Why Muslim Women Cover

Why Muslim Women Cover

Opening Praise and Testimony

Every Muslim is happy to praise Allah. This tongue that Allah created for us, we say Alhamdulillah. Praise be to Allah.

We seek forgiveness. We need the forgiveness of Allah. And this is a good day, Yom Jummah, to ask Allah for forgiveness.

We ask for His help. Brothers and sisters, there is no help except the help of Allah. We depend upon Him.

How we depend upon Him? Al-Quran. And the sunnah of His messenger Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). We bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah.

And we bear witness that Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is Allah's messenger. We ask Allah's peace and His blessings be upon his messenger Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), upon his family, his companions, all of them, and the righteous Muslims everywhere. Ameen.

The Divine Command to Cover

My dear brothers and sisters, I chose as the khutbah today a verse in the 24th chapter of the Quran, and the 31st verse. Allah is speaking to Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), and He says: Tell them. You tell them, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). You tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty.

And do not expose any of her ornaments except for that ordinarily which is displayed. And draw their khimar, their headpieces, draw them over their bosoms. Tell them, Muhammad, tell them that.

This is an instruction from Allah. He didn't tell the women to do it, He told Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), tell the believing women to do that.

Then in the 33rd chapter of the Quran, in the 59th verse:

O Messenger, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers.

Allah is not telling the women. He is telling Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم): You tell them to do what? That they should draw their jilbab, the outer garment, over them when they go out. That is more suitable so that they may be recognized.

Why? Tell your wives. You, tell your wives. You, tell your daughters. And tell the believing women that they ought to take their jilbab and put it over themselves when they go out. Why? So that they may be recognized, that they may be distinguished from everybody else.

The Purpose of Distinction

So that they will not be molested in any kind of way because these women are different from every other women and these women have to make something different about them that's different from everybody else.

Tell your wives, tell your daughters, tell the believing women. Imam, tell the believing women.

Allah wants the messengers to say it and He wants the men to say it to their wives.

What Motivated This Khutbah

What motivated me to give this khutbah? Wednesday, we were in Cambridge, Massachusetts. So the oldest university in this country, Harvard. The most prestigious. And do you know that there are Muslim students in Harvard University? Do you know? We prayed in a masjid in Harvard University. Yes. Allah is great.

But when the talk was over, a young female Muslim came to me. Uncovered. Imam Siraj. Why must we cover our hair? There's only one verse in the Quran that speaks about the women covering their hair. Is there not different interpretations? Isn't there room in Quran for different interpretations? Why must I cover my hair?

Right before I went to get on the plane to go to Harvard, a young teenage Muslim came to me and said: Imam, there's a young Muslim sister who says that she can do everything of the religion, but she just can't cover her hair.

Last week, I gave a talk in the University of Wisconsin. And when the talk was over, a Muslim, African-American woman came to me and says: Brother Siraj, in your speech you mentioned how beautiful Muslim women look as they're covered up, their khimars over their heads and how beautiful they look. And I felt kind of sensitive. I said, what about me? I'm not dressed like that.

And she had a little hat on and she had her braid sticking out. And there was a European-American Muslim right next to her. And she overheard the conversation. She said, I'm glad you brought that up. I felt the same way. And she didn't have her hair covered at all.

The Reality of Muslim Women Today

Now don't shake your head. Did you know that the number of Muslim women who cover themselves up correctly is in the minority? There are more Muslim women uncovered than there are covered.

I went to one city. A fundraiser dinner. Place was jam-packed. And usually if I'm speaking in a crowd, I make a distinction between where the Muslims are and the non-Muslims. So if I say something to a non-Muslim, I could say some point to them and look at them. And I concentrated on a table there at this big dinner.

So the table looked like an entire table of non-believers. And I said to them: Islam is good for you. You need to be Muslim. And when the talk was over, they came to me and said, we are Muslim.

You ever notice when women leave the room, almost all of them, first thing they do, take off their headpiece. So today, we ask the question, why? Why do Muslim women, why must they cover their hair? Why?

