Discovering the Headcover - 8

We are left with two final points in our discussion on headcover. The first is, if headcover is not an exact and authoritative order of God, why did the prophet Muhammad pbuh and his companions practice it so rigidly? And the second point is, given that there are no messengers after Muhammad and that Quran is a book that claims to illuminate all times until the end of the days, why do we see in the Quran verses that are directly involving the wives of the prophet? 

Before delving into the answer of the first question, I am going to use this occasion as an opportunity to clarify what is and what is not intended in this series of articles on headcover. The ultimate aim here is NOT to claim headcover as something totally cultural, though the existing applications do have cultural dimensions. Portraying the headcover as something that God did not tell is certainly NOT the motivation, either. Rather, the intention here is to clearly see what God is pleased of us doing given the conditions we are living in today. Something does not become Islamic just because it is done by the first Muslims. There are cultural, political, intellectual even technological conditions that shaped the practices then. Expressed more boldly, simply imitating the behaviors, fashions and traditions of the Arabic people who lived long ago is not necessarily an effective method to please God. In fact, such imitative culture has been ailing the Muslim society for so long, and today more than ever, the side effects of this mentality are manifest in all avenues of life. Therefore, using the tools of critical thought and sticking to the book of God, we are trying, in this series, to reach conclusions that are, hopefully, in line with God's pleasure. In the end, we ask for guidance and forgiveness from Allah in our all attempts on the road.

Another issue to be clarified before going to the answer of the first question is the fact that something is not order of God doesn't mean that it is not recommended or intended. For example, learning about and contemplating on the life events and the creation are not orders of God in the classical sense. However, when we read the Quran, we must be out of our minds in order not to see a push in that regard. Allah DOES want us to acquire knowledge and to contemplate. Nevertheless, He is leaving it to us to explore hows and whats. That is, God is acting in line with "freedom of thought" by not dictating people to think. If we take His gentleness in this issue as a pretext to not learn and think, then we are clearly following a path not pleasing to God. Does it always have to be an order so that we are going to do it? Isn't such an attitude disrespect to the Owner of all of the bounties we have got?

Similar to the example of the case of knowledge and thought, headcover not being an order of God does not mean that there is no guidance in that regard. There is an underlying motivation for headcover, and it is told in the relevant verses, if you want to see it. And that is exactly the effort undertaken here, as well. Seeing the meaning and motivation in the concept of headcover, and doing this in connection with God's word, is the goal. Conversely, not caring about who wears what and how is NOT what is told in these articles.

After these clarifications, let's now talk about the answer to the first question: if headcover is not an exact and authoritative order of God, why did the prophet Muhammad pbuh and his companions practice it so rigidly? If you really want to think about the answer, or perhaps an answer, to this question, you need to have enough information about the life events of the messenger of God, other life events from his companions, the general culture and character of the Arabic people. Knowing these is going to help you resolve not only the headcover issue but also others. In this context, you may want to make some reading on the fact that Muhammad pbuh was a human being (e.g. Chosen from among us humans). Below, I am going to share some hints under this topic.

Given the climate, geography and the human population at the time, the physiology of the people in the 7th century Arabian peninsula can necessitate a tight observance to the issue of covering in general, whereas other places with much colder climates and with more people can accommodate a less tight observance. This difference of the human physiology in different conditions require a flexibility in the application, and that flexibility is contained in the verses of the Quran through the lack of an exact style but the presence of an emphasis on functionality.  

It is also important to realize that the general character of the Arabic people is towards exaggerating things. For example, you can read about the memoires of the companions of the prophet about going to extremes in certain forms of worship, you can remember the persistence of regular bloodshed among the tribes, you can note the killing of baby daughters in the name of honor...  Also, when you read a poem about the beauty of a person or the pain of losing a loved one, this exaggerating attitude becomes so obvious. You can also imagine how strongly some of the Arabic people are insisting on what they deem as outward expressions of Islam, i.e. beard, turban, long and loose robe. All of these point at the fact that Arabic people have a tendency to go to extremes in things they embrace. Since they embraced the religion of God, it is only natural that they exhibit excess in that regard.

Nevertheless, studying the human nature of the messenger of God, his wives and his companions is not enough to resolve everything. You must also understand the fact that there is a correlation between the level of responsibility and the level explicitness in God's contact with you. That is, when Muhammad pbuh was among people and Quran was still in the process of revelation, God was continuously in touch with those people. Occasionally, they witnessed miracles, too. These mean that those people were under much more strict challenge than us today, who possess only the Quran and the books penned about the old times. Accordingly, the response to the call of God by those people is certainly going to be much more vigorous than ours, even if that call does not involve a rigid order.

It must also be noted that the situation of the first believers, especially the wives of the prophet, is very critical in the sense that they are setting the standard for everything to come afterwards. So, it is normal that Muhammad pbuh was sensitive on many issues, even if they were not strict orders. Furthermore, there are verses in the Quran that directly address the wives of the prophet and tell them to keep in utmost care for observing God's path. Given these, their "normal" may not necessarily be the normal expected from us by God.

"O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you should commit a clear immorality - for her the punishment would be doubled two fold, and ever is that, for Allah , easy. And whoever of you devoutly obeys Allah and His Messenger and does righteousness - We will give her her reward twice; and We have prepared for her a noble provision. O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allah , then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should aspire, but speak with appropriate speech. And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance. And establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification." (33/30-33)

"O believers! Do not enter in houses of prophet except if you are permitted for a meal and its readiness is not awaited but when you are invited then enter and when you have eaten disperse and do not linger in conversation; it troubles the prophet and he is shy of you but God is not shy of telling truth; and when ye ask of them [the wives of the Prophet] anything, ask it of them from behind a curtain (hijab) it is purer for you hearts and their hearts; and it is not allowed for you to hurt messenger or marry his wives after him ever; indeed it is great enormity in God’s sight." (33/53) 

And with this last comment, we can look at the second question: given that there are no messengers after Muhammad and that Quran is a book that claims to illuminate all times until the end of the days, why do we see in the Quran verses that are directly involving the wives of the prophet? Expressed differently, what is the lesson for the people of our time from the verses that directly address the wives of the prophet? More specifically, what can we infer from such verses related to the headcover? 

