A Muslim figure suggests women to stop wearing hijab

[S.O.S]

Dear brothers and sisters,

First of all, I’d like to state that we are here not to insult anyone, let alone scholars who may be doing their best with all the sincerity they could afford to help Muslims in need. Secondly, when I say I know the man, I don’t mean to say that I’m an authority on the sheikh and his ideas, but that I have his writings at home and have been to his lectures, where I even heard him propagating more shocking views than this so called ‘fatwa’. I made a lot of notes of that, but I’m not going to present them here as these views have nothing to do with this subject, and also, to make a blunder once doesn’t automatically proof an increase of likelihood of making a blunder in this case as well. Therefore I’ll present my case differently to avoid unnecessary and lengthy discussions based on opinions which has nothing to do with the subject, as some of us seems to be very hungry for it.

 

Simple steps to understand the problem with Dr Badawi’s ‘fatwa’

 

Step 1) In His Qur’aan, Allah informs us that:

 

We will surely be tested, as the peoples before us have been tested. That we shouldn’t delude ourselves to believe that we can say “we believe†without being tested, whose belief is sincere and whose not, so there will exist clear and undeniable proofs of what you believed and acted upon on the Day of Judgement (you may wish to consult the first seven verses of Suuratul-Cankabuut).

 

Step 2) Our beloved Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) added that:

 

Most severely are tested by the messengers and prophets, and then those knowledgeable of awliyaa’uLaah, then those believers with most iimaan, and less and less, those with less and less iimaan.

 

Note: therefore initially, this ‘fatwa’ technically seems to be correct, as removing the xijaab by our sisters would mean downgrading them from a higher state of iimaan, to a lesser station of iimaan. This degradation of status in the Sight of Allah corresponds with severely lightened burden of tests and calamities in This world (really? What about hereafter?).

 

However, there are three main problems which the sheikh has overlooked rather carelessly, which prompted me to state “not to take this man seriouslyâ€, and these are:

 

Step 3) The xijaab is WAAJIB, and the disobedience of it constitutes SINNIG (this ‘fatwa’ would make you believe otherwise). Therefore, if you reside a place where you cannot perform your waajibaat, then you have to immigrate to a place where you can perform these waajibaat, instead of abandoning them for the sake of remaining where you are. Thus emigration comes before the slightest contemplation of making any concessions in your beliefs.

 

Step 4) The purpose of our belief is spiritual growth, getting nearer to Allah, increasing iimaan and the aim of elevating one’s soul to the highest station of total surrender and obedience any slave can achieve. But NEVER to degrade and degenerate our iimaan from a state of obedience to that of disobedience. Islam is growth in purity and not decadence!

 

Step 3) Do we have a mandate from Allah, with regard to customising our waajibaat when there be a need, fear, desire or even in the face of prosecution, while we are in the lands of oppression with rebellious attitude towards Islam and Muslims? Well, Allah made it clear for anyone to understand, when He said:

 

“Verily! As for those whom the Angels have taken (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory upon them), they (angels) ask them, ‘In what condition were you?’ They reply, ‘We were weak and oppressed on earth.’ The Angels ask, ‘Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to migrate therein?’ Such men will find their abode in Hell- what an evil destination!†(Suuratul-Nisaa 97)

 

Conclusion:

 

Our sisters in Bosnia stopped wearing xijaab for generations and were only Muslims by name, nevertheless, we still feel the pain of that tragedy which took place in mid nineties, when they were raped, murdered, mentally and physically tortured and starved to death. That didn’t escape my attention and hopefully it didn’t yours either, and we all know that; what Allah decrees, there is no escaping from, xijaab or no xijaab.

 

I think that I would be speaking for the majority on SOL when I say:

 

We pray to Allah for the sheikh and we kindly thank him for his concerns and efforts, but we believe that this ‘fatwa’ is baseless, and that its claim of the support from the Qur’aan is unfounded, and hence we totally REJECT his call!

[NGONGE]

^^^ A good read. However, it skirts round Dr Zaki’s fatwa and does not address it directly. I’m glad that you decided to clarify your first point, saaixb. Now explain how you arrived at this:

 

 

We pray to Allah for the sheikh and we kindly thank him for his concerns and efforts, but we believe that this ‘fatwa’ is baseless, and that its claim of the support from the Qur’aan is unfounded, and hence we totally REJECT his call!

