Part 2 - Why Modesty Should be Discussed Holistically
Dr Orit Abdalla
Following part one of this article, I wanted to conclude the discussion by addressing the most topical form of modesty today - modesty in the way we dress.
3. The way we dress
Recently, Nurin Ghazzawi took to Instagram to address the topic of hijab on social media. She could not have said it any better; the hijab is simply an obligation. Although it is important to have an emotional connection to it, we need to remember that emotions change, and it is not a constant. “Our emotions are from the heart. Heart in Arabic is ‘Qalb’, meaning ‘change’. Because of how fast the heart can change, (for example) one day we love something, the next we hate it. We need to remember that we are not always in charge of the changes we feel in our hearts. When we say Islam is the way of life we mean that Islam is our constant. It doesn’t change, it is our compass for direction not our hearts” @nuringhazzawi
As men and women, in order to be able to continue to dress modestly, we need a constant direction and connection. And this is our connection to our faith and obliging with what Allah ordered us to do.
We can’t deny that dressing modestly, particularly the hijab for women, isn’t a struggle in the time and world we live in.
For women, we constantly hear the label ‘hijabi’ being used around. We need to ask ourselves, what does this mean? As we know, the hijab itself is a piece of cloth used to cover the head. Hijab in Arabic means a barrier or cover. Islamically, the proper way to cover for a woman is to cover every inch of the body except her hands and face. And for men, it is to cover between the navel and his knees. However, these days, there are various ways people choose to cover their bodies. And we can’t be quick to judge others. It’s not an all or nothing matter. We can start by covering what we can. For example, starting by covering the body completely, then by covering a third of the hair, then a half and one day the complete hair In Shaa Allah.
Again, this is a challenge women continuously face in our society. But it’s important to challenge ourselves and to set goals. This life is full of tests and we need to remember that our ultimate goal is Paradise. And we can’t get there without any work or effort. It’s not meant to be easy and for every second you struggle you’re being rewarded for it.
Once, the Prophet travelled to the people of At- Ta^if with a companion. The people of At-Ta^if told the street youth to form two lines and to throw rocks at the Prophet until his head gashed open and the blood dripped down his feet. When he left, Angel Jibril said ‘Ya Rasool-Allah, the angles of the Mountains would like to speak to you.’ The Angel of the Mountains said, “Ya Rasool-Allah, give me permission and I will take both mountains that surround them and crush them.’ The Prophet responded by saying ‘no, do not do that, someone from their lineage one day may say ‘La ilaha illalah, Muhammadul rasool Allah’.
“In this life, people struggle. Struggle to attain a degree, their dream job, maintain a family and relationships (and the list goes on). If we’re struggling for worldly things, why not struggle with the greatest matter or all time, our faith and goal for paradise. We need to remember that when we die, we die alone. We will be alone in our graves and on the day of judgement.
The path of Hellfire is filled with ease and with things our Nafs likes but the path to paradise is filled with struggle and that which our Nafs does not like. However, do not see struggling like a bad thing. We should embrace our struggles and one day we will be rewarded for them In Shaa Allah” @nuringhazzawi
I hope this article sparks discussion about modesty in a holistic manner and every time it’s discussed socially, we remember to address all elements of modesty rather than the most physically portrayed component such as the Hijab.
May your hearts be filled with love and kindness.