Sunday, April 26, 2009

Book Recommendation

This post is going to be an offshoot of one I wrote a while back about niqab. It seems to have come up again a few times, and I wanted to share a book that I read that helped me make my decision about it being an obligation to veil.

The book is called Four Essays on the Obligation of Veiling and contains 4 essays by some of the best scholars of our time: Bin Baaz, Uthaimeen, Fawzaan and Madkhalee.

The first time I read this book it set for me what my obligations were in relation to hijab. I could not doubt it anymore. The proofs were too strong. I've just started to re-read it and I wanted to share a part that I really found interesting from the essay by Uthaimeen:

Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet Salallahu Alayhi Wa Salam said 'Whoever trail his garment out of pride, Allah will not look at him on the day of Judgement.' So Umm Salamah asked 'Then what should the women do with the hems of their dresses?' The Prophet said 'Let them extend their hems the length of a hand span.' She said 'But their feet would still be exposed.' So he replied 'Then let them extend it a forearm's length and no more.' (reported by Abu Dawood)

There is evidence in this hadeeth that a woman is obligated to cover her feet. This was a well known matter amongst the Sahaabiyaat. Without a doubt, the foot is less a place of fitnah than the face and hands. Thus, warning against something that is a lesser danger also consists of a warning against what is greater and superior than it, based on the wisdom of the Last Revelation. Would it obligate the covering of an area that is less of a place of fitnah, and allow the exposing of that which is a greater area of fitnah? Indeed this a clear contradiction that is not possible for the wisdom of Allah and his legislation.

So if anyone has an interest to study the obligation further please consider this book as a good place to start.

10 comments:

Mohamed Shafiu said...

Maasha Allah

Mohamed Shafiu said...

Nice work, Sister

Fatou Thioune said...

i hav to say i struggle with the covering of my feet. well i do wear socks. but getting my dress or skirt or whatever that long it gets easily dirty from moppin the floor lmao. and i tried that long and it doesnt even cover my feet. because when i sit, it shows, when i walks it shows. so i have to wear the sockiesssss. and it can get hot. but inchallah hell is hotter

Lazeena Umm Yusuf said...

I love this book! MashaAllah I've had it for a while so unfortunately I don't have this awesome cover though haha

Unknown said...

Sister , why do you cover your feet while praying to Allah and not your face???

Jamilah said...

Habibti - yeah its always a struggle to get something long enough for me, but if its too short we can always put on the sockies! :0)

Lazeena - Yeah this book rocks.. I find new things every time I read it. Your copy might be the 3 Essays and not the 4.. it had a different cover.

Alshaimaa - I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that if you wear niqab and men are around when you pray you still cover your face.

Sacrifice4Allah said...

I am seriously considering wearing the niqaab. I find myself trying it on at home a lot and loving it. I've yet to take the plunge. Any advice you can give me sister Jamilah?

MUJAHIDA said...

Mashaa Allah wal hamdulillahi, I really like your blog! And I love every post about hijab/niqab, because I agree with you...with the evidences from Qur'an wa Sunnah.

I also visit the website, Huda Store. Mashaa Allah, may Allah ta'Ala reward you.

Wa salamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.

Shimah said...

Mashallah sister, im just reading the same book right now. i've never thougth about wearing the niqab before but now i am seriously considering it. May Allah keep us strong in faith!

Jamilah said...

Sacrifice4Allah

I'm soooo sorry I never responded to you.

Advice...hmmm. well if you think its right in your heart, you have to just give it a try. At first I didn't wear it to work (my yucky office job)....but after I got laid off, alhamdulilah, I started to wear it all the time telling myself I was not going to turn back! It is hard to get a job in it, I will say that. But I was able to find one in the Islamic school and its been wonderful!

Just make dua that Allah makes thing easy for you.