Letter to the Editor Niqab, Niqab, Niqab, Niqab……

Niqab, Niqab, Niqab, Niqab………………… Whay there is too much hue and cry on Niqab? Is Niqab part of Islam? No, it was never and is never part of Islam. If it is, I challenge any religious scholar to prove it with Verses of Holy Quran. Muslim Scripture Holy Quran does support and order to Muslim women for Hijab, but not for Niqab, as per Verses 24:31 and 33:59. Niqab is ordered only to female family members of Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) as per Verse 33:53 of Holy Quran, where it is said that it is necessary and obligatory for them to have wall of screen/curtain between them and other men while dealing with men.

However, in Verses 24:31 and 33:59, there is no exact definition of type of Hijab since in these Verses, it is mentioned that women should dress modestly and guard their modesty with covering on them. As a matter of fact, those women, who are wearing Niqab and hiding their face to prove that they are strictly following Islam religion, in fact, they are crossing the limit, going beyond the Divine Order and committing excess in religion. Islam forbids excess in religion as per Verses 4:171 and 5:77, which say “Do not commit excess in your religion”. Let me prove this with what Canadian prominent religious scholars have said earlier. Islamic Supreme Council’s head Professor Badiuddin Soharwardy, some years ago, in his TV lecture, had clearly said that it is up to the women to keep his face covered or not, but head is to be covered. Also some years ago, Dr. Taherul Qadri of Minhaj-ul-Quran, Canada, while delivering lecture in a Mosque, noted that there was wall of curtain between men and women in audience. He immediately ordered to remove the wall of curtain and said that there should not be any barrier between lecturer and listener.
Those who wear Niqab and advocate Niqab under the pretext and cover of Islam religion and hiding their face, which is best creation of Allah, they are, in fact, hiding Allah’s creation, as per Verses 82:7 and 95:4, which read that Surely Allah created human being in the best stature, complete and symmetrical.
However, in Islam religion, there is no compulsion as per Verse 2:256. Those women who want to wear Hijab or Niqab, it is their own choice and those women who want to have on them tent like Burqa fully covering them, it is their own choice and similarly those women who want to keep themselves isolated within four walls of their house, again it is their own choice, but they should not consider this as part of Islam Religion and should not take cover behind Islam religion to prove their excess, since excess is not allowed in Islam religion.
One more informative disclosure. Christian Holy Scripture Bible also supports Hijab i.e. Head covering. Look at this:
“For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off: but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.” (1 Corinthians 11:6)
Qasim Abbas
Toronto