There can be several answers and subtleties embedded in this fact, but a practical one can be reached by the help of another question: why did God say "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers ..." in 33/59, instead of simply saying "tell the women of the believers...", given that the second one comprises all of the women believers anyway? Again, one answer here can be found by employing the notion of functionality. At the time, the wives and the daughters of the messenger of God were in some ways similar to the ministers and ambassadors of today. So, they held public offices in the language of today. In order for them to do these jobs, they had to be seen through their duty, not through their gender. Headcover and other garments helped them in this regard. Furthermore, being a woman who must interact with many men by virtue of their job, they needed to be more careful about their dress compared to other women who are not that active in the society. 

So, God knows best, one lesson from the fact that God addresses the wives and daughters of the prophet separately is that Muslim women who are holding public offices or who are interacting with men much more frequently than other women need to pay more attention to the way they are dressing. Yet, this is not to imply a certain kind of dress for such women; rather a call for further sensitivity.

Discovering the Headcover - 7

Having established a ground for the use of our reason in developing methods to understand and apply God's orders, it is time to see, for the same matter, few other instances from the Quran that necessitate the use of commonsense and further interpretation.

"And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel" (22/27) 

"And prepare against them what force you can and horses tied at the frontier, to frighten thereby the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them, whom you do not know (but) Allah knows them;" (8/60)

"and eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn." (2/187)

In these verses, we see the explicit mentioning of certain words for the fulfillment of certain actions as ordered by God. In the first one, going to pilgrimage on foot or on camels, in the second one, raising and maintaining battle horses, and in the third one, using threads to distinguish the exact time of start for the fasting in Ramadan. Today, we don't come across with a single person who claims that it is God's order to go to Hajj on camels or to raise horses against enemies. It is commonsense to go with the conditions of the time. Aside from these two, if you look at the third case above, you see that its misinterpretation due to literal understanding was corrected by God's messenger himself. He told his companions that the reference here is to the transition of darkness of the night to the brightness of the day. In all of these three cases, what needs to be done is explicitly mentioned by God, and yet, what is done is different what is told in those words!

So what's happening here? Clearly, when the need for re-interpretation or necessity for reading between the lines becomes obvious and compelling, the believers are going with their commonsense. They do this, even if it means abandoning what is literally mentioned by God! Then, what are we to conclude? That orders of God are subject to the confirmation by the commonsense of the majority at a given time in history? I don't think that makes sense. Then, what is the solution here? And how does that solution reflect on the issue of headcover?

Let's remember, if something is an order of God, it is and must be evident to the reader. That is, for example, you don't need to be expert in the Arabic language in order to understand that five daily prayers or fasting is an order of God. Conversely, if something is not evident to the reader, then it cannot attain the level of "order of God". Such lack of evidence doesn't mean, though, that God is not encouraging the believers in that regard. He is. However, the way it is done implies that the individuals must think of their own situation and decide for themselves what to do. The believers can, by all means, consult with each other and take expert opinion to make an educated decision in the matter. Still, the result from such effort is not an order of God that is obligatory for all believers, beyond time and space.

So, what about the cases above, then? How do we make sense of the three examples above in context of the above paragraph? Are we going to say that they are violations or compromises against clear orders of God? Add to that discussion the case of interfaith relations that was discussed in the fifth episode. There, we saw that some Muslims are going against what is told in the Quran repeatedly and openly by establishing good relations with non-Muslims. So, again, what are the Muslims doing when they face a compelling situation that pushes them to go beyond what meets the eye? They do what feels true! They embrace what makes sense rationally!

To understand this situation, I am going to share an observation about the mental development of the children. Prior to the development of basic abstract thinking and empathizing, if you point at something with your finger, instead of looking at what is pointed, young children (toddlers) look at your finger. It is only with the development of the mentioned faculties that the children perceive that mental exchange. Similarly, God's orders point at certain essences, which I am going to call functionality. If you focus on the functionality of what is told in the original text, you see no contradiction in what the Muslims do and what is told by God. So, functionality that is embodied in the literal text of the order is the essence that we, the believers, mine our guidance and energy when dealing with new situations. This concept of functionality can also be carried to the case of the headcover.

In the first verse that is relealed on the matter, God tells the believing women to cover themselves when going out so that they can be recognized and that they are not disturbed by men. Here, the notion of functionality so obvious. In order to ascertain what is ordered by God, the Islamic scholars have been discussing what kind of dress is Islamic and what is not. For that, they dig into the meaning of the word jilbab that is cited by God in 33/59. They go into what was done during the time of the messenger of God in this regard. This is why, today, you see some Muslim women covering themselves in extreme ways, thinking that that is the order of God. 

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (33/59)

However, if you take the same matter under the light of everything discussed so far and especially in the perspective of functionality, things become quite different. Ask yourself what kind of dress is more suitable for the Muslim women in order not to be assaulted not only by men but also by women of different life styles. The answer is going to be different for different countries and different societies. In some countries or cities, the way Muslim women dress puts them in the target, rather than protecting them! Isn't it better, then, to leave the matter to the women themselves to judge what is convenient and protective for them, given the context they are in? Indeed, the fact that the verse says "tell ..." rather than "o believing women, do so and so..." implies that the matter should be left to them. 

If we look under the light of functionality at the second verse, which is at root of the practice of headcover, we again come to the same result. In fact, this was the point that was discussed in the fourth episode. First, let's see the verses on the matter that are going to help us see things clearly:

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 you may succeed. (24/31)

And (as for) women advanced in years who do not hope for a marriage, it is no sin for them if they put off their clothes without displaying their adornments; and if they restrain themselves it is better for them; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. (24/60)

The second verse here was not presented before, but it is posed here with the first one in order to highlight how the notion of functionality, rather than an exact style, is obvious in the related verses. The word veil (khumurihinna) is surrounded by adornment throughout these verses. Plus, the aim of covering the adornments and the goal of protecting people from illicit sexual relationships are rather obvious in not only these but also other verses in the same chapter (24/26-33,58-61).  

After this initial step, let's dig a little deeper. The word khamr (intoxicating beverages) and khimar (headcover) come from the same root, both referring to covering, the former for the brain the latter for the head. This common origin is used by some to support the conclusion that headcover is explicitly mentioned in the Quran. However, there is a second way to interpret the same observation. Yes, both usages are referring to the covering, but the khimar (veil) can be taken as a cover, not for the head of the women but, for the eyes of the men. Since men cannot veil their eyes, obviously, they are told to lower their gazes (24/30), and the women are told to use veil to cover the looks of the men. That is, a Muslim lady is covering the looks of the men, not her head, by using khimar. Therefore, such covering of the looks can be done through various ways, one of which could be the covering of the hair. However, khimar is not necessarily limited to the headcover.