The Right to Ask Questions

When I was about seven years old, I was living in Marcy Projects. I'll never forget it. One Sunday morning, I was getting dressed, ready to go to church. And I said in a kind of challenging way to my mother, I said: Mom, why do we have to go to church anyway? Seven years old.

You know what my mother did? She really got a strap. And she beat my butt. And after she finished beating me, she asked me: now do you understand why you must go to church? And I said, yeah. But I didn't understand.

Twelve years later, I left the church to go to the Masjid. Had never been back since. Why? Because Mom couldn't answer my question. All she wanted to do was beat me.

1992, your daughter is going to come to you one day. Twelve years old. Mom, Dad, why must I wear a khimar? And the answer is not to beat them, not to harangue them, not to ridicule them, but to explain to them, explain why you must wear a khimar. My brothers and sisters, they have a right to know. And they have a right to question.

Allah Encourages Questions

Look at the Quran. Allah He mentions in many places, talking to Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم):

And they ask you about intoxicants. They ask you about the woman's menses. They ask you about this and that. Allah says, say this. Why? Everybody has a right to ask the questions.

Therefore parents must create an environment where the children are not afraid to ask the question. What do you want to ask me, son? You want to ask me about sex? You want to know about boyfriends and girlfriends? You want to know about the condom? Whatever you want to know, ask your mother and father, ask the imam.

And when they ask you, the answer is in Quran. When they ask you, the answer is in Sunnah. Don't yell at them. Don't throw them out. Don't put them out. Answer the question by going to the Quran.

The True Answer

So they ask us the question. Why must a Muslim girl wear khimar? Why? You know why? One answer. And one answer only.

I thank you, my young sisters who may be listening. If at the top of your agenda is not the pleasure of Allah, if the pleasure of Allah to please Him is not your top priority, then you're not going to accept the answer that I'm going to give. In fact, what I'm going to give to you will be a burden for you. If at the top of your agenda is not the pleasure of Allah, but if you live to please Allah, then you will be pleased with what I'm going to tell you.

Why must the Muslim woman cover herself with a khimar? And brothers and sisters, we must make them youngsters to say the reality, the real reason why they ask the question.

The Intellectual Facade

When I was at Harvard University, that young sister, that young Muslim sister, involved me in an intellectual conversation. And so you get the impression that many of these sisters ask the question from an intellectual plane. Well, please, brother, explain to me why. What's the real basis for it? How come the men don't have to cover their head the same way? Could be a legitimate question.

But the real question is, sister, why don't you want to cover your hair? Oh, because of the right to freedom. That isn't your real argument. If that was your real argument, why do you make salat? Allah demands for you to make salat. Why do you make salat? Why do you fast on the month of Ramadan? Only because Allah says it.

Well, the same Allah tells you to wear khimar. So it's not intellectual freedom, freedom of choice. No. That's not the real issue. There's only one real issue. And you know what it is? You want to be like everybody else. That's the real issue. I'll prove it to you in a minute. That's the only issue.

Proving the Point

I was speaking to some young high school age Muslim girls in Detroit. They raise the same issue about wearing khimar. Half of them want, half of them didn't.

Went to Toronto a year ago. Spoke to a Muslim group. Sister wrote me a paper, a letter. Imam Siraj based on your lecture. You did something to me I never used to wear khimar. Now I wear it to school every day based on what you said from the Quran.

Then I went back to Toronto. Young sisters there. We have seen before. I was shocked. I didn't recognize them. They took the khimars off.

So I ask these young girls in Detroit: Let me ask you a question. If all the young girls in the high school of Detroit covered their hair, would you have a problem? No. Why would you wear and cover your hair because everybody else do it? But you don't do it because Allah demands it. Therein is the root of the problem.

The root of the problem is that you don't want to stick out. You don't want to be different. You want to be like everybody else. Pressure on you. Nobody likes to be rejected.

The Shame and Fear

And so young girls leave the house in the morning ashamed. Ashamed that they have to put on this scarf over their head. Ashamed to walk down the street. Ashamed to go to school. Ashamed to be in the classroom. Ashamed to raise their hands. Ashamed to bring attention to themselves. Why? Because they're different.

