What is a hijab?

Translated from Arabic, the word "hijab" means a barrier. In other words, hijab is called clothing that is designed to hide a woman’s face and body from prying eyes. For various reasons, such as religion, family traditions, personal choices, Muslim women put on clothes that completely hide the fact that according to Sharia law it is forbidden to expose.

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

A little history of his appearance

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

In addition, completely closed female faces and bodies could not be seen by outside married men, it was believed that they remained faithful to their wives, did not have sexual intercourse on the side, and therefore could not get a sexually transmitted disease. Some women with imperfections and facial features hid under their clothes everything that was considered a flaw.

After Iranian women, Muslim women from Asia, Tunisia, Egypt, and even Europe became the mistresses of hijabs. Now, in most European countries, representatives of the West are asserting their rights, for example, in France, Muslim women picket for the right to wear the clothes that they consider acceptable by virtue of their religion. They do not hide bodies and faces, not only walking around the city, but also when visiting public beaches. Not all Europeans approve of these traditions, but we have to put up with the fact that this is an unconditional right of every Muslim woman to be respected.

Do not confuse the hijab with the burqa. The burqa is not required for Muslim women to wear.

Why wear it?

It is important to understand that a hijab is not any robe that covers the female body. In accordance with the Qur'an, the important conditions for a headscarf called a hijab are:

the scarf should cover the entire body, except for the hands and face;
clothing should be modest, discreet shades, and in no case be an ornament;
the hijab should not shine through, the skin should not be visible through it;
In no case should the robe emphasize the female figure, only a wide, free cut is allowed ;
putting on a Muslim shawl, it is forbidden to use perfumes, deodorants, essential oils and other incense, since the body under the hijab should exude a natural smell;
clothing should not be like the garment of Christian women;
a woman dressed in a hijab should not stand out among those around her in color or style of clothing;
only a true Muslim woman has the right to wear such clothes.

Modern girls do not comply with half of these conditions, however, continuing to call any shawl a hijab. They believe that if they hide their bodies from male eyes under a long opaque robe, they have fulfilled their mission and can be considered true Muslims who observe the Koran, but this is not true. The purpose of wearing the hijab is different.

Muslim women begin to accustom women to the closure of prying eyes of female charms from an early age, from about six years old. A girl can wear a hijab for the first time when she comes of age . But do not confuse age by date of birth and age when a girl becomes a girl. It is generally accepted among Muslims that coming of age comes with the advent of the first menstruation. In other words, the girl puts on the hijab when she is 12-14 years old.

The basic idea of wearing cover robes is humility and humility . Muslim women have been taught this since birth. They should attract men not with beauty, but with their mind, modesty, behavior, character, sincerity. External data is fading into the background here, pushed aside. No matter how the girl looks, it is much more important what is in her heart and soul, which hides her inner world.

Another thought that Islam preaches is obedience and obedience bring a person closer to Allah. Hijab is the shadow of the Almighty, with which he covers a woman, thereby protecting her and hiding from everything evil. True Muslim women, observing the laws of the Koran, and wearing modest clothes hiding the body, will certainly appear before Allah and go to heaven. The hijab not only hides the girl from the prying evil eye, he cleanses her soul, makes her humble, and all her thoughts are pure and immaculate . Self-esteem and displaying the body is unacceptable, it can prevent you from entering paradise. Only harlots do not cover themselves.

But, there are exceptions to the rules for wearing the hijab . His Muslim woman may not wear with her husband, close relatives, her own children of any gender and other women. In addition, it is permitted not to wear a headscarf with 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 house, a woman has the right to walk in any clothes from a regular store, including the robes worn by Christians.

Pros and Cons of Hijab

In Europe, it is believed that Muslim clothing is too tight and it is simply impossible to wear it in the heat. Let's dispel this myth. A hijab is made of a 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 sewn from linen or cotton. It would seem how you can wear a dark veil that hides the whole body in the heat? Indeed, in those countries where you can often find women wearing hijab, in the summer the temperature in the sun reaches 40 degrees Celsius. In this heat, we all try to take off as much clothes as possible, how do Muslim women calmly walk in shawls?