As in the verse about the outer garment, in this one on the headcover, too, the verse says "tell..." rather than outlining an exact style. This again could imply that the matter of how to cover the looks of the men should be left to the creative thoughts of the women. In the same context, men can, instead of dictating women how to cover up themselves, help women acquire a sensitivity towards the message of God so that they act not only creatively but also God-consciously.

Discovering the Headcover - 6

Let's remember where we are in our quest, because we don't want to lose track of our thoughts. 

In the third episode, we had used a list of conditions in order for something to be considered as an order of God. Using those conditions, we had seen that headcover being an order of God is not a straightforward conclusion. Then, we had finished that article with this paragraph:

But wait a minute! We arrived at the above conclusion based on a methodology developed by the Islamic scholars and not by a God-given measuring stick. How can we be sure of the accuracy of our conclusion and the reliability of the method thereof? Plus, there is also the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his family and his companions. Had it not been the order of God, would they stick to the headcover, and covering in general, as strongly as they did?

In the fourth episode, instead of answering these questions, we did something else. We saw that if God has left something uncertain, people are not going to be held responsible of it to the same degree as other things that are told explicitly. So, we looked at what is certain and what is not in the verses related to the headcover. What we found as certain was the concept of adornment. So, we studied the functional meaning of adornment as used in the Quran. Our concluding paragraph was an echo of the ending of the previous episode:  

By looking into the meaning of the word "adornment" and making use of the notion of functionality, are we doing the same thing as the Israelites facing the order of slaughtering a cow? Or are we really intending to figure out and submit to what Allah wants from us given our conditions today? Why don't we simply go with the practice that has been present among the companions of the Messenger of God and all along the Islamic history? Would the Messenger of God do the same critical thinking as us, had he lived today, or would he do exactly the same way as he did 14 centuries ago in the Arabian peninsula?

In the fifth episode, we made use of an analog to check the validity of what we are doing. This test showed us that the path or the method we are taking is exactly the same as the scholars' that are facing obliging conditions. It also showed that you did not always need a scholar to see the truth, thanks to the God-given vision of the thinking heart. Despite these affirmative results, we needed to remind ourselves certain criteria so as not to diverge from the straight path:

What we are doing cannot be correct, just because there are others doing it. Conversely, what we are doing cannot be wrong, just because there is no one else doing it. Far from any connection to the number of others holding onto it, what we are doing can only be proven correct or wrong through compliance with the book of God and compatibility with the actions of His Messenger (pbuh).

In this sixth episode, let's try to clarify one of the things that was left as a question. What are the properties or steps of a God-given method to identify His orders? If we can figure these out, we can strip our minds of the human artifacts and comfortably submit ourselves to God. We can also verify the validity of the method developed by the Islamic scholars.

As we venture into the realm of orders and methods, what is more helpful than using a proxy! The proxy of God's orders are, again His orders, but in the creation. If we look at the natural laws, which are God's orders that are absolutely obeyed and executed by the creation, we can take lessons for our quest. So, what are the basic properties of the laws governing the world around us?

1. Constancy over space: The laws of nature are independent of space. Wherever on the earth you are or whichever planet or galaxy you go, they are the same.
2. Constancy over time: The laws we observe in the physical world do not change from past to future.
3. Objectivity: The orderly behavior we see in the universe can be perceived the same way by everyone looking at them.

Based on these three premises, there is also the notion of repeatability, which says that under the same conditions, the same results must be obtained. Now let's do some discussion on these three premises and their applicability to the realm of religion as a valid proxy. 

If you are well versed in the scientific philosophy and science history, you can instantly catch some problems with the above conditions. That is, the picture formed by these conditions relate to a Newtonian world view and that the relativity and quantum theories revealed the limitations of it in case of the "very big" and "very small". But let's remember that we are, as humans, neither very big nor very small. Accordingly, our daily interactions with the physical world are very well explained by the Newtonian world view. If, instead of looking at our interactions with the outside, we look at what is happening in our inner worlds, which is the realm of subjectivity, we realize individual differences that resemble the notions of relativity and quantum. But again, laws are not about individual differences but about universal commonalities. So, overall, we can safely use the above three conditions as valid observations about the laws governing the world around us in our daily lives.

How about validity of these three conditions as a proxy to figuring out God's orders? That is, can we comfortably say that "constancy over space and time and clarity to the readers are indicators of an order of God"? The only authority that can validate something like this is God Almighty, Himself. So, let's read what He tells us:

Be devoted to the upright religion. It is harmonious with the nature which God has designed for people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. Thus is the upright religion, but many people do not know. Turning unto Him (only); and be careful of your duty unto Him and establish worship, and be not of those who ascribe partners (unto Him); even of those who have divided up their religion, and become sects, each sect rejoicing in what is theirs. (30/30-32)

Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allah , then indeed, Allah is swift in [taking] account. (3/19) 

a Book, whose verses are made decisive, then are they made plain, from the Wise, All-aware (11/1) 

He it is Who has revealed the Book to you; some of its verses are decisive, they are the basis of the Book, ... (3/7)

Reading the above verses, we can arrive at an affirmative answer to our question regarding the validity of those three conditions as indicators of orders of God. Still, let's not stop here, and let's find examples of this in the Quran:

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous (2/183) 

and appointed them to be leaders guiding by Our command, and We revealed to them the doing of good deeds, and to perform the prayer, and to pay the alms, and Us they served. (21/73) 

And proclaim among men the Pilgrimage: they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, coming from every remote path, (22/27)

In short, we see that the things that are clearly known to be God's orders have also been enjoined on those before the Muslims, and this fact is explicitly mentioned in the Quran on each of those matters individually. Are these three conditions also compatible with or confirming of the criteria developed by the Islamic scholars to identify the orders of God? First, let's remember what those criteria are:

1. God uses an authoritative language with explicit words. 
2. The order is either repeated or paraphrased at other places
3. The addressee of the words is directly the believers
4. Certain steps or details of the act are disclosed
   

One straightforward observation is that these conditions relate to the "clarity to the reader and objectivitiy" mentioned above. However, constancy over space and time are not as straightforward; at least not at the first glance. If you think again, nevertheless, these orders relate to the believers. So, as long as you are a believer, and no matter where you are, these orders are going to travel with you. Therefore, the transcendence over space and time are embedded in the notion of being a believer and God's direct address to the believer. As a result, we can say that the method proposed by the Islamic scholars and the observations we made from the natural proxy to God's orders agree with each other. Now is the time to think about how these play out in the case of headcover.