Nobody likes to be rejected. I want to be popular like everybody else. But when the boys see me with this khimar, they stand back. They don't touch me. They don't want to rap to me. I want them to rap to me like they rap to the other girls. But this thing, this khimar is bothering me. It's in my way. I don't want it. I don't want to wear it.

For your girls afraid to deal with you, they ask you. They ask you, mom. You know why? Because you don't understand. You read this without understanding. And she knows it. And she's afraid to approach mom and dad.

The Importance of Understanding

One little girl told me, went to city college. She said, I'm a premed student. But I don't like it. I don't want to be a premed student. But why don't you change to the subject that you like? No, I can't do that. Why? Because my father and my mother, they demand for me to be a medical student. They say, you're going to be a doctor. What do you like in a knife? But I don't want to be a doctor. I want to do something else.

I said, sister, let's talk to your parents. You know, I spoke to them. They don't want to listen to me. It's legitimate. And you put the child in a chain so tight. They don't understand, don't explain why.

When and How to Teach

So why must the listening girls and ladies wear khimar? When must they wear it and why? Most of us, when our young girls are coming up, we begin to dress them in a little khimar at the age of two, at the age of three. They don't have to wear it at such a tender age. When they get to older, puberty, they have to wear it when they make salat, yes?

But why wait until your daughter is 14, 15 years old, and all of a sudden say: look, you've got to put on that khimar? She's not going to do it.

But at the start of the young age, praising them. Oh, Fatima, you look so beautiful with that khimar on. Oh, Fatima, subhanallah, look at you! Look at Fatima, look at Fatima. Oh, Fatima, you're so beautiful with that khimar. Young Fatima grows up in the house, loving the khimar. Everybody praising it. Oh, Fatima, Allah is proud of you. Oh, Fatima, the Muslims will love you. This is beautiful. You are so righteous. You are so wonderful. You are so pious. You are so beautiful, Fatima. Beautiful Fatima.

Then all of a sudden, if you don't do it at a young age, you get angry at your daughter one day. She's 15 years old. You practice too many boys. You better put on that khimar. Put that thing on your head. Then she rebelled.

The Divine Command

Why do Muslim women wear khimar? Because the Lord of the world, Allah, Al-Alim, the Knowing, Al-Hakim, the Wise, He wrote in the Quran to Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم): tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty and take their khimar, take their headpiece, and put it over their bosom. That's why we wear it. To obey Him.

Second Part of the Khutbah

Alhamdulillah rabbil alameen. Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem. Alhamdulillah rabbil alameen. Wa salatu wa salamu ala rasoolillahi wa ala sahbihi ajma'in. Amma ba'd.

But brothers and sisters, in this part of the khutbah, I'm going to attempt, by the permission of Allah, to make it clear, why it is necessary, why it is important, why it is good and rewarding for Muslim girls and women to wear a khimar.

The Command Repeated

I call your attention to the 33rd chapter of the Quran and the 59th verse which I read before. I repeat:

O Messenger, (قُل - say) (لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ - say to your wives) (وَبَنَاتِكَ - and your daughters) (وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - and the believing women) (يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ - let them draw their jilbab over themselves).

Take the jilbab, jilbab, jilbab, outer garment. You don't see that much here in this country, even among Muslim women. Sisters, a jilbab is that which covers your dress. Our sisters, alhamdulillah, they cover themselves, they wear a khimar. But then they go out in the street and sometimes you may be able to see some form of something like that. But a jilbab covers that.

Tell, tell these women, tell them, Muhammad, to put the jilbab on when they go out. Why? (ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ - that's more suitable). (أَن يُعْرَفْنَ - that they be recognized).

Islamic Dress as a Symbol

Why do you want the women to be recognized? I thought the Muslim women are supposed to be anything but Islamic so that they can be recognized. What do you mean recognized?

I admit, sisters, Islamic dress is nothing but a symbol. It's true. The symbol's not the real thing, it's a sign of the real thing. A person can wear a symbol and be a hypocrite. A Muslim woman can cover with a long dress, flowing dress. She can cover her face, she can cover everything, everything, not be seen. And yet she can be a

hypocrite, she can be one of the most loose women in the world. Why? Because dress is a symbol, it's not the real thing, but yet it is still a symbol and it means something.

