Temporary "hijab"

[lost]

Please don't quote anything religious in response to this. I already know what Islam says concerning hijab. Here, I'm looking for people's personal opinions.

I have these 2 friends...we'll call them Sara and Sammy(not their real name...both of them are Pakistani). Now Sara and I don't wear hijab. But Sammy wears hijab and burka. A few weeks ago we went to a Islamic/Christian dialogue given at a University. Of course Sammy had her hijab/burka on. Sara wore Salwar Kameez. I had on black pants and a full-sleeved shirt. When we got there, while we were walking to the lecture hall, in the parking lot, Sara was putting her dupatta on her head. Not really even in a hijab "style". You know how desi women do it in gatherings...where you can still see their hair. Anyway, Sara did that and then asked me, do you have a dupatta? I said "no". She said, "you're not gonna cover your hair?". I said, "No, since I don't wear hijab normally...doing it just b/c I'm at a lecture in my OPINION seems hypocritical." Sara said, "Well it's not hypocritical..it's showing respect for an Islamic gathering."

So if I understand her correctly, she's saying that by not merely draping a dupatta over my head, I'm coming across as disrespectful.

My view in this is what I mentioned earlier. When I go to Islamic lectures and etc., I wear slightly loose pants, and full sleeved one color shirts. When I go to namaz, then of course I wear salwar kameez and cover my hair completely. I see lots of girls and women who normally don't wear hijab. Yet when you see them even in a lecture at a University Hall, they have this dupatta draped over their head. And even then you can still see half the hair, and with some of them, it ends up being what the joke posted earlier called "yo-yo hijab". To me, that's hypocritital. To me it looks like they're doing it just for show. And of course, with all these females(including Sara), the minute the lecture is over and we're in the parking lot, they take the dupatta off their head).

What do you guys/gals think?

[secret_obsession]

I think your friend was right in a way.

that it is respectfull to cover your head when you are in an islamic gathering, listening lecture on Islam. Its not hypocritical. because there are different dress cods for different situations.

But she was wrong.
that she was telling you what you should do and what you should'nt. You are mature and old enough to decide by yourself.

I have never tell my friends DO THIS, DOnt do this... etc. I like to mind my own buisness.

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What happens when we're dead? The irony is that all our questions will be answered after we die. We spend our whole life trying to figure out the truth and the only way we'll find out what it is, is to get hit by a bus. And the only comfort that religion offers is that God is driving that bus.


All racists who are prepared to die for their contry, please do that now.

[fay123]

I also think ur friend was right to dress in the appropriate manner for the appropriate occasion (ever if it was not safisation enough). I have experienced occasions where ladys come to the mosque and don't even have the decence to cover themselfs in the appropriate way. I feel this is the least they can do when in this type of an environment.

People should not take things other people say in the wrong way, they are only tring to help and in some cases are being genuine. Trust me

[Muni]

Lost-

I know exactly what you're saying! Seriously, if u don't wear a hijab, why should a girl wear it for a lecture at a university? It's a different thing if you're going to prayer or some sort of religious activity that you'd need. I totally relate to what you're saying and I say do what you believe in and makes you feel comfortable.

I know girls who normally don't wear hijabs who would put 'em on for the masjid picnics or other events which I don't think are religious. However, there are occasions on which I deem it proper to wear a head scarf and I wear it. Like I started taking arabic classes at a Saudi Institute and of course in the beginning I didn't wear a hijab but I realized that for that environment where most of the women not only wore the head scarf but also did the nikab (face covering) and some had the burka (don't even see the eyes). My teachers or classmates didn't take me seriously and I stuck out like a sore thumb. People questioned me for being there, so I decided that by being in their territory, I should abide by their rules and started wearing the head scarf to the Institute. No, I don't feel like a hypocrite, I feel that I'm respecting their rights and abiding by their rules.

I know the what I considered normal made people uncomfortable so if I can put a scarf on my head, I'll do it. My reason for being there wasn't to rebel nor to make a statement, just simply to learn so why should I make waves.

To each his own. May the Lord grant us better understanding. Ameen

[sholay]

Unfortunately you were both wrong.

One was implementing the typical pakistani mentality and the other was implementing the 'modern western culture' mentality.

Hijaab is compulsory for both men and women, which can be dealt with at a later date as I'm not gonna preach to you now.

You either wear it permanently or you don't wear it at all (even though you're supposed to). So, in that case your mate/s can be viewed as Hypocrites and you can live up to your name!

Not a religious response, but factual.

Sorry to disappoint you.

[clubber lang]

what i think??

jus wearin hijab 4 ocasions takes da mickey out of islam, theres no logic in wearin hijab on and off,islam isnt a religion rather it is a whole way of life, so u shudnt be pickin n choosin thingz wch suit us... u either were it or u dont, to those galz who wear yo yo hijab 4 occasions they r trying to fool themselves but they aint gonna fool no 1 else!