But wait a minute!

In analyzing the nature and universe and in figuring out God's orders therein, we used our mind. Then, we employed the result of that analysis to check the status of the scholars' method, which was again a product of human mind! So, we used the human mind to check the human mind, while thinking that we are figuring out a God-given method to identify His orders. Isn't this a discrepancy? Isn't this a self deception?

It is not, because human mind, and the rational thought stemming from it, is the God-given tool to communicate with Him, and so, it is our most reliable tool to identify His orders. 

This is a clear message for mankind in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is only One Allah, and that men of understanding may take heed. (14/52) 

He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding. (2/269)

You are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman. And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted. And indeed, you are of a great moral character. (68/2-4)

Discovering the Headcover - 5

Before I say anything, I am going to warn you that you must have read the previous episodes of this series in order to properly understand the foregoing discussion. So, please take your time to read them, if you haven't done so.

* * *

An important issue that the Muslims face today is establishing connections with the disbelievers or non-Muslims. This issue is due to the definitive instructions in the Quran on the matter. For some people, especially those who live in the non-Muslim majority countries, this is not an issue in their minds, because they are either overwhelmed with such connections or they formed their diaspora in order to avoid any ties with the non-Muslims. For some others, they prefer not to dig in. In case of the extremists, they use the relevant verses of the Quran to justify their hostility against the non-Muslims and against the Muslims who interact with the non-Muslims. Despite all these, still another group of Muslims have worked their way to have a solution to the issue. If you read the Quran, however, not befriending the non-Muslims or not allying with them is there, explicitly mentioned and repeated, and expressed in an authoritative language that is directly addressing the believers. You cannot miss it. How come you work your way around it?

O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people. (5/51)

O you who believe! do not take for guardians those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah if you are believers. (5/57)

Let not believers take disbelievers as allies rather than believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing with Allah , except when taking precaution against them in prudence. And Allah warns you of Himself, and to Allah is the [final] destination. (3/28) 

O you who have believed, do not take as intimates those other than yourselves, for they will not spare you [any] ruin. They wish you would have hardship. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater. We have certainly made clear to you the signs, if you will use reason. (3/118) 

O you who have believed, do not take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do you wish to give Allah against yourselves a clear case? (4/144)

Here, I am not going to discuss the details of the answer to that question, because my goal is not to scrutinize the social interactions but to scrutinize the method I proposed and used in analyzing the headcover issue. So, I am going to suffice with drawing some lessons and parallels between these two issues.

Did I tell you that those who worked their way around the problem of "befriending the disbelievers" did so mostly in the last 50 years or so! Guess why? They had no other choice. Until the end of the 18th century, the Muslims had the higher hand among the civilizations, and they did not have much affair with the non-Muslims other than trade or wars. This situation was rooted in one sense in the verses mentioned above. With the start of the demise of the power of Muslims, not only the strength of the faiths dwindled but also the ties with the non-Muslims grew stronger. When we came to the 1900's, the Muslims were simply vanquished by the disbelievers in virtually all fronts of life. So, it was not anymore a question, whether to engage with the non-Muslims or not. If you did not, you didn't have a chance to thrive. You had to learn from them. You had to establish friendship with them. You had to depend and rely on them. You had to ally with them. In short, you had to go against what was told in the Quran!

Then, what did those who found a solution do? How did they come to a solution? Simple and brief answer is 1- they looked at the historical and textual context of those verses, 2- they scrutinized the meaning of the words "disbeliever", "ally", "friend" not just as used among the people but as used in the Quran, 3- they did not solely look at the verses at hand but considered the big picture of the Quran, 4- they confined the "stay away order" against those who function in the abhorred ways mentioned in the Quran. In short, those who solved the problem developed a life style in which a person's disbeliever status is not necessarily derived from their beliefs but from their actions towards the Muslims. This conclusion mostly came from an analysis of the meaning of "disbeliever" in the Quran and a critical thought thereof. As an example of this approach, you can read this blog.

The above example about the "stay away order" can be used as a pattern to see how the minds of those who interpret Islam work. You can project this pattern to other matters, such as music, sculpture, arts, presence of women in the society, state-religion interaction. The scholars do not apply the critical thinking and objective analysis unless and until they have to. Until then, they go with blind imitation and status quo, claiming these to be the order of God. But when the time comes, suddenly God's orders change!

Nevertheless, I have good news. If you set aside the dominant view of the masses, the pure human conscience and intuition have the ability to see the direction towards the truth. This is a God-given ability to the human heart. That is, in all of those issues where the scholars cling to a blind imitation and side with the status quo, the free thinking individuals all along the history held the idea that "there must be another way of understanding God's words, still intended and willed by Him." An example of this is us today knowing that there are angelic non-Muslims and satanic Muslims, and so, there has to be a different way of understanding the aforementioned verses. Now with all these, let's get back to the headcover issue.

So far in the previous episodes, we looked at the psychological aspects of the matter and also made a methodological verification of the status of headcover as an "order of God". The last step involved a look into the meaning and function of "adornment". Then, we wanted to perform a self-check in order to make sure that we are not deviating from the straight path of God. Now, we saw that what we did as critical thinking while adhering to the word of God, although in the appearance against the beliefs of the masses and the governing understanding of the Quran, is in fact exactly what the "scholars" do and what the masses "think" when they fall into the obliging conditions. That is, if you wait long enough, you may see the scholars and masses voice the same ideas about the headcover that we have been working on so far. 

In fact, this series of blogs is not the only one announcing non-orthodox views on the issue of headcover, but the sources who do so are mostly linked to political endeavors or have life styles that are inconsiderate of God's expectations of a believer. And most of all, such non-orthodox views lack a connection and adherence to the word of God. As a result, even if those views on the headcover issue might be worthy of thinking, they are marginalized and outcast due to the accompanying factors mentioned here.

