Hijab and Related Questions (Part 3)
Has hijab been only related to Islam or it has existed among other peoples and nations as well?
In, Surah Al-A’raf (22) of the Qur’an, which is about Adam and Eve, the Almighty God says:
“So he made them fall, through deception. And when they tasted of the tree, their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten together over themselves from the leaves of Paradise”
Therefore, the issue of covering was there from the beginning of the creation; all the inscriptions, coins, statues, paintings, carpets, silverwares and the historical reliefs indicate that human beings have observed covering rules from the time when they lived on Earth. According to the Old Testament, in Solomon (PBUH) era, in addition to covering their bodies, women were also covering their faces by burga [1]. Moreover, according to Qur’an, even the Queen of Sheba in Solomon (PBUH) era, who was a worshipper of The Sun, had a full coverage; according to the verses related to the said story about the Queen of Sheba, when she entered Solomon’s palace and decided to get close to throne, she took up her skirt up so that it would not be soaked since Solomon had ordered his officials to pave the palace with stones made of glass. Even in Abraham (Ibrahim) time, hijab was common. Isaac’s fiancé covered her face with burga, when he saw her[2].
Notes:
[1] William Glen, Henry Martyn. 2001. The Persian Bible, Old and New Testament. British and Foreign Bible Society: Translated by Fazel Khan Hamedani; Song of Solomon. Asatir: Tehran, Chapter 5, P.1003, Verse 8 .
[2] Ibid, the growth journey, B. 24, Verse 66.
By Mahboubeh Gandom Abaadi (A Seminary Graduate and Lecturer)
Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
Other links:
An Explanation of Hijab
Hijab in Islam
Hijab and its Philosophy
Lessons from Hijab