As I said, what you wrote above was good and pretty convincing but it did not cancel out the Dr’s fatwa.

 

Here is how the Dr used the Quran:

 

The scholar cited the Qur’anic verse which reads:

"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful."

(Al-Ahzab: 59)

 

"If hijab becomes a reason of harm for Muslim women in Britain at this time, then I tell them to take it off

so that they would not be recognized and consequently attacked

," said Egyptian-born Badawi.

 

"Muslims (in Britain) are scared and each feels he/she is a suspect. The picture is, indeed, gloomy and we are trying all we can to address it."

 

Source

Now you have to understand that I’m not in agreement with him and chose not to encourage my women folk to follow his fatwa. However, and this is what you’re finding difficult and I would call you on every time, I cannot question the validity of his fatwa. So far, neither can you.

 

This is not the simple one-line discussion about Tea, overfilled boats or Blue Monday’s, where one is free to talk any old nonsense and get away with it. You are questioning the ways fatwas are issued, those issuing them and the validity of such fatwas. Once you’ve decided to swim in such an ocean, you need to prove that you do indeed have the ability to do so, otherwise, people like me will have no choice but to follow you around like a bad smell and pester you with such posts.

[S.O.S]

Brother,

 

The point is whether the sheikh accepts the xijaab as being waajib or not. From his 'fatwa' is clear to me that he doesn't take that point as given. This is a radical re-enterpretation of the above mentioned verse, and contrary to the understanding of the Saxaabah, the Salufus-saalix and many thousands of far greater scholars than him in the last milennia or so. Therefore, his reasoning is INVALID. We all accept a fatwa as being based on qaala-Llaahu wa qaala rasuuluhuu, our sheik decided to ignore the Sunnah as a whole and issue a 'fatwa' on one mis-interpreted verse.

 

WCWW

[NGONGE]

^^^^ Brother, with all due respect, who says that Dr Badawi misinterpreted the verse? Don’t let your distaste, distrust and dislike of the man cloud your judgment here and be fair in your analysis. I’ve checked the books of tafseer (Ibn Katheer, Al Tabari, etc) and they all give the same interpretation of the verse. The interpretations do not differ that much from what Dr Zaki states in his Fatwa.

 

The women of Islam (according to the tafseer of the verse) were instructed to cover themselves so that those that used to obstruct their way and act indecently towards them will halt such actions and stop the harassment. If you go back and read the article about Dr Zaki’s fatwa, you will notice that this is the explanation he gave for issuing this fatwa (protecting Muslim women from those that might harass them). If you read it again too, you might notice that the Dr has also stated his opposition to the banning of the Hijab in France (indicating that he indeed believes it to be WAJIB).

 

The correct methodology when saying that a scholar’s work is ‘invalid’ is to prove why do you think it is so with sound reasoning and authentic proofs. For if every Haddad in this world thought himself equal to the scholars and issued his/her own fatwas, it won’t be only the Hijab that our women will discard!

 

Saaxib, my advice to you when encountering cases such as this Dr’s fatwa and not having sufficient retorts, is to keep your tongue and refrain from wading into unfamiliar terrain. This advice is not limited only to you.

[Haddad]

those that used

[NGONGE]

ومن البلية عذل من لا يرعوي عن جهله

وخطاب من لا ÙŠÙهم

[Salafi_Online]

brother Ngonge

 

we shouldnt completely denounce the fatwa, it simply requires a make-over. The Shaykh's fatwa lacks few essential points.

 

1. Emmigrate for the Sake of Allah! Refer to[4/79]

 

2. Remain in your houses! refer to [33:33]

 

3. Go out with your Mahram/Family member

 

4. Move to a visible Muslim community

 

5. Last resort; NO options available; remove Hijab,beard...ect [this fatwah is based on an individual status and can ONLY emanate from renowned Scholars]who has Ihjaz[credentials]

[NGONGE]

^^^ Now, now, let us not play with words (this is the domain of the hypocrites, saaxib). Denounce the fatwa if that’s your fancy, no need to “give it a makeoverâ€. If you give it a makeover, it will become a brand new fatwa, you see (meaning that you didn’t think the first fatwa valid).