But again, before we go any further, we have to establish one thing for sure. What we are doing cannot be correct, just because there are others doing it. Conversely, what we are doing cannot be wrong, just because there is no one else doing it. Far from any connection to the number of others holding onto it, what we are doing can only be proven correct or wrong through compliance with the book of God and compatibility with the actions of His Messenger (pbuh).

Discovering the Headcover - 4

We are in an effort to figure out exactly what God is ordering the lady believers for their modest dress style. Our intention is to act according to the guidelines given by God so that we can attain happiness in this world and enter His paradise in the afterlife. Or is it? Are we really intending to submit ourselves to our Creator's orders or are we dragging our feet and actually trying to find a pretext to modify things as we see fit to our comfort?

The answer to the above question must be answered by each and every individual for themselves. This is their private relationship with their Lord. Nevertheless, there is an issue at hand, and we need to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion. The issue is what God orders explicitly for the dress of the ladies, specifically the headcover.

Interesting enough, the people who are most mentioned in the Quran, the Israelites, had an incident reminiscent of ours. This is the incident that is highlighted by the name of the longest chapter of the Quran: Baqarah. If you are willing to learn the details of this matter, you can read the relevant verses from the Quran or look at the literature. Another alternative is to read this blog that presents the Quranic verses related to the story of Moses and the Israelites in the chronological order of events. Here, only the aspects that are linked to our investigation of the headcover case are going to be mentioned.

As the Israelites were on their journey in the desert led by Moses and Aaron (pbut), God ordered them to sacrifice a cow (2/67-71). At that point, the people were not that willing to slaughter a cow. Possible reasons are, one, they were a crowded people and killing one cow is like losing a precious source of food and drink for many, and two, they had just committed the cow worshiping in the absence of Moses and they were not willing to attack a god (!). So, the Israelites repeatedly told Moses to ask his God the properties of the cow to be slaughtered, thereby postponing the execution of the order. They did this question-answer iteration three times until a complete description of the cow was obtained. Even then, they had a hard time in executing the order, but eventually they did.

Let's make a thought experiment. What if the Israelites went ahead and executed the order to slaughter a cow right after told by Moses for the first time? They would have done it without any detailed explanation as to which cow God wants them to slaughter. In fact, had it been so important in the eyes of God, He could have given those details along with the order itself. So, the fact that the order came without descriptions of a cow means that they were free to choose any cow. However, as they asked further questions, they actually made the situation more difficult for themselves, because when something is revealed in more clear terms, it becomes a more powerful and non-revocable order. That is, not doing something that is clearly told is a heavier violation than something that is ambiguous. Therefore, since at the first instance, the order was just about slaughtering a cow, the Israelites had the freedom to choose. Working on the details in fact resulted in the loss of their freedom in the way to execute the order. Keeping these lessons in mind, let's go back to our discussion about the headcover.

Remember the criteria mentioned in the previous episode to recognize the orders of God in the Quran? In fact, if you carefully look again at these criteria and then check back with the verses related to the headcover, you may have a hard time in weighing towards an answer. That is, you can not comfortably claim the headcover to be an explicit order of God, but you can not claim it to not be one, either! What to do? God knows best, perhaps we need to look at the general direction we are shown and do our best to act accordingly.

With this intention, if we look at the verse in the chapter Nur, which is the verse that contains the word headcover, we see that the constant emphasis throughout this long verse is about hiding the adornments. More specifically, the expression that is taken as the reference to the headcover sits right between two explicit instructions on the covering of the adornments. So, a logical conclusion from here is that the part that is referenced to the headcover must be related to the adornments, too. This is why some scholars claim that this verse does not dictate the headcover.

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 you may succeed. (24/31)

If you zoom out from this verse, you see that the verses from 26 through 33 focus on avoidance of adultery. So, if we put this 31st verse into a context, it must be about a precaution about avoiding adultery, in particular, and about curtailing the prevalence of explicit sexual expression, in general. In this regard, hiding the adornments except from a list of people is explicitly told by God. So, before hastily jumping to the classical conclusion that "headcover hides the hair of a woman, which counts as part of her adornment; and so, headcover is an order of God", it is imperative to see other locations where God uses the word "adornment" so that we can have a clearer image of what is meant here. In the below verses, the words that are translated from the verb or noun form of the "adornment" are underlined.

And Moses said, "Our Lord, indeed You have given Pharaoh and his establishment splendor and wealth in the worldly life, our Lord, that they may lead [men] astray from Your way... (10/88) 

And We have placed within the heaven great stars and have beautified it for the observers. (15/16) 

He said: My Lord! Because You have sent me astray, I verily shall adorn the path of error for them in the earth, and shall mislead them every one (15/39) 

Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. (18/46) 

So is he who is on clear evidence from his Lord like him to whom the evil of his work has been made attractive and they follow their [own] desires? (47/14)

So, if you think about the adornment through its function, it is not just about the women's beauty. Adornment is something that causes fixation on what is carrying it. Be it the heavens with the stars, be it the worldly life with its riches and progeny, adornment ultimately has the power to make you forget other things. Now, keeping in mind this definition of adornment based on its functions, let's think again on the verse of headcover.

First of all, it is clear that God does not want us to become paranoid on the matter and to fanatically try to cover all kinds of beauty. How do we know this? Because, right at the beginning, He tells us that natural look, unaltered form that is normally visible is acceptable. By the same token, we can also deduce that this is certainly not an invitation to look ugly, either. Furthermore, what is hidden by the use of a cover must be okey to be shown to that list of people. Furthermore, what is hidden by that cover must be sensitive to the stamping of the feet, as a result of which the adornment is still able to function and draw attention to its bearer. Let's be reasonable and count the "stamping of the feet" as the representative element for all gestures that are going to function similar to an adornment.

Blending the functions of  the adornment with the specifications above derived from the Quranic verse, it is safe to say that women are told to cover their adornments, be them material or behavioral, that have the potential to draw attention to themselves and cause a fixation of the gazes. It is obvious that what may induce such an effect on different people may change from person to person, and what may look good on someone may not look as good on another. And what is considered as beauty also changes from culture to culture and from time to time. This is why, perhaps, our Creator gave us a relatively abstract criteria and invited us to do our best in this regard.