Why do we wear it (أَن يُعْرَفْنَ - so that it can be recognized). Recognized as what? I am a Muslim. When you see me with a khimar on, my khimar is a badge. It's a badge. My turban is a badge. My long dress is a badge. Everything that I wear, Islamically, is a badge, is a symbol of what I represent, what I want to be.

Protection Through Modesty

Why do you want to have this badge? Why do you want to have this symbol (فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ - So that you don't be molested).

You know brothers and sisters, do you know that in this country, over 155,000 American women are raped every year? One out of 600 women are raped every year. And the law enforcement people say that for every rape that takes place, there's another 1,200 that's not reported rape and attempted rape.

I say this to you, brothers and sisters, even if a woman, naked, went down the street at midnight, she has a right not to be raped. Even if she was naked. In most places, if a woman is dressed in a seductive, alluring, enticing manner, it is a signal for men. It's like a green light to them in their sick minds. It's a signal. I am available.

The Message of Dress

How you dress, you signal to the people what you are, because the symbol is a representation of what you are on the inside. If a lady of the night, a hooker, a prostitute, if she wants to get your attention, she takes off her clothes, because being half-naked is a sign and a symbol to you. She's saying to you: I am available. I'm giving you a green light. Come on. That's what she's saying.

But a Muslim sister, when she wears a khimar, when she wears jilbab, when she wears a long dress, she's saying: red light. Stop staring. Don't come near me. I'm not like everybody else. I'm different. Don't approach me like that. The way you approach other women, I'm not like that. Don't you see this khimar? I can be recognized. I'm different, man. Don't look at me. Don't you give me no catcalls. Don't you talk to me like that. Don't you hit on me. I am a Muslim woman, and this is my badge of distinction, and my difference. Here's my distinction. I'm different.

The Prophetic Wisdom

This is why Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said in his wisdom:

(Sahih Muslim 259)

Be opposite. Be opposite to disbelief.

Oh, but Imam Siraj, we're not among the mushriks here. We're among Ahlul Kitab. The people of the book.

خَالِفُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ

The Prophet said: Be opposite to people of the book. Why? Because the people of this society, they represent one thing. They represent misguidance. And therefore everything they do represent is representative in their lifestyle that they live, the values that they live, that they don't have. So, they take off their clothes.

And really to tell you the truth, sometimes you see women down in the street and you don't know the difference between a prostitute and a loving woman. They're all dressed the same.

The Honor of the Uniform

Sister, you're to be honored to be in the uniform of Allah. What a great honor to wear the clothing that Allah decrees for you to wear. No sister, you don't have to be ashamed to wear khimar. You're to be honored because that khimar is your badge, your symbol.

Brother, tell your wife. Now may God be mercy. I warn as I sit down, that it is not morally good enough to simply tell our wives to put on their external clothing and don't check their internal. The reason that you wear these clothing on the outside is to give a signal on the outside.

Two Purposes of the Hijab

You wear these clothing for two reasons. One, to let the people know. And two, to let yourself know. To remind yourself. That when a woman goes out and she wears a khimar, and she wears jilbab, and she wears her long dress, it is a reminder to herself: I'm Muslim. I'm in uniform. Let me wear my uniform in respect.

The army, the navy, the marines, they wear uniforms, the police, they wear uniforms. And there are some things they would never do in their uniform. We're proud of the uniform. But there should be no one more proud of their uniform than the Muslim woman.

The Challenge for Brothers

Brothers, believe me, we don't know what it's like to be a woman and have to wear khimar, we don't. Because many of us, there is no sign at all from the outside that we're Muslim. And so, therefore, we get an environment where people don't know we're Muslim. And some of us like it like that. Some of us like to be incognito. Some of us don't want people to know what I'm really like.

