt and even Europe became the owners of hijabs. Now in most European countries, Westerners are defending their rights, for example, in France, Muslim women are organizing pickets for the right to wear the clothes that they consider acceptable due to their religion. They do not hide their bodies and faces not only when walking around the city, but also when visiting public beaches. Not all Europeans approve of these traditions, but we have to accept the fact that this is the unconditional right of every Muslim woman, which must be respected.

Don't confuse hijab with burqa. The burqa is not mandatory for Muslim women to wear.

Why do they wear it?

It is important to understand that the hijab is not just any garment that covers a woman’s body. According to the Koran, the important conditions of the headscarf called hijab are:

• the scarf must cover the entire body, with the exception of the hands and face;
• clothing should be modest, in discreet shades, and in no case be a decoration;
• the hijab should not be transparent, the skin should not be visible through it;
• in no case the garment should not emphasize the female figure; only a wide, loose cut is allowed;
• When wearing a Muslim headscarf, it is forbidden to use perfumes, deodorants, essential oils and other incense, since the body under the hijab must exude a natural odor;
• clothing should not be similar to the attire of Christian women;
• a woman wearing a hijab should not stand out among others in any way by the color or style of her clothing;
• Only a true Muslim woman has the right to wear such clothes.

Modern girls do not comply with even half of these conditions, nevertheless, continuing to call any headscarf a hijab. They believe that if they hid their body from men’s eyes under a long, opaque robe, then they fulfilled their mission and can be considered true Muslim women who observe the Koran, but this is not true. The purpose of wearing a hijab is different.

Muslim women are taught to hide their feminine charms from prying eyes from an early age, from about six years old. A girl can wear a hijab for the first time when she reaches adulthood.. But there is no need to confuse age by date of birth and the age when a girl becomes a girl. Muslims generally believe that adulthood occurs with the arrival of the first menstruation. In other words, a girl puts on a hijab when she reaches 12–14 years of age.

Main the idea of ​​wearing coverings is submission and humility. Muslim women are taught this from birth. They should attract men not with beauty, but with their intelligence, modesty, behavior, character, and sincerity. External data fades into the background here, pushed aside. It doesn’t matter what a girl looks like, what’s much more important is what’s in her heart and soul, what hides her inner world.

Another idea that Islam preaches is that obedience and obedience bring a person closer to Allah.Hijab is the shadow of the Almighty, with which it covers a woman, thereby protecting her and sheltering her from everything bad. True Muslim women who follow the laws of the Koran and wear modest clothing that hides their bodies will definitely appear before Allah and go to heaven. Hijab not only hides a girl from the evil eye, it cleanses her soul, makes her modest, and makes all her thoughts pure and immaculate. Self-admiration and display of the body are unacceptable; this can prevent one from entering heaven. Only harlots do not cover themselves.

But, There are exceptions to the rules of wearing hijab. A Muslim woman may not wear it in front of her husband, close relatives, her own children of any gender, or other women. In addition, it is allowed not to wear a headscarf in front of male relatives. In this case, the girl is given the right to choose whether to hide her body or not. In front of her husband, while in her own home, a woman has the right to wear any clothes from a regular store, including the robes worn by Christian women.

Pros and cons of hijab

In Europe, it is generally accepted that Muslim clothing is too thick and it is simply impossible to wear it in the heat. Let's dispel this myth. The hijab is made from dense material in dark shades: black, brown, dark blue, maroon. Modern Muslim women prefer lighter and brighter colors, such as pink, white or blue, and also choose translucent fabrics. But it is difficult to call such a robe a hijab.

A true Muslim outfit is made from linen or cotton fabric. It would seem, how can you wear a dark blanket that hides your entire body in the heat? Indeed, in those countries where you can most often find women wearing a hijab, in the summer in the sun the temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius.In such heat, we all try to take off as much clothing as possible, how can Muslim women calmly walk around in headscarves?