In fact, if you look at the other verse related to the covering of women through these paradigms, the notion of functionality becomes even more obvious:

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (33/59)

Accordingly, for example, a lady may choose not to put a headcover when in her natural looks, but may choose to use headcover when she is coming from the hairdresser. Put more clearly, headcover may be something to be used as needed, rather than a permanent change of shape. Having said that, it is perfectly fine for some women to choose headcover as a permanent way of dressing as part of their religious life; but this would be their choice, not necessarily a dictation by God.

As a confirmation to these conclusions based on the notion of functionality, we see that God allows the older women or those who have no more natural instinct to find a spouse to not wear a cover for their adornment, unless they go to extremes in this regard:

And (as for) women advanced in years who do not hope for a marriage, it is no sin for them if they put off their clothes without showing off their ornaments; and if they restrain themselves it is better for them; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. (24/60)

Before concluding this episode, let's remember the question in the beginning and let's take it one step further. By looking into the meaning of the word "adornment" and making use of the notion of functionality, are we doing the same thing as the Israelites facing the order of slaughtering a cow? Or are we really intending to figure out and submit to what Allah wants from us given our conditions today? Why don't we simply go with the practice that has been present among the companions of the Messenger of God and all along the Islamic history? Would the Messenger of God do the same critical thinking as us, had he lived today, or would he do exactly the same way as he did 14 centuries ago in the Arabian peninsula?

Allah knows best what is in the hearts, and we ask for His guidance and forgiveness in our quests and endeavors. 

Discovering the Headcover - 3

As expressed at the very beginning of this series of blogs on the headcover, it is necessary to establish clearly what is known and what is unknown in order to reach some conclusions that are going to help with our problems or confusions in this age. Along this line, one essential point is that the benefits of something does not make it an order of God, and conversely, the harms of something does not make it a prohibition of God. Rather, it is a clear and explicit expression from God's book that helps us identify His orders and prohibitions.

Thinking of the headcover, we can reiterate the same criteria. The benefits of headcover, which is not my ultimate aim here, do not make it an order of God. On the other hand, if headcover is a clear order of God, the harms due to wearing it, if any, is not a reason for not wearing it. You try your best to do the act despite the harms on the way. 

This is similar to waging a war. High probability of winning a war does not justify it, and harms due to an incumbent war does not justify escaping it. That is why we must be sure about what is clearly order of God and what is open for change over time and place, when it comes to the headcovering, and covering in general.

In the Islamic jurisdiction, there is a methodology for deciding if something is an order of God or if it is a recommendation. As such, when you see the cases where God orders something in His book, you observe one or a combination of the following:

1. God uses an authoritative language with explicit words. 
2. The order is either repeated or paraphrased at other places
3. The addressee of the words is directly the believers
4. Certain steps or details of the act are disclosed

Let's see some examples:

Regarding pilgrimage to Mecca, "Pilgrimage thereto is a duty people owe to Allah," (3/97). 

Regarding the five daily prayers, "Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times." (4/103). 

Regarding the ablution before the prescribed prayers, "O you who believe! When you rise up for prayer, wash you faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and ..." (5/6). 

For other cases such as voluntary night worship, contemplation, acquiring knowledge, you see an orientation, but the relevant verses do not satisfy the above conditions to become an order of God: 

"And those who spend the night to their Lord prostrating and standing" (25/64),

"Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would certainly have seen it falling down, splitting asunder because of the fear of Allah, and We set forth these parables to people that they may reflect." (59/21), 

"It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah." (35/28).

However, that they are not orders of God does not mean that people disregard them completely. It just means that God wants you to do it, but the depth and manners of doing it may change from person to person and from time to time. So, you are expected by God to assess your conditions and strive to do these acts as much as you can. Totally abandoning and never minding those acts, on the other hand, is a clear disrespect to God, because you see that He is orienting you that way.

Now let's project these findings to the case of headcover. First, let's look at the two verses on the issue:

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 you may succeed. (24/31)

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (33/59)

One, the direct addressee of these verses is not the women but the prophet, himself. It is his duty to tell his wives, his daughters and the believing women to observe these. Second, we don't see an expression stating that this act is an obligation towards God. Third, if you look at the context of these verses (i.e. the verses before and after) and also consider the history-long discussions on how to observe this "order of God", you don't close in on a clear manners of doing the act. Then, headcover as an order of God is not really a straightforward conclusion. 

On top of this, take this verse, where the Owner of the Universe tells us where to stop our scrutiny on such controversial matters:

O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about them while the Quran is being revealed, they will be made plain to you. Allah has forgiven that, and Allah is Oft­Forgiving, Most Forbearing. (5/101)

So, the overall conclusion from the above discussion is that one cannot claim the headcover to be an order of God, at least not at a primary level, but that there clearly are some directions in this regard pointed at by our Creator.

But wait a minute! We arrived at the above conclusion based on a methodology developed by the Islamic scholars and not by a God-given measuring stick. How can we be sure of the accuracy of our conclusion and the reliability of the method thereof? Plus, there is also the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his family and his companions. Had it not been the order of God, would they stick to the headcover, and covering in general, as strongly as they did?

Discovering the Headcover - 2

In this episode, we are going to look at the case of those who force the headcover on others. The guiding questions in our quest are as follows:

1. Is there a command in Islam to enforce the use of headcover?
2. What are the guiding psychological and mental motives behind such enforcement?
3. What can be said of the understanding of Islam of those who enforce the headcover?

We had concluded in the last episode that even if you believed that headcover is an order of God, you cannot justify through Islam enforcing it on others. The two verses on this matter, that is the verses related to the dress code for women, can at most be taken as commands to recommend, but not to enforce!

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (33/59)

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. (24/31)

The explicit language in these verses indicate that there is no compulsion in the use of headcover. Then, we can proceed to our second guiding question. If there is no command of God to enforce the headcover, why are those who are conducting such enforcement doing so?

The answer to this question has several layers. The first layer is about what is expected of men by God, which is voiced right before the verse about women cited above:

Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do. (24/30)

So, first, God tells men to guard their gazes, then tells the women to guard their gazes. Accordingly, not guarding their gazes both for men and women is considered as sin. If you are living in a male-dominant society, an easy way to avoid such sin is to enforce the headcover for women going out of their homes and, more importantly, to discourage them from being outside! What headcover means, in this context, is another point of discussion, but that is not my intention at the moment. In the end, what is enforced within a male-dominant society varies according to how the scholars in that culture interpret Islam. As a result, you can see different levels of covering for women being enforced or encouraged. This is what we have observed in the history and in some parts of the Muslim world today. 