Due to the fact that only natural materials are used for sewing the hijab, it is not hot in it. The fabric lets in fresh air, the skin breathes and, moreover, is hidden from direct sunlight. Therefore, wearing blankets in the summer heat for Muslim women is not a minus, but rather a plus.

Another minus, according to European women, is coercion. That is, a Muslim woman does not have the right to independently choose her favorite clothes, but is forced to put on what is accepted by the Quran. Note that in addition to the hijab, not a single robe of the Qur'an is foreseen to be worn as a must. Since girls are taught to shawls from a young age, this is the norm for them. They don’t put on the hijab because someone makes them wear it. They cover their heads because they think it is right . Traditions exist in all countries and in all religions, one of the Muslim traditions is to wear a hijab. True Muslims honor this law and do not consider it mandatory.

Note another plus wearing a Muslim headscarf. We live in an era in which everyone flaunts what distinguishes him from the others. Most often, this is a good abundance, which women demonstrate, pacing the streets in expensive furs and jewelry. Someone is enlarging their lips or chest, which is also a “public domain”. Muslim women are modest from birth, and the hijab only emphasizes this modesty. Under the coverlet it is not visible how well-off the woman is. This makes them equal to each other and does not give cause for envy.

Also, hijab is a liberation from oblique glances . Not all of us are perfect by nature, not every girl can boast of impeccable skin and a beautiful figure. Hijab hides imperfections in appearance and flaws.

Differences hijab from other women's Muslim hats

Do not confuse the hijab with other Muslim headgear. It may seem to Europeans that they are no different, but this is not so. The most common stoles that are customary to wear in Asia and the East:

A burqa is more a dress than a headdress, as it resembles a long robe with a scarf in shape. She almost completely hides her face, only her eyes remain open. Sometimes eyes are covered with a thin veil. Wearing a burqa is not a mandatory rule of the Qur'an; it is a woman’s personal choice .
Nykab is called a wide scarf, as well as a burqa that covers hair, neck and face. It is sewn from natural fabrics such as linen or cotton.
The main difference between the burqa is that even the eyes are hidden by a dense net or veil. Now Muslim women wear a burka only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in other countries this is not the most popular headdress.
Chadra is a long stole that allows you to see only the face of the woman who wears it. She does not fasten to the main clothes, the woman holds her hands.
Jilbab is less common in Islam compared to other types of women's clothing, but it still occurs in some places. In shape, it resembles a burqa, but when worn, the face remains open.

How to wear a hijab?

Despite the fact that the hijab does not allow a woman to open her hair, hides her neck and shoulders, but in it you can look charming and feminine. To begin with, it is not enough just to tie it on the head, like an ordinary scarf and call it a hijab. Wear the muslim stole correctly:

Throw a cloth over your head, secure the edges with pins so that the material hangs from your head.
Throw one end over the neck and the opposite shoulder. For convenience, attach it to your clothes with a safety pin.
Do the same with the other end, only you need to mount it on the head in the temporal zone.
It is not necessary to pull the ends of the scarf, it should hang freely under the chin and rests on the neck in waves. The hijab should cover the hair, upper forehead and neck to the chin.

Modern Muslim women decorate a scarf with various decorative elements: beautiful hairpins, beads, chains. But the Koran does not accept such jewelry, so it’s difficult to call such a headdress a hijab, rather it’s just a shawl covering the head . In order to prevent the scarf from slipping through the hair, a bonnet is put under it. This is a special cap made of thin fabric, to which the stole is attached with needles. She fits her head tight, allows you to hide your hair inside. Thanks to the bonnet, the hijab fits snugly to the head without extra folds.

Very often on the Internet and in glossy magazines you can see photos of Muslim women in hijab, while their face is brightly painted. Recall that putting on an eastern hat, it is forbidden to apply any makeup.