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Do people in Kenya wear Veils?

Hijab: Do Arab women who wear veils keep their veils on all the time?

  • [Edit] Thank you to the people who answered my question with sincerity and actually understood my curiousness instead of assuming that i was joking.

  • Answer:

    I respect any question about Islam and I am happy to answer without going anonymous and cracking a joke at your obviously serious question. Hijab, which is more than a veil over the head, has to be worn by women only outside of their homes while they are in public. Inside their homes while they are around men who are mahram to them (unavailable for marriage like a brother, uncle etc.) they can take off the hijab which in Arab countries usually includes a garment that covers the body and conceals the shape of the body and breasts (called an abayah) and a headscarf to conceal the hair and ears (underneath the abayah women wear regular clothes or what you could call western clothes which can include jeans and a shirt or a dress or top and skirt). This concept of hijab also includes not wearing perfume and not engaging in any other behaviours that could be described as sexually alluring. The scholars of Ahl Sunnah wal Jammah (cute name "Sunnis") are split on the requirement of covering the face and hands and many scholars use the ruling on Muslim women for performing the pilgrimage to Mecca and say that the face and hands can be uncovered. If a woman feels that she is receiving undue attention due to her face being uncovered it is up to her to decide to cover her face usually with a cloth called 'niqab'. "TELL the believing men to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity: this will be most conducive to their purity - [and,] verily, God is aware of all that they do. (24:31) And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity, and not to display their charms [in public] beyond what may [decently] be apparent thereof; hence, let them draw their *head-coverings over their bosoms. And let them not display [more of] their charms to any but their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands' fathers, or their sons, or their husbands' sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or those whom they rightfully possess, or such *male attendants as are beyond all sexual desire, or children that are as yet unaware of women's nakedness; and let them not swing their legs [in walking] so as to draw attention to their hidden charms. And [always], O you believers - all of you - turn unto God in repentance, so that you might attain to a happy state!" Surah Al-Nour (The Light) Ayahs 30 and 31 (Translation is taken from "The Meaning of the Qur'an" by Muhammad Asad) *The noun khimar (of which khumur is the plural) denotes the head-covering customarily used by Arabian women before and after the advent of Islam. According to most of the classical commentators, it was worn in pre-Islamic times more or less as an ornament and was let down loosely over the wearer's back; and since, in accordance with the fashion prevalent at the time, the upper part of a woman's tunic had a wide opening in the front, her breasts were left bare. Hence, the injunction to cover the bosom by means of a khimar (a term so familiar to the contemporaries of the Prophet) does not necessarily relate to the use of a khimar as such but is, rather, meant to make it clear that a woman's breasts are not included in the concept of "what may decently be apparent" of her body and should not, therefore, be displayed. *I.e., very old men. The preceding phrase "those whom they rightfully possess" (lit., "whom their right hands possess") denotes slaves; yet the above expression may also be understood as referring, in general, to one's close dependants and to domestic servants of either sex. Alternatively; the phrase ma malakat aymainukum may denote, in this context, "those whom you rightfully possess through wedlock", i.e., wives and husbands. (Foot notes are provided by Muhammad Asad and are taken from his commentary on this Surah of the Qur'an)   I work in universities in Saudi Arabia and I have heard that in the women's colleges, because all of their teachers are women and they are in a women only facility, they take off the hijab in the campus buildings. Also, there is a hotel in Riyadh where women who are in the city on business can relax and not wear hijab in the hotel because all of the employees are women. I hope that this answers your question.

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I wish women all around the world were given the right, what to wea...

Ved Prakash Chutani

As an L&D nurse I've had the privilege of seeing Islamic women shed their outer coverings when they are admitted to our unit. This is strictly their own choice. After being assured that no male would enter their room,  they very quickly strip down to the jeans and t-shirt they're typically wearing, slip their well pedicured toes out of their shoes, and let down their gorgeous hair. I've also had very similar experiences with German Baptist women who take off their bonnets and let their long hair down. It's really cool to be a part of such an intimate moment. While giving birth is intimate, there's something incredibly special about being accepted into the inner ring of women who are normally so well concealed. It's an amazing transformation.

Tasha Cooper Poslaniec

Greetings to all the believers in Allah. I am a Jordanian Christian living in Amman, Jordan.  Now I am sure that the person posting this question added an element of humour, a little of poking fun, at the lovely ladies who wear a veil. I mean come on wearing a veil while taking a shower !  But that's O.K.  a thousand wish of good health to the inquisitive . When we go to church in Jordan we find all of our nuns, of several denominations, wear veils that cover every little piece of hair. Still we don't poke fun at them, and I assure you that we never make the assumption that they shower with their head gear on. Once again Allah bless you all !