A funny note at this point is that if men lived in a female-dominant society and if they acted according to the same mentality, it could be men who are discouraged from leaving their homes and obliged to wear accessories similar to horse blinders when going outside. But again this form of application would not be in-line with the Islamic teachings as not is the first one. 

If you want to discuss this matter with someone who defends the idea of covering women as much as possible and not letting them out of their homes much, they may start talking about some family and society benefits of such application and also how it is relaxing for women not to be under the burden of looking good all the time. And their claims can have merit of their own. When talking about commands of God, however, and especially if you are going to do an enforcement in the name of God, you must be acting based on an explicit statement of God without the interference of cultures and times. Otherwise, when you claim you are acting in the name of God, you may actually be acting according to your understanding of the matter when God has not stated clear borders.

The concise lesson from the above paragraph is that the benefits of something does not make it order of God, and similarly, harms of something does not make it prohibition of God. The ultimate criterion for judging something as order or prohibition of God is the existence of an explicit declaration on the matter without needing human interpretation. So, coming back to the issue of headcover, one can talk about or discuss whether or not women should cover when going out, but it is not anyhow justifiable to enforce headcover on women.

Finally, looking at the third question listed at the beginning, we can say that the general mentality of those who enforce the headcover or excess covering of the body for women, despite not having clear details or commands from God, tend to have an attitude to ascertain everything in life so that they are sure of the correctness of the things they do. This is an impossible task, of course, and it is incompatible with the facts of life, but this is the dominant psychology among such individuals. As such, fleeing uncertainty and unable to find a clear and well-defined answer in the book of God to their questions stemming from the never-ending correct-wrong list, they consult the scholars of the same mentality. And these scholars speak in the name of God, when they are voicing their own interpretations. They don't think whether there could be a reason God and His messenger left many things uncertain.

"Leave me as I leave you, for the people who were before you were ruined because of their questions and their differences over their prophets. So, if I forbid you to do something, then keep away from it. And if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can." (Bukhari, 7288)

O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about them while the Quran is being revealed, they will be made plain to you. Allah has forgiven that, and Allah is Oft­Forgiving, Most Forbearing. (5/101)

Are You Allowed To Not Tell?

If you discovered something new in the nature, like a new species or a new phenomenon in  physics, you would be thrilled to let the world know about it. But can you say the same in social or intellectual matters? Wouldn't you think twice or at least take a moment to assess the consequences of voicing your ideas or disrupting the norms by your attitudes?

Messengers of God are special people selected by the Lord of the worlds. Still, they are humans among us. They have a human soul and human psychology. That is why it is them in the first place who must believe in their status as an on-duty person for their people or for all humanity. They must be fully convinced of their mission and of the articles of faith they are going to stand for. On this matter, you can read another blog (First Believers in the Messengers). Building on top of that first step, here I would like to explore our status in the same matter, centuries away from the last revelation.

Let me start by giving some examples. You are reading the book of God, and you realized that the interpretations of the scholars in the past do not make sense in terms of some matters today. This realization of yours does not remain a mere intellectual nuisance but grows to become a major question about the validity of the other things that you have been doing thinking as orders of God. How likely are you to voice your questions and render yourself to the winds of unrest in your spirit? 

Statistically speaking, many of us don't come up to that point, because, one, we don't read and ponder the word of God, two, we are indoctrinated to not question the conclusions of the scholars unless we are scholars (but who do you think you are to claim yourself as a scholar!), three, we are culturally educated not to ask questions but to conform to the norms. So, if somehow you passed these walls, would you take another step and actually do what is likely to bring down on you rains of backlash?

On this, you may already have an answer or you may want to take a moment to think. Whatever your situation is, there are some directions that can be inferred from the Quran. Before making inferences, let's see the original matters. The first one is about the messengers of God. They are on a mission given by God, and they don't have the choice to not do it. That is, for example, even if the revelation from God is going to bring extreme reactions when announced, even if the messenger's own safety is at risk, they are obligated to convey what is told them.

O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allah will protect you from the people. Indeed, Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. (5/67)

And We will either let you see part of what We threaten them with or cause you to die, for only the delivery of the message is (incumbent) on you, while calling (them) to account is Our (business). (13/40)

The second original matter from the Quran is about the people of the book. That is the people who received the revelations from God before Quran. They were ordered to spread the word of God and not conceal it, but unfortunately for a long time, the word of God remained in the hands of a few select people. Therefore, the revelation and the people separated from each other, religion became an instrument of interest and manipulation. Even, the revelation itself was lost and was replaced by some translations of varying trustability. Had the religious leaders shared the Word of God with public, the corruptions mentioned above could have been prevented.

And when Allah made a covenant with those who were given the Book: You shall certainly make it known to men and you shall not hide it; but they cast it behind their backs and took a small price for it; so evil is that which they buy. (3/187)

Those who conceal the clear (Signs) We have sent down, and the Guidance, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book,-on them shall be Allah's curse, and the curse of those entitled to curse (2/159)

Surely those who conceal any part of the Book that Allah has revealed and take for it a small price, they eat nothing but fire into their bellies, and Allah will not speak to them on the day of resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful chastisement. (2/174)

For both cases mentioned above, that is the case of the messengers and the case of the people of the book, the direct meaning is that they have to tell people what God has revealed. Based on this conclusion, we can understand that Muhammed pbuh, too, was directly and indirectly required to let people know what God has told in His book. However, God does not send His words solely to His messengers. The believers and humanity in general are the addressees of  God. So, there must be lessons for those other than the messengers.

A simple and direct inference from the same verses is that the Muslims, too, are asked to do the same and spread the word of God and make people know of the revelation. Furthermore, just like faith and actions are permanently and tightly linked to each other in the Quran (e.g. 25/70, 103/3), telling people the message of God can only be understood as a juxtaposition of the verbal message and the representation through actions. So, believers are required, in this context, to practice their religion and virtuous acts without fearing the repercussions or without expecting any return from people.

