History of hijab in Islam: Why Muslim women wear hijab?

Hijab Controversy: On Thursday afternoon, a three-judge bench of Karnataka HC comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi heard petitions on the hijab row filed by the students. The court passed an interim order allowing the opening of schools but insisted that the students avoid wearing religious clothes until the court pronounce a verdict on the matter. The case will now be heard on Monday. 

"We will direct that the institutions shall start. But till the matter is pending consideration before the Court, these students and all the stakeholders, shall not insist on wearing religious garments, maybe a head dress or saffron shawl. We will restrain everyone. Because we want peace and tranquillity in the state. We are seized with the matter. We can continue the matter on a day to day basis," the Karnataka High Court said. 

Also Read | Hijab Controversy: What has Karnataka High Court said so far?

Earlier, Supreme Court declined to urgently list a plea seeking transfer of the petitions from Karnataka High Court to the apex court relating to the Hijab row. 

On February 9, the Karnataka High Court referred the Hijab issue to a larger bench. Meanwhile, Section 144 has been imposed in Bengaluru around educational institutions and no protests within 200 metres can take place for the next two weeks.

With the hijab controversy intensifying in Karnataka, the Basavraj Bommai government on 8 February 2022 announced the closure of schools and colleges for the next three days. The Chief Minister of the state appealed to the people of Karnataka to maintain peace and harmony. 

While the court heard the petitions filed by students of state-run PU college in Udupi, it has not passed its judgement. The court said, "Pending further hearing of the matter, this Court requests the student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity. This court has full faith in the wisdom and virtue of public at large and it hopes that the same would be put to practice." 

The students filed a petition before the Karnataka High Court on their fundamental right to practice essential religious practices, including wearing of Hijab as per Islamic faith, on the college premises.

Yesterday, at a college in Mandya, a Muslim girl sporting a burqa was heckled by a large number of saffron scarf wearing boys. When they shouted slogans of "Jai Shri Ram",  she shouted back at them with "Allah hu Akbar!"  

Amid the ongoing hijab controversy in Karnataka, students and netizens took to social media to express their solidarity with the Muslim women sporting a hijab. Soon, #HijabisOurRight started trending on Twitter.

The Muslim students in the state have been staging a protest outside the college campus after the principal denied entry to hijab-clad girls. While Dalit students expressed their solidarity with hijab-clad girls by adorning blue scarves, counter-protests were carried out by students in the state who took to wearing saffron scarves.  

In wake of the raging controversy, the Basavaraj Bommai government ordered a ban on clothes that disturb equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges.

The state government has invoked Section 133 (2) of the Karnataka Education Act, 1983 which requires a uniform style of clothes to be worn compulsorily by the students. The private school administration can choose a uniform of their choice.

What is Hijab?

Hijab is a scarf or clothing worn by Muslim women to cover their hair in order to maintain modesty and privacy from unrelated males either in public or at home. The concept, however, is not unique to Islam but embraced by other religions too such as Judaism and Christianity. 

Mention of Hijab

Although the tradition of wearing hijab is deeply rooted in Islam, it is not mentioned in Quran but the Khimar.

Verse 59 of Surah Al-Ahzab, states, "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be recognised and not be abused. And ever is Allah forgiving and merciful."

History of Hijab in Islam

Veiling during Mohammad's lifetime

Historic pieces of evidence suggest that veiling was not introduced in Arabia by the last Prophet of Islam, but already existed there and was associated with high social status. 

Sura 33:53 of Quran states, "And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts." The verse descended upon the Islamic community in 627 CE and the term for donning the veil, darabat al-hijab, was used interchangeably with "being Muhammad's wife".

Spread of Islam and its traditions

As Islam propagated through the Middle East to parts of Africa and Central Asia, and different societies around the Arabian Sea, it incorporated local veiling customs and influenced others. 

However, the veil was neither compulsory nor widely accepted by many generations after Mohammad but gained momentum after male scriptural and legal scholars began using their religious and political authority to regain the dominance they lost in society due to the Prophet's egalitarian reforms. 

Veiling by upper-class Arab women

Soon, the Upper-class Arab women adopted veiling while the poor ones were slow to adopt as it interfered with their work in the fields. The practice was both adopted as an appropriate expression of Qur'anic ideals regarding modesty and as a silent announcement that the women's husband was rich enough to keep her idle. 

Westernization of Muslim Countries 
 
Westernization started dominating Muslim countries between the 1960s and 1970s. However, in 1979, widespread demonstrations were carried out in Iran after the hijab law was brought in. The law decreed that the women in the country would have to wear scarves to leave their houses. While the law over hijab was passed in Iran, it was not the same for all Muslim countries.

The resurgance of hijab began in Egypt in the late-twentieth century as a means to reunite and rededicate to the Islamic faith. The movement was known as Sahwah and the female pioneers of the movement adopted the Islamic dress which was made up of an unfitted, full-sleeved, ankle length gown with a head cover that covers the chest and back. 

The movement gained impetus and the practice became more widespread among Muslim women. They wore it publicy to announce their religious beliefs as well as reject western influences of dress and culture that were prevalent at the time. 

Despite many criticisms of the practice of hijab being oppressive and detrimental to women's equality, many Muslim women view the way of dress to be a positive thing. 

The dress code was seen as a way to avoid harassment and unwanted sexual advances in public and works to desexualize women in the public sphere to allow them to enjoy equal rights of completely legal, economic, and political status.

However, controversy erupted over the dress code and people from all backgrounds questioned the donning of hijab and what it stood in terms of women and their rights. People questioned whether in practice the hijab was truly a female choice or if women were being coerced or pressured into wearing it. 

Ever since the discussion and discourse on the hijab intensified, some nations have attempted to put a ban on hijab while others have made it compulsory for women to wear hijab. 

Different kinds of Islamic clothing

1- Hijab: It is a headscarf that covers the hair and neck. 

2- Niqab: It is a veil that covers the face and head, keeping the eye area open. 

3- Burqa: It covers the whole body of a woman. It can either be a one-piece garment or a two-piece garment. 

4- Khimar: It is a long scarf that covers the head and chest but keeps the face uncovered. 

5- Shayla: A rectangular piece of cloth wrapped around the head and pinned in place. 

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