 

In this here case, you’re not choosing to ignore the fatwa, you’re choosing to question its validity and its issuer’s qualifications. Such are grave insinuations and should not be made lightly. You hint at “credentialsâ€, what are they? Why do you not explain them in great detail with examples (and even anecdotes if possible) so that none of those reading your words are in any doubt?

 

I repeat, there is a world of a difference between choosing to ignore a fatwa and setting out to question its legitimacy. The first option is open to all; the second need only be tackled by those that (don’t pass out Haddad ) come laden with proofs and sound refutations.

 

Read the Dr’s words again:

 

 

 

"If hijab becomes a reason of harm for Muslim women in Britain

at this time

, then I tell them to take it off so that they would not be recognized and consequently attacked," said Egyptian-born Badawi.

 

(See above for Source)

Here are some more words. The obtuse amongst us are free to start burning effigies and starting a satisfied riot over the word “progressive†in the text there.

 

 

Dr Badawi, who is seen as a progressive Muslim leader who advocates integration, warned that "a woman wearing the hijab... could suffer aggression from irresponsible elements".

 

"

In the present tense situation, with the rise of attacks on Muslims, we advise Muslim women who fear being attacked physically or verbally to remove their hijab so as not to be identified by those hostile to Muslims.

"

 

The hijab was designed to identify women as Muslim and thus protect them from molestation, he said, so if it led to harassment it ought not to be worn.

 

"Dress is meant to protect from harm, not to invite it," he added.

 

Dr Badawi said he

had sought to clarify the situation after being approached by a concerned woman.

 

His ruling did not mean that women should not wear the headscarf, but simply gave them the choice to remove it if they felt threatened, he said.

 

Source

Yet another Mufti, yet another source

[S.O.S]

I’ve checked the books of tafseer (Ibn Katheer, Al Tabari, etc) and they all give the same interpretation of the verse. The interpretations do not differ that much from what Dr Zaki states in his Fatwa.

Brother Ngonge,

 

That is what happens when you ignore the context of the Sunnah like our sheikh here, I have seen him dismissing authentic xadiiths before, which I'm sure if you yourself were there, would not have given the benefit of the doubt to this man. If he denies such authentic xadiiths, then what can stop him from denying other xadiiths needed to compliment with this particular verse?

 

There is this authentic xadiith reported by Caa'ishah (rc), saying that one came to the Prophet (blessing and peace be upon him) improperly dressed, and told her that nothing should be exposed of a muslim women after reaching their puppetry except this and this (pointing to the face and hands). However, I was once present in one of his lectures, and heard him dismissing another authentic xadiith by Caa'ishah (rc) on the grounds of confusion. Is it unreasonable of me to be weary of a man who made calculative implications so many important and authentic axaadiiths from the Ummul-mu'miniin? For if she is confused in one particular narration, why couldn't she be confused in other narrations?

 

Secondly, xijab is not just the simplistic way he understands it to be, because there are many detailed conditions attached to xijaab. For example, the clothes should be wide and protective, and not like those who are dressed but naked, who our Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) ordered us to "curse them for they are cursed".

 

Also keeping in mind the Qur'anic verse ""And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands..." would mean not wearing makeup or displaying their hair in a fashionable way like the "camel hump" our prophet described and cursed. It would also mean not wearing trousers like men and be cursed by the prophet.

 

Either way, our Muslim sisters will be recognised when out in the streets, and this man had made a major blunder again, and I'm afraid it was not his last!

[sheherazade]

^if u're going to speak for us SOLers, be sure your conclusion matches ours and that our consent is yours. If not convince us to your way of reasoning and convince us well. So far I am unimpressed and I am only speaking for myself.

 

Everybody wants to be a scholar.

 

Il xaouuni. :eek:

[Salafi_Online]

Ngonge

 

brother my argument is really simple, I dont want to bore you with the finer details so ill keep this short and sweet

 

This Fatwa is extreme!!! there are more appropriate means to ward off the kufars then removing your hijab.(refer to my initial post)

 

I dont know Dr's credentials, but many people confuse a da'ee with an Calim, a student of knoweldge who graduted from an islamic univeresity with an Calim, they differ in status. ONly an Calim is suitable to issue a fatwa of this magnitude.

