-
Head Covering And Arab Culture
I just read this article explaining Hijab.
https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/is-hijab-religious-or-cultural-how-islamic-rulings-are-formed
I have some questions related to one of its sections explaining that the Quran sometimes incorporates cultural practices to give the directive.
The section is:
Culture or law?
Still, some hold that the obligation to “draw their khumur across their chest” does not indicate that one must cover their hair. They make this argument by positing that wearing the khimār itself was a cultural practice. Thus, in a society or culture wherein women do not cover their hair, one must merely cover their chest and this will constitute as sufficient grounds for embodying the obligation within this verse. There is no doubt that culture plays a role in the development and application of Islamic law.Nonetheless, when it came to the customs that the early Muslims inherited, Islam took one of three approaches: prohibitive, reformative, or affirmative.
One, it would reject the cultural practice altogether, such as the custom of female infanticide. Two, it would identify the cultural practice and add restrictions, such as imposing limits on polygamous marriages. Or three, it would recognize and affirm the cultural practice at hand, such as the penalty of paying blood money (diyah) in predicaments of manslaughter.
In our case, it was this latter approach that the Qur’an and Sunnah took in regard to women’s dress. The Qur’an recognized that women covered their heads, adopted that custom as part and parcel of the religion, and then extended that practice to include covering everything but the hands and face. In this way, the practice of women covering their heads is no longer a customary consideration alone; it transforms into a divine commandment that one should try their best to fulfill. That being said, culture continues to play a role in how—not if—the hijab is worn. Culture, for instance, can set normative standards for clothing colors and styles. The flexibility and practicality of culture, in turn, is bounded by the minimum requirements of the verse, which is to cover the body with the exceptions detailed above.The Question is:
Even if the Quran took the “affirmative approach” here and incorporated the existing culture of headgear with the directive to cover the chest, how does it prove that the existing culture of wearing headgear Quran’s ruling? It’s really confusing me.
-
3 Replies
-
Head Covering And Arab Culture
updated 1 year, 2 months ago
2 Members
·
3
Replies
-
Your question is more appropriate for the author of the article that you referenced. Ghamidi sahab’s view is different from it, which you can find in detailed videos below:
-
Yes sir, I’ve already watched all the parts of the parda response. I know that Ghamidi Sb’s views on this are that the purpose of covering the chest with the piece of headgear is to hide the jewellery worn on the chest.
But I want to know that, is the point discussed in the article that “the Quran incorporates cultural practices and then gives the ruling, and as a result sometimes the cultural practices also become part of the ruling” correct?
You’re right my previous question is more appropriate for the author of the article. But please answer this question and if the point written in the article is as it is then how does it go along with Ghamidi Sb’s view as he didn’t discuss this point in the videos?
-
I do not think that cultural practices become part of any permanent injunctions. Ghamidi sahab has explained his conclusion in a lot of detail. I urge you to listen to the entire discussion and then draw your own conclusions in the light of knowledge and reason.
Sponsor Ask Ghamidi
