Analysis

Analysis of this subject is complex because modern practice of Islam is a combination of culture and conjecture. An interesting point about conjecture is the following verse:

2:78 And there are among them illiterates, who know not the book, but (see therein their own) desires, and they do nothing but conjecture.

Waminhum ommiyyoona la yaAAlamoona alkitaba illa amaniyya wain hum illa yathunnoon

وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ الْكِتَابَ إِلاَّ أَمَانِيَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلاَّ يَظُنُّونَ

Another interesting point in this context is the following verse:

3:78 There is among them a section who distort the book with their tongues: (As they read) you would think it is a part of the book, but it is no part of the book; and they say, "That is from Allah," but it is not from Allah. It is they who tell a lie against Allah, and (well) they know it!

Wainna minhum lafareeqan yalwoona alsinatahum bilkitabi litahsaboohu mina alkitabi wama huwa mina alkitabi wayaqooloona huwa min AAindi Allahi wama huwa min AAindi Allahi wayaqooloona AAala Allahi alkathiba wahum yaAAlamoon

وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًا يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالْكِتَابِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

Society and the Dominant Male

To start with, lets talk about society and what it has done to the teachings of the Koran. Looking in the writing of the Koran one can analyze how specific the Koran is about divorce. The Koran allows divorce and sets the guidelines for divorce. The sections on divorce are lengthy and detailed. In comparison, there are only a few verses in the Koran about women covering themselves and by no means is it talking about covering the face (as discussed above). If this issue was as big as society has made it, then why aren’t there more verses in the Koran devoted to it like for divorce? Why is face not directly mentioned as “bosom” and “private parts” are. Divorce is the not condoned in Muslim society and brings shame to the family, so much that the son or daughter are sometimes killed rather then allowed to divorce (which completely goes against the teachings of the Koran). Yet with all of the verses in the Koran about divorce, it is condoned in Islam.

The current shape of Muslim society is the result of dominant males who have used religion to mold society into a form that is most advantageous for them. Women are to completely cover themselves and not leave the home or show their face in public. Men have complete freedom to go where ever they want without interference. This essentially translates into having a personal slave at home performing house duties rather then an equal independent self-reliant individual in the home that they call their wife, their daughter, etc.

This is one of the many places where the words of the Koran have been misused. Time and time again Muslims have manipulated the teachings of the Koran for personal gain, wealth, and power and it continues today. Keeping a woman covered and out of view of the public is oppression. Verse 2:217 states that, in Islam, oppression is worst than killing and it is referring specifically to not being allowed to practice Islam as it is intended to be practiced. By not allowing women to live freely, they are not allowed to practice Islam as they should be allowed.

2:217 They ask thee concerning fighting in the Prohibited Month. Say: "Fighting therein is a grave (offence); but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and drive out its members." Tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter. Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can. And if any of you Turn back from their faith and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the Hereafter; they will be companions of the Fire and will abide therein.

Yasaloonaka AAani ashshahri alharami qitalin feehi qul qitalun feehi kabeerun wasaddun AAan sabeeli Allahi wakufrun bihi walmasjidi alharami waikhraju ahlihi minhu akbaru AAinda Allahi walfitnatu akbaru mina alqatli wala yazaloona yuqatiloonakum hatta yaruddookum AAan deenikum ini istataAAoo waman yartadid minkum AAan deenihi fayamut wahuwa kafirun faolaika habitat aAAmaluhum fee addunya walakhirati waolaika ashabu annari hum feeha khalidoon

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ وَصَدٌّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَكُفْرٌ بِهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِندَ اللّهِ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ وَلاَ يَزَالُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىَ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَن دِينِكُمْ إِنِ اسْتَطَاعُواْ وَمَن يَرْتَدِدْ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

In order to argue that the covering of the face is not oppression, one would have to first say that the majority of Muslim women are not oppressed. Anyone making such a claim is not in touch with the muslim society. Continuing further, since oppression is so bad, then as Muslims, it is our duty to end it because Islam is about justice, fairness, and equality.