O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion – Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. (5/54)

Follow those who do not ask you for any reward and who are rightly guided. (36/21)

Still, there is another meaning that can be inferred from the above verses, especially in the light of this one:

Those who conceal the clear (Signs) We have sent down, and the Guidance, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book,-on them shall be Allah's curse, and the curse of those entitled to curse (2/159)

We know that not everything in the book of God is spoon-fed for our understanding. Such verses form the fountains through which timeless lessons and wisdom can be found. We do this by contemplation through life and creation and then critically thinking upon such verses. As such, we can deduce meanings of God's words that were not thought of before, or we can find new understandings that are in line with God's will. Thus, we can live our religion in context of the ever changing conditions of life. And all this may sound abstract to you, but it ties the discussion back to our starting question. 

On one hand, we have found new understandings and interpretations of the word of God in order to meet our needs and to illuminate our ways, and on the other hand, we have this question: "how likely are you to voice your questions or findings, given that doing so will likely harm you?"

The road indicated by our Lord at this conjunction is to go ahead and tell your understandings; because if those who see new insights through the book of God keep those insights to themselves, fearing social pressure and other negativities, humanity at large becomes blind towards God's communications.

Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels, and people of knowledge that stand firm with fairness. (3/18)

Discovering the Headcover - 1

In mathematics, it is essential to have equal number of equations or boundary conditions as the number of unknowns. So, if you feel you are swimming in an ocean of unknowns, a good rule of thumb is to find a similar ocean of equations or boundary conditions to orient yourself amidst those unknowns. Headcover issue in the Islamic context is one such juxtaposition of knowns and unknowns, where such mathematical method may be handy.

Among the Muslims, headcover is considered by some "an obvious and clear order", while others take it as "a functional tool".  "How to" is another never-ending discussion under the same topic. Consequently, it has been a matter of discussion, and of argument sometimes, due to the changing times and demands of the people since the past century. Various claims aired in these times of intellectual and spiritual inquiry, which at times burst into verbal brawls. Political manipulations, social pressures and psychological battles ailed the individuals, because of the attitudes for or against the headcover. In short, it is not an easy topic to deal with. Emulating the mathematical approach I mentioned at the beginning, what I want to do here is to first set some boundary conditions by determining the "clearly knowns" on the issue.

Talking about the clearly knowns, there are two aspects to it. One of them is about the headcover as told by God without the cultural and historical lenses. The second aspect is about the motivations of people in questioning the headcover or, conversely, forcing it on others. I want to begin with this second aspect about the motivations, because without proper motivations, it is not possible to read and understand the holy words as intended by their Owner. That is, I am NOT going to discuss whether the headcover in Islam is an order of God or not NOR the acceptable manners of wearing headcover. Rather, I am going to focus on the psychological dimension of the attitudes towards the headcover, for or against.

If you talk to women who wear the headcover, the most common answers mention the culture and tradition, the notion of honor and God's order. So, a person who doesn't want to wear it is going against one of these three. From a humanistic perspective, this can be understood, but from a religious perspective, there is some thought work to be done here.

If a person thinks that "it is nobody's job to limit their freedom", and if this person also claims to be a Muslim, there seem to be several problems. First of all, Islam means submission to God for everything, including how we dress. If He has specified a dress code, that is the definitive guide for that purpose. Therefore, for a Muslim, God's orders are non-negotiable. However, one can question whether God has specified a dress code or not, or whether human interference has caused applications that are not necessarily ordered by God. This is not rebellion or going astray! This is critical thinking.

It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error. (33/36)

O Children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you, in the same manner as He got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their clothing, to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where you cannot see them: We made the evil ones friends to those who do not believe. And when they commit an immorality, they say, "We found our fathers doing it, and Allah has ordered us to do it." Say, "Indeed, Allah does not order immorality. Do you say about Allah that which you do not know?" (7/27-28)

Talking about critical thinking, one thing that must be done considering the headcover issue is adhering to the word of God. That means reading it, and giving yourself to understanding it. In the Quran, God does tell certain things about the way believers should dress. So, if a person claims to be a Muslim and also rejects all interventions to their clothing style, this is a sign that that person is not reading the Quran, which is a deeper problem than the headcover.

Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allah does what He wills. (14/27)

A subtle notion that hinders critical thinking and lead people to the extremes in their affairs, including their objection or questioning the headcover, is involvement of ego. Especially in our age, the growing feed to and the untouchable state of the egos result in an ego inflation. Such unbounded state for the ego is not good in any aspect of life, let alone understanding the word of God. So, one must make sure that their rise for certain rights and freedoms are purely out of an intention to find out and honor the truths and not due to arrogance.

A final point on this is that if a person says nobody has any say in the way they should dress, it seems that they have closed their eyes to the nature God has created. In fact, as later will become evident, if you read the verses on this issue, Allah refers to that basic nature of ours. But again, I want to remind the fact that I am mentioning this notion not to justify all kinds of intervention on clothing but rather to say that one has to be cognizant of the nature and must act with respect to the Quran, nature and Quran both being signs of God.

After the first layer of attitudes that includes the people who don't use headcover, a different layer of the attitudes is the state of those who can't use headcover. That is, these people think that headcover is an order of God but they fail to fulfill it due to pressure from society, etc. These people are not questioning the status of the headcover in Islam, rather they are questioning their own status in  context of their religious responsibilities. It is important for these people to know that God does not burden an individual with a load more than they can bear.

God does not impose on any soul a responsibility beyond its ability. (2/286)

... but whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring, nor exceeding the limit, no sin shall be upon him; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (2/173)

It is important, however, to note that what each individual can take is not the same. Therefore, it is a duty on a believer to try their best in following God's order, if this is what they think in context of headcover.

A third layer in the attitudes towards the headcover is that of the people who force it on others. First of all, a wisdom in the application of headcover is to ensure safety and security for women so that they can take place in the social life without risking harm. Use of force in context of headcover is itself a cause of harm, and so, is not justifiable with the meaning and function of headcover in Islam. Expressed differently, even if you believe that headcover is an order of God, you cannot justify through Islam forcing it on everybody.

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (33/59)

Plus, Quran clearly states that there is no compulsion in religion. Given this fact, there can not be any divine justification to enforce the headcover to all women. This leaves us with the conclusion that we must look at the human dimension of enforcing the headcover, rather than the divine.

There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. (2/256)