Because you know what? Everybody basically in the society knows what a Muslim is supposed to be. A non-Muslim will come up to you during the month of Ramadan and say: brother, why are you eating? Some brothers have experience. Woman, man, they're still coming up to you. They say: brother, why are you talking to that woman like that? You're not supposed to, you're Muslim. Why are you doing that, brother?

Personal Example

I was on a plane, sitting by myself, just yesterday, writing notes in my book, and I was writing Arabic. And the stewardess came by and said: you're writing Arabic? I said, yeah. The stewardess, Mrs. Rashid, you don't know who you're talking to. A woman married to a Muslim, you don't know who you're talking to.

A woman in the street, you hit on her one day, next day she comes to the masjid, she becomes Muslim. Oh, I didn't know you were Muslim because you left your uniform home. You didn't put anything on to let people know.

The Real Uniform

You see, brothers and sisters, the real uniform is your action. That's the real uniform. But you hide behind it. You don't want people to know. You want to be creeping around and sneaking around and under the cover. You like that. So you can do what you want to do, live in the dunya, and put one foot in the masjid. No.

I'm honored to wear this. I'm not afraid, I'm not ashamed. I'll go to the White House with this on. I'll talk to the president with this on. It don't make me a difference. Because I don't want to be like these people. I don't want to wear their clothing. I want to wear the clothing of righteousness. And the dress of righteousness, that is the best. That's what Allah says. Yes. The clothes of righteousness, be different from them.

Call to Action

I say to you, my sisters, put back on the khimar. When I say put it back on, I mean, don't only leave the house with it. Don't get to school and then take it off. Put it back on. If you go to gym class, keep it on. If you go on a school ride, keep it on. If you go to an auditorium, keep it on. If you go to the cafeteria, talking to your friends, keep it on. It's a reminder to them and a reminder to yourself.

I say, brothers and sisters, let's put on our badges for Allah and remember, remember, the real uniform is your actions.

Your Reputation Matters

Nothing they say about you. You know something? I may not want to be a Muslim. I may not want to dress like Brother Muhammad. But one thing, I respect him. He's a true Muslim.

And the worst thing they can say about you or I is that you're a hypocrite. And you know, Allah has opened the eyes of these people. They at least know what a Muslim is supposed to be. Many of them are too weak to be a Muslim. But at least they know what a Muslim is supposed to be.

Never Be an Excuse

And brothers and sisters, I say to you, let no disbeliever ever, ever use you as an excuse not to become Muslim.

I would become a Muslim if not for that person who gave me such a bad view of what Muslims are all about.

And if Islam means what this brother practices, I don't want to be a Muslim.

And if this Muslim sister who wears that long clothes, who seems nasty to all the Muslims, if Muslim women are nasty like that woman, I don't want nothing to do with that Islam. Never, never let people use you as an excuse not to come to Islam. Never.

But be the best sister. Why? Because you are the representative of Allah. Put on your badge and be a good Muslim.

Closing Du'a

May Allah bless us and guide us. Oh Allah, we ask You for Your forgiveness. We are in desperate need of Your forgiveness and Your mercy. Please have mercy upon us.

Oh Allah, Your servants here want the precious gifts that You have for us of paradise. Please bless us with paradise. Oh Allah, we believe in the hellfire. Please keep us away from the hellfire and save us from it.

Oh Allah, make Your Muslim servants love this deen. Make them to love Al-Quran. Make them to love the sunnah and the traditions of Your Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Oh Allah, guide us with Your light from the Quran. Guide us on sirat al-mustaqim. Oh Allah, we believe in Your punishment in the grave. Save us from the punishment of the grave. Oh Allah, we believe in Your punishment of the hellfire. Please save us from the hellfire.

Oh Allah, bless the Muslims everywhere who unite together brothers and sisters as You have demanded from Your Quran. Help us and guide us on sirat al-mustaqim. Oh Allah, bless the family of Muhammad and the wives of Muhammad and the children of Muhammad.

Oh Allah, accept from us what You have given us. Oh Allah, do not take from us what we have given You. Oh Allah, do not burden us with the burden that You have burdened those before us. Oh Allah, do not burden us with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us and forgive us and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people. Ameen.