 

Ya'ani if your going to issue a fatwa for sisters to remove their hijab atleast exhaust all other options. this fatwa can only take effect on an individual basis depending on the situation and the options available.

 

If sisters dont have any options except to unveil for the sake of survival, then so be it. Are we not allowed to eat swine when in dire need?

[Taqwa]

I think Salafi has answered it perfectly. The magnitude of this Fatwa is so huge that no scholar in the 21st century took the initiative to make it happen. Who ever follows your fatwa and is wrong will not be accountable in the Day of Judgment but it will be on that scholar. Now why don’t scholars of great knowledge give fatwas so easily these days? Because they know the punishment for giving a wrong one and that deters them from it. You can't just say remove the hijab without tiring other solutions.

 

There might be sisters who have low iman and where considering taking off the hijab but just needed a slight excuse. This fatwa might just be that!! No one is judging the knowledge of Dr. Badawi but we are skeptical of his approach towards something as delicate and big as removing the Hijab.

[Haddad]

Originally posted by sheherazade:

if u're going to speak for us SOLers, be sure your conclusion matches ours and that our consent is yours.

Who's us SOLers? Is us SOLers a body, club, association, organization or etc?

[sheherazade]

Location: The United Kingdom, post 07/07

Problem:

 

Police record more than 1,200 suspected Islamophobic incidents across the country ranging from verbal abuse to one murder in three weeks.

 

At least 7 mosques attacked

 

Attacks on Asians and religious minorities in London leap more than 500 percent after the July 7 bombings.

 

1500 assaults against hijab wearing women recorded in a 3 day period

 

Possible solution from Badawi: I have issued a fatwa that Muslim women in Britain have an Islamic right to take off their hijab at this point of time if attacked or fearing to be attacked

 

Now in case anyone missed it or is deliberately obtuse, I repeat: at this point of time if attacked or fearing to be attacked.

 

Honest to God I don't know what the fuss is about. These are the kinds of questions(e.g: what if u're in a desert and u only have pork to eat?) that I got out of the way as a child, the answers to which were based on common sense.

 

In extreme circumstances, you do what you have to to stay safe. So if I live in a neighbourhood where there are those looking for trouble and I don a hat, wear a turtle-neck jumper, pull the collar of my jacket up and throw an Arsenal scarf around my neck when I'm out by myself, is the Lord going to strike me down for using my head to avoid trouble?? When I'm covered up to the best of my ability and safe?

 

This talk of women with weak Iman..we're in England, there are no serious pressures to conform to a culture that expects women to cover up, quite the oppposite. A woman that wears it in the UK probably does it more conciously than one who lives in a Muslim land and may just be going along with the masses. If a woman in the UK takes it off, how long will her conscience allow her to quote Badawi for? Scholars are not here to baby-sit our Imans. If u have a weak Iman, you will always find a get-out clause; we can all be guilty of it. That it is women and that it is the hijab is quite irrelevant. I find that most women who wear it in a non-Muslim environment are quite protective of it. The scholars can not teach us to be smart or strengthen our Imans for us. That's for us to do. I like wearing the hijab but I also like wearing my head.

 

Salafi, what are the alternatives that you speak of that will be more practical 'at this point of time'? Let's exhaust them, do.

 

You also say: this fatwa can only take effect on an individual basis depending on the situation and the options available.

 

 

Right. So what's your problem here really? That you don't believe the people to whom this is addressed(hijab wearing women in the UK) are capable of dealing with the fatwa without endless scenarios, examples and what-ifs thrown in by Badawi?

 

Haddad, why don't you ask our self-appointed spokesman what we are. Oh, and while I have your attention: speaking or writing in one-liners is an art. U're woefully bad at it so at least keep it relevant to the topic. It's only a little unsolicited advice. It's not a fatwa. Unfortunately.

[Haddad]

Originally posted by sheherazade:

(e.g: what if u're in a desert and u only have pork to eat?)

So, the muhajibat in the UK are imprisoned, and there's no way they can escape from the prison, and the only means to survive is to dress like the warden's wife? Well, they might survive, but they would still be living in a prison.