[clubber lang]

Originally posted by sholay:

Unfortunately you were both wrong.

One was implementing the typical pakistani mentality and the other was implementing the 'modern western culture' mentality.

Hijaab is compulsory for both men and women, which can be dealt with at a later date as I'm not gonna preach to you now.

You either wear it permanently or you don't wear it at all (even though you're supposed to). So, in that case your mate/s can be viewed as Hypocrites and you can live up to your name!

Not a religious response, but factual.

Sorry to disappoint you.

The truth is out there and Sholay has found it!

[xsdenied]

This is typical pakistani hypocritic attitude.. You are supposed to do hijab (whatever you think hijab is) for yourself and not for people to show. Now if you think wearing a long sleever shirt and pant is hijab and another person thinks covering the face is hijab.. thats fine.. but keep these rules same for all occasions..
How a person needs more Hijab in ISLAMIC SETTINGS then ON STREET..

[Warrior of Allah]

Sisters are not spose to wear hijab for people.. they are spose to wear it for Allah..
u know rest..
thats it.

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"Only for Allah and to gain His pleasure"
"You are either slave to what made man or u are slave to what man made"

[khan_sahib]

Originally posted by lost:

.... Sara said, "Well it's not hypocritical..it's showing respect for an Islamic gathering."

...When I go to Islamic lectures and etc., I wear slightly loose pants, and full sleeved one color shirts. When I go to namaz, then of course I wear salwar kameez and cover my hair completely.

Just by reading above comments, it seems to me that you both are doing exactly the same thing to an extent. Hijab is not to show some respect to anyone it is just one of the commandment that u have to follow and there is no logic to it.


...Not really even in a hijab "style". You know how desi women do it in gatherings...where you can still see their hair. Anyway, Sara did that and then asked me, do you have a dupatta? I said "no". She said, "you're not gonna cover your hair?". I said, "No, since I don't wear hijab normally...doing it just b/c I'm at a lecture in my OPINION seems hypocritical." ...

Interesting thing is that you seems to know more about the Hijab. I mean the technicalities of Hijab that how a woman should wear it but still not doing it and she doesn't know it but still doing it to an extent. You should decide who is a better person.

[Scratch]

I think this whole respect-for-Islamic-gatherings thing is pretty odd (hypocritical ?) in its very concept. Being a muslim and being there with the hope of learning implies enough respect.

And what if the gathering doesn't turn out to be as good (Islamic ?) as you were hoping it to be. Say people start fighting and do things which make the gathering *unislamic* (?), so would the dupatta-clad women decide to take their dupattas off, since the gathering wouldn't be Islamic anymore?

Temporary hijaab (temporary respect) implies that we do not *respect* the very same things in everyday life, which we suddenly decide to respect in Islamic gatherings. And also that we are fine with not respecting them.

[Scratch]

Originally posted by Muni:
My teachers or classmates didn't take me seriously and I stuck out like a sore thumb. People questioned me for being there, so I decided that by being in their territory, I should abide by their rules and started wearing the head scarf to the Institute. No, I don't feel like a hypocrite, I feel that I'm respecting their rights and abiding by their rules.

Muni, I think that was extremely arrogant of them, not to take you and your quest for knowledge seriously, just because you dressed differently from them; and gosh, actually questioning you for being there?

What do they do to non-muslims women seeking to learn arabic? Kick them out I guess, since some of them might show up in skirts.

What does lerning Arabic has to do with wearing a hijab?

[Muni]

Originally posted by Scratch:
What do they do to non-muslims women seeking to learn arabic? Kick them out I guess, since some of them might show up in skirts.

Not too many non-Muslims attend the Institute. The non-Muslim women are sensitive to the issue of proper dress in an Islaamic setting. The classes they attend are a lot more relaxed than the ones I was attending (the views of students & students).

What does lerning Arabic has to do with wearing a hijab?

That particular program attracted a certain type of people with a certain type of mentality. Most of the profs were "old school", I was always remember this one episode. The Shaykh asked me for something and I told him that he hadn't asked us to do that, he just said something like 'what do u know' so another girl vouched that she too wasn't aware of his instructions, and soon all the girls were in agreement, so he was like, well the fellows heard me, the opinion of 1 guy negates that of 2 women and we have the same number of men & women in here. I was like !

Its a very conservative environment, but I believe they have every right to their way of thinking just as I have every right for my beliefs. I personally don't impose my views on others but since I did go into their "territory", I decided that it would cause me less grief if my hair were covered in accord to their beliefs. There are times when we have to just evaluate the situation and do what it requires. Covering my hair didn't bother me one bit, but other things about the environment did.

Overall however, I liked most of the teachers, I learned a lot, and it was a good experience.

[fakeer]

i think u shud both wear hijab.and that wud be it.