Do all practicing Muslim women wear head scarves?

Answer 1

According to the Quran it is mandatory for women to have a headscarf. However there are no set guidelines for when a girl/woman should begin to wear one.

However modern public morals suggest the opposite. Social scientists have concluded many times that religious text such as the Quran and Bible are patriarchal (male dominated) literatures which suppress the freedoms of women and support power to the man. For this reason, many modern Islamic women, particularly in Western countries, refuse to wear such garments to protect their personal freedom.

According to the Islamic practices, Muslim women should wear a headscarf/hijab. The Quran suggests such garments prevent the woman from being judged by men by her body. It also allows women to be perceived by their personality rather than looks.

Many Islamic institutions suggest it also boosts the woman's femininity and allows her confidence to shine.

This part is argued against by Muslim-Feminists, who claim the garment actually benefits the man by preventing other men from looking at "their" women. They also suggest the hijab makes some women feel oppressed and lacking freedom over choice of how to express herself.

Some western countries such as France have rules about certain garments in public. In France it is against the law to purposefully conceal your face in public, reasons being because of crime detection and identification via close-circuit cameras.

In England a police officer can lawfully request you to remove garments that may conceal your identity from close-circuit cameras. These are usually hoodies and similar clothing, but Islamic clothing has been targeted, though the Burkha more than the Hijab.

In summary, the Quran suggests that it is mandatory to wear the hijab. However, particularly in free western countries, many Muslim women choose not to and decide to wear "normal" clothes from that society (including one of my personal friends, who is a Muslim woman).

You can wear the hijab if you wish, but if you personally would rather not, the Freedom Of Choice sections of the Human Rights Act states that you have the right to decide if you do or not.

I have attached a related question below which may be of interest to you.

Answer 2

Yes, in the Qu'ran it is strongly recommended that women must wear the head scarf in order to cover themselves. This is optional and not a forced law. Women do not have to wear the headscarf all the time, only in public and in front of people who are not their fathers, brothers, husbands (known as non-mahram).

Answer 3

A:Wearing the hijab is only a cultural issue. The Quran suggests that the wives of the Prophet were required to cover themselves and remain out of the sight of other males, but it seems to only require modesty on the part of other women (eg 24.031 and 33.59). In the words of Karen Armstrong (Islam: A Short History):

"The Quran prescribes some degree of segregation and veiling for the Prophet's wives, but there is nothing in the Quran that requires the veiling of all women or their seclusion in a separate part of the house. Muslims adopted these customs some 3 or 4 generations after the Prophet's death, copying the Greek Christians of Byzantium, who had long veiled and segregated their women in this manner."

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Answeryes, wearing Hijab is compulsory for a Muslim woman. It is a command per Quran and prophet Muhammad teachings.

There is difference between veiling and wearing hijab. Veiling is covering the whole woman body including head (and hair), face, neck, breast, and hands. Hijab means that part of the cloth that is covering head (and hair), neck, and breast but not covering face and hands.

Quran says (meaning English translation):

"And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful. (31)"

"وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١

Quran, chapter 24, verse 31]

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that those women who do not observe proper Hijab are blatantly defying the commandment of Allah (God in English)

In addition to the fact that wearing hijab is an Islamic requirement and is a command by God and Prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him), the following are some reasons and benefits of wearing hijab:

• Men would not judge the woman by her appearance but would tend to evaluate her by her personality, character, and morals.
• Wearing hijab helps in preventing indecent acts or thoughts.
• When wearing hijab, one feels more modest, having more self respect and confidence.
• People actually evaluate the one wearing Hijab based on who she is and not on how beautiful she is.
• By wearing hijab, one doesn't worry about her hair if not beautiful or needs more cosmetics.
• Hijab provides Muslims with an identity although Hijab was also ordained in Christianity and Judaism but abandoned.
• By wearing hijab, the woman is concealing her sexuality but allowing her femininity to shine.
• On top of the above, wearing hijab is something that is pleasing Allah (God in English) and in return one earns blessings from wearing it.

Refer to links below for more details.

One more interesting point is that the veil is not a uniquely Islamic convention; the practice has a long history in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Catholic nuns engage in the practice, of course, and there are several references to the practice in both the Old and New Testaments (King James Version). Ironically, the representation of veiling in The Bible is much more problematic than those in the Qur'an or the Hadith, because the Judeo-Christian sources imply that women should be covered because of their inherent inferiority. I Corinthians 11 (3-10) offers one example:

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn or shaven; but if it be a hame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

Answer 4

The following extract from the Quran seems to say that it is advisable for women believers to dress modestly, but does not make it obligatory, nor does it specify the veil or headcovering:

33.59 "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful."

The following is more direct, although there is no actual requirement for a head-covering.

24.031 "And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed." However, the wives of the Prophet were required to cover their heads and wear veils across their faces.

In the words of Karen Armstrong (Islam: A Short History, 2000):

The Quran prescribes some degree of segregation and veiling for the Prophet's wives, but there is nothing in the Quran that requires the veiling of all women or their seclusion in a separate part of the house. Muslims adopted these customs some 3 or 4 generations after the Prophet's death, copying the Greek Christians of Byzantium, who had long veiled and segregated their women in this manner.

Answer 5

No. Not all practising women don't wear head scarves

Answer 6

Yes, in almost all sects of Islam, hair covering for women is required in public.

Answer 7

yes, it is a requirement per Islam religion teachings. refer to question below.

Answer 8

Yep!