The Hijab: A Religious History
Understanding how this tradition became commonplace for Muslim women — and why it continues
by Liz Eagle | Updated 08 Dec 2016 at 7:14 AM
It’s human nature to fear what we don’t know. It has kept our species safe through a variety of events, our sense of caution keeping us from danger. But is the hijab something to be feared?
A hijab is traditionally a head covering for Muslim women, worn not just during prayer but during daily life. Though Islam came to be through the prophet Mohammed between 570-692 A.D., the tradition of head covering has been around long before Islam itself, showing up in Jewish and Christian traditions.
“If he orders us to veil, we veil, and if he now demands that we unveil, we unveil.”
Part of what makes the hijab so controversial is the thought that women are forced to wear this head covering — that they’re not given a choice in the matter. That’s a thought process that is in direct conflict with our Western notion of spirituality. We’re taught in Christianity the concept of free will, that we’re able to choose this way of life. Perhaps when presented as a command rather than an option to symbolize devotion, many American Christians find within themselves a feeling of personal disconnect.
Many Muslim women, however, feel the opposite. They believe wearing the hijab is an opportunity to show the outside world their level of devotion to their spiritual belief system and religious identity. For them, wearing the hijab is a source of pride.
http://www.lifezette.com/faithzette/hijab-religious-history/
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