The Test

Islam emphasizes that this physical life is a test to see if you will enter paradise or hell in the afterlife. If one takes away another person’s freedom of choice by oppression, then that oppressed person cannot be properly tested, they are not allowed to live the free life that they Islamicly have the right to live. A woman under the rule of the Taliban or in Saudi Arabia is not given the choice of doing something good or bad because she is forced into submission of male dominance (of which the entire concept is very un-Islamic). If you put a person in a box and seal the box up and never let the person out, then sure enough that person will not be able to commit any sins against anyone……..but wait, as a Muslim you aren’t responsible for that person’s sins anyway. What you are responsible for and will pay for (in the afterlife) is for putting that person in the box. Freedom to live as you choose is so important that during the time of the prophet, prisoners of war and non-Muslims were given the freedom to live as they wished (after the war was over). Religion was not and is not compulsory as the Koran clearly indicates. The Koran acknowledges that there are many who will never follow the right path no matter what they are taught (see verses 2.121 and 41.44 among many others). Somehow, groups such as the Taliban or the law makers of Saudi Arabia do not talk about that. One can twist a person’s arm and tell them to say that they are Muslim, but if that person doesn’t believe it in their heart, isn’t it pointless? It may satisfy the arm twister but in the context of Islam, the arm twister is not the one that should be satisfied.

Contemplation on Attraction

Analysis of the sentence in verse 24:31, which states to not stomp your feet is quite interesting when considering Muslim women in western society. A point of discussion can be if a Muslim woman is the only person in a crowd wearing a nikab, attracting attention to herself than she may be wiser not wear it, although a woman wearing a nikab doesn’t really attract sexual attention. Some will assume that because I am clarifying that wearing a nikab is not necessary, that they can do whatever they please. This does not mean to turn 180 degrees and dye your hair bleach blonde and wear lots of makeup, because this will attract sexual attention. The Koran says to not do anything more than required. This would suggest that, yes you should comb your hair, yes you should wash your face, and yes you should look presentable and not purposely make yourself worse than normal. After all, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and what one finds attractive may not be attractive to another and hiding in a “bag” (the nikab) won’t change any of this and Islam being the practical religion that it is, understands this.

We have not discussed attraction or beauty yet. What one person finds attractive, another person may not like. And attraction doesn’t rely only on a face, it could be the way a person walks, talks, acts, or does things. Let’s try to make this point in a very different way. Consider the possibility that you can be completely naked and feel safe and have no sexual desires in a nudist colony surrounded by nude people, and yet you can be completely covered and feel unsafe and have desires while being surrounded by covered people, as in a Muslim society. A tiny exposition of skin may attract one male while an entirely naked woman may not attract another male such as a gay male and there is the whole range of men in between those extremes. The day, time, and position of the stars even change one’s perception of beauty. Beauty is subjective. So in verse 24:31, the “exceptions” refer to things out of a woman’s control such as her facial features, her bodily dimensions, her voice, etc. If she is born extra pretty (to some), that is outside of her control.

When reading the Koran and trying to understand it, one must take the writing allegorically in the context of the whole Koran and not just the literal meaning of each sentence. In the context of the Koran as a whole, if one does not intentionally commit an act against the Korans teachings and has pure thoughts for committing the action, then “Allah is oft-forgiving, and most merciful”. If one knowingly commits an act for an unjust purpose or of low moral value then that person is in the wrong and Allah will administer the just punishment.

Day of Judgement

The Koran continually mentions that each person will be responsible for their decisions on the Day of Judgment and that no one else can testify on behalf of or in favor of that person .

  An-Nahl [16:25]

Liya hmiloo awz arahum k amilatan yawma alqiy amati wamin awz ari alla theena yu dilloonahum bighayri AAilmin al a s aa m a yaziroona

16:25 Let them bear, on the Day of Judgment, their own burdens in full, and also (something) of the burdens of those without knowledge, whom they misled. Alas, how grievous the burdens they will bear!

Al-'Ankabut [29:13]

Walaya hmilunna athq alahum waathq alan maAAa athq alihim walayusalunna yawma alqiy amati AAamm a k anoo yaftaroona

29:13 They will bear their own burdens, and (other) burdens along with their own, and on the Day of Judgments they will be called to account for their falsehoods.

Al-Mumtahinah [60:3]

Lan tanfaAAakum ar hamukum wal a awl adukum yawma alqiy amati yaf silu baynakum waAll ahu bim a taAAmaloona ba seerun

60:3 Of no profit to you will be your relatives and your children on the Day of Judgment: He will judge between you: for Allah sees well all that ye do.

It also mentions that there are many out there who will not turn towards Islam or follow its ways. But in no place does it say in the Koran that these people will be forced into following Islam nor does the Koran give anyone the right to make another do anything against their will. The Koran forbids the use of coercion, physical force, or any force unless the subject is that of someone attacking Islam itself or by prohibiting it’s practice (such as in verse 2:217).

Koran and the Community

In the context of the Koran, the community is very important. Because of the current situation of the nikab in regards to the oppression of women, by wearing a nikab one promotes negatives in the community such as those stated in this article. So in a sense they are being unjust in the practice of their religion.

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