Because of Only natural materials are used for sewing hijab, it's not hot in it. The fabric allows fresh air to pass through, the skin breathes and, moreover, is hidden from direct sunlight. Therefore, wearing a veil in the summer heat for Muslim women is not a minus, but rather a plus.

Another disadvantage, according to European women, is coercion. That is, a Muslim woman does not have the right to independently choose the clothes she likes, but is forced to dress in what is accepted by the Koran. Note that, apart from the hijab, the Koran does not stipulate any attire to be worn as obligatory. Since girls are taught to wear a headscarf from a young age, this is the norm for them. They don't wear the hijab because someone forces them to wear it. They cover their heads because they think it's right. Traditions exist in all countries and in all religions, one of the Muslim traditions is to wear the hijab. True Muslim women respect this law and do not consider it forced.

Let us note another advantage of wearing a Muslim headscarf. We live in an era in which everyone flaunts what makes them different from others. Most often, this is good wealth, which women demonstrate by walking the streets in expensive furs and jewelry. Someone enlarges their lips or breasts, which is also “public property.” Muslim women are modest from birth, and the hijab only emphasizes this modesty. Under the veil it is not visible how wealthy a woman is. This makes them equal to each other and gives no reason for envy.

Also, Hijab is liberation from sidelong glances. Not all of us are naturally perfect; not every girl can boast of flawless skin and a beautiful figure. The hijab hides imperfections and flaws in appearance.

Differences between the hijab and other women's Muslim headdresses

The hijab should not be confused with other Muslim head coverings. Europeans may think that they are no different, but this is not true. The most common stoles, which are usually worn in Asian and Eastern countries:

1. The burqa is more of a dress than a headdress, as it is shaped like a long robe with a scarf. She almost completely hides her face, only her eyes remain open. Sometimes the eyes are covered with a thin veil. Wearing a burqa is not a mandatory rule of the Koran, it is a woman’s personal choice.
2. A niqab is a wide headscarf, just like a burqa, that covers the hair, neck and face. It is sewn from natural fabrics such as linen or cotton.
3. The main difference between a burqa is that even the eyes are hidden by a thick mesh or veil. Now Muslim women wear the burqa only in Afghanistan and Pakistan; in other countries it is not the most popular headdress.
4. A veil is a long stole that allows you to see only the face of the woman who wears it. It is not attached to the main clothes in any way; the woman holds it with her hands.
5. Jilbab is less common in Islam compared to other types of women's clothing, but is still found in some places. It is shaped like a burqa, but when worn, the face remains open.

How to wear a hijab correctly?

Despite the fact that the hijab does not allow a woman to expose her hair and hides her neck and shoulders, you can still look charming and feminine in it.Let's start with the fact that it is not enough to simply tie it on your head like a regular scarf and call it a hijab. Wear a Muslim stole correctly:

1. Drape the fabric over your head, pinning the edges so that the material hangs over your head.
2. Throw one end over the neck and the opposite shoulder back. For convenience, attach it to your clothes with a pin.
3. Do the same with the other end, only you need to attach it to your head in the temporal zone.
4. There is no need to pull the ends of the scarf; it should hang freely under the chin and fall in waves on the neck. The hijab should cover the hair, the top of the forehead and the neck to the chin.

Modern Muslim women decorate their scarves with various decorative elements: beautiful hairpins, beads, chains. But such The Koran does not accept jewelry, so it is difficult to call such a headdress a hijab; rather, it is just a scarf covering the head. To prevent the scarf from slipping through the hair, a bonnet is worn underneath it. This is a special cap made of thin fabric, to which the stole is attached with needles. It fits your head tightly and allows you to hide your hair inside. Thanks to the bone, the hijab fits snugly to the head without unnecessary folds.

Very often on the Internet and in glossy magazines you can see photographs of Muslim women in hijab, while their faces are brightly made up. Let us remind you that When wearing an oriental headdress, it is prohibited to apply any cosmetics.