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.
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.
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