Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Unveiling of the Veil

Historically, veiling of women has nothing to do with Islam but with customs of the pagans. During the life of Prophet Muhammad, pagan and Jewish women wore veils as a mark of royalty and distinction. Prophet Muhammad, in order to cultivate the virtue of equality forbade women to wear veils, that's why women are not allowed to wear veils at the annual pilgrimage at Mecca. There is not a single verse in Quran with the injunction that women should wear veil, niqab, hijab or burqa. Of course, distortions and misinterpretations of the verses in the Quran have nurtured many false beliefs which emerge as truth since lies have been told since centuries by so many and with such pious conviction that truth in this age and time sounds like a lie when confronted face-to-face against mountains of lies. Below are three verses (the first one for men with the intention of clarity) from the Quran which most likely are misconstrued in favor of veiling prescribed for women or as a commandment?

24:30 Quran
Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. This is purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do.

24:31 Quran
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to cover their bosoms...

33:35 Quran
... and men who guard their modesty and women who guard their modesty, and men who remember Allah and women who remember--Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward.

Legacy of the Pagans

Irreverent pagans
From the coffers of their legacy
Have bestowed upon women
Heathen gifts
Veil and hijab and niqab
Gift wrapped in silken shroud
Of false piety
Marks of status and wealth
Those gifts rejected by Islam
For the ultimate gift of equality
Now paraded as heirlooms of Islam
Religion scarred by lies
Pearls of truth rusted
The glitter-dust of distortions
How should one wear religion
This new millennium
Like any garland of truth
Perhaps
Strewn with love
And woven with the gold-thread of
Wisdom and understanding

A question if one may ask? Have theologians ever wondered why Arab men wear that head-gear? Is it commanded by God, or is it a protection against sun, heat, sand-storm? Or, just a cultural head-gear which has nothing to do with any religion... to be continued in quest of answers from the bottomless ocean of knowledge.