Firas Halaseh

No! they wear veil only when they are like out of home or in a party or gathering or something. Inside there homes when around with family they are not obliged to wear it.

Naveed Usmani

The veil works as a self sustainable security for women in public in the Afghan and surrounding regions because men in these particular areas are not much "women respecting" individuals to dare be very honest and frank, and it is apparent nonetheless that freedom of speech and clothing for women is rather a "Westernized" term for the men in these regions. It has nothing to do with Islam, the Hindoo Khap men have the same mentality. Our religion teaches us civilization and humanity, but this is about the men-tality that they choose what women should wear in not only their community but the whole world. It is usual in the Afghan and surrounding regions that women are regarded by only one mean and it is impossible to come to terms with men of such mentality. So it is partly a mandatory "dress code" in there for women to move around in a walking cage of darkness and invisibility. Not that wearing a bikini is the only freedom for a woman, it is the respect and dignity that you get from your own people, own society, for just being born as a girl, is heartbreaking. Well, like I said, veil is a security of sorts: to avoid disrespectful sights, don't be seen. The men here are incapable of loving or respecting a woman. They usually regard women in a  very sinful vision and be it scorching temperature or suffocation the veil is thrust on women to just hide the whole infidelity and incapability of a sin minded man and the whole tragic existence of a woman at the nook of it. And I don't live in Afghan/Arab. I just pray to Allah that any man reading my comment just don't hurt the women around him out of grudge.

Marion Lowes

Yes and No! Women are not required to wear Hijab while sleeping or showering unless there is a "non-mahram" male looking at her while doing so! Take the rule and you will better know the answer. Hijab Rule: Women (after a certain age, debatable between 9-13) are required, per Islamic standards, to wear Hijab ONLY in front of "non-mahram" males. Non-mahram males are all males other than husband, father, sons, brothers, step-brothers, nephews, grandfather, great grand fathers, grand sons, great grand sons, uncles etc. By the way, by males we mean those who reached the stage of puberty (adolescence). A woman can show her hair for males who did not enter puberty yet. In essence, women in Islam are only required to wear Hijab in front of certain type of males (who are generally can potentially be attracted to her sexually). Why Hijab? Perhaps males getting attracted to women all day long (or part of it) and making their minds being occupied and engaged with unnecessary thoughts isn't that productive, is it? (causing what they call 'mental depletion') I read that an average mind goes through 60,000 thoughts a day so probably Islam wanted to keep the minds of males more efficient and effective and remove any unnecessary thoughts (like constant sexual desire) from being part of the 60,000 thoughts. Simplifying it would be why having males all around the world spend some time (say 10-15 minutes daily) into going through inner thoughts like "wow, she's beautiful, let me keep looking at her" or "unbelievably stunning. One of the finest I came across in my life" or "where that good-looking lady went? Oh, there she is. I must look around to spend some precious seconds looking at her mesmerizing beauty before this traffic light gets green" or even speaking with their male friends on other women and how pretty she is today and going through these type of conversations. Think of the hours that gets spent by each male in such thoughts annually times the male population (say 2.5 billion, excluding kids) and you will end up with an enormous global waste to existing and future generations. #LowerYourGaze

Yusuf Alzeera

Muslim women take off their hijabs in the exclusive company of other women (beauty parlors, girls' nights at home watching Ally McBeal, etc), as well as among close family members at home.  And of course alone in the shower, while sleeping, and so forth. They're not "never nudes," they're just culturally modest in public places. Lots of Muslim women actually have very nice hairstyles under there, but they save them for appropriate company. 

Annika Schauer

Of course not. They keep it when they are outdoor or when they are with males who are not from their direct family (brother, father, son, uncle ...). She is free to put anything otherwise.

Bilal Abdul Kader

As an Islamic rule: No. Islam made it mandatory in some or several situations such as: in front of Non-Mahrams, and Salah (prayer),  ... (But not always)________________________________________________________As related issue regarding Hijab: http://www.al-islam.org/hijab-muslim-womens-dress-islamic-or-cultural-sayyid-muhammad-rizvi/why-hijab http://www.al-islam.org/message-thaqalayn/vol11-n4-2011/hijab-and-family-life-mohammad-ali-shomali/hijab-and-family-life

Mohammad Ali

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