Q. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was against Purdah.

Why do you Muslims degrade women by keeping them

behind the veil? Isn't a Hindu woman modest in her Salwar-Kameez ?

Ans. If I apprecitate certain points of a person, it does not mean that I agree with all his points. For example,
Mr. Ak. Advani suggested that a rapist should be put to death. I appreciate it that he agreed with the Islamic
Philosophy. I agree with him on this point, but it does not mean that I agree with all his points.Similarly I
appreciate Raja Ram Mohan Roy . He was a great reformer. I respect him. I also know that he was against
the Hijab system of Islam.

Now, coming to the point,

Today if you analyze the modesty level of human beings, it differs depending upon the surrounding they live
in . For example there are certain Muslim countries, where staring at a woman is considered immodest. In
India, as long as you don't touch a woman, you are modest. Therefore, the Indain greeting is by folding
hands. In certain western countries, shaking hands with a lady, it is considered to be modest. If you don't
shake hands, it is considered that you are not friendly. In certain western countries, kissing a woman is
considered modest. If you go beyond kissing, it is modest. And in certain countries, as long as the man and
the woman, anything they do, as long as they do willingly, it is considered modest.

In Western countries, wearing mini-skirts and shorts is considered modest. But, in India, if some lady walks
on the roads wearing mini-skirts and the shorts, it will be considered immodest. On the contrary, some
Americans say that the Indian woman are immodest because they wear the sarees which expose their
bellies. So, according to some westerners, exposing the belly is considered immodest. Therefore, depending
upon the different people, the level of modesty keeps on changing.

Let us see what our Creator, Almighty Allah has to say about modesty.

Allah mentions in the Glorious Qur'an, in Surah Al Noor Ch. 24 V. 30

"Say to the believing man that he should lower his gaze and guard his modesty."

Allah first speaks about the modesty of the man and then of the woman.
Whenever a man looks at the woman, any bad thought comes in his mind, he should lower his gaze.

The Prophet said that the first glance is allowed, the second is prohibited.
It means that if you unintentionally look at a woman for the first time, do not look at her the second time to
feast on her beauty.

Now, after speaking about the Hijab, the Purdah of the man, Allah speaks about the Hijan, the Purdah of the
woman in the next verse.
Allah mentions in the Glorious Qur'an, in Surah Al Noor Ch. 24 V. 31
"Say to the believing woman that she should lower hers gaze and guard his modesty, And display not her
beauty except what appears thereof and draw her veil (A head covering) over her bosom, except in front of
her father, her husband, her son......"
A list of such Mahrams are given, with which marriage is not allowed.

The criteria of Hijab is given in the Qur'an and the Sahih Hadith.
There are basically six criteria.

1. Extent
The extent for the man is from the navel to the knee, the extent for the woman is the complete body, except
skirts o the wrist.

The remaining five criteria are same for the man and the woman.

2. The clothes the man and the woman should not be transparent so that you can look through.

3. It should not be tight fitting so that it reveals the figure.

4. It should not be so glamorous that it attracts the opposite sex.

5. It should not resemble that of the opposites sex.

6. It should not have the signs of the unbelievers.

And the reason for the Hijab is given in the Glorious Qur'an Surah Al Ahzaab Ch. 33. V. 59, in which Allah
says,
"O Prophet, tell to your wives and your daughters and the believing woman that whenever they go abroad,
they should put on a cloak so that they shall be recognized and it will prevent them from being molested.'

Suppose there are two twin sisters, who are equally beautiful, one girl is wearing the western clothes, the
mini skirt and the shorts and the other girl is wearing the Islamic Hijab i.e. the complete body is covered
except the face and the hands upto the wrist. And down the road, there is a hooligan, a ruffian, who is
waiting to tease the girls. I am asking the question Which girl will he tease? Will he tease the girl wearing the
mini- skirt and shorts or will he tease the girl wearing the Islamic Hijab? Which girl will he tease? But natural,
he will tease the girl wearing the western clothes.

Let’s analyze what the Hindu Scriptures have to speak on modesty?

It is mentioned in the Rig Veda Book no. 8 Hymn no. 33 V. no. 19
“When Brahma has made you a woman, you should lower your gaze and should not look up. You should put
your feet together and you should not reveal what the garment and the veil conceals.”

So the Rig Veda says that the woman should wear the veil. They should lower their gaze and should not
stare.

It is further mentioned in Rig Veda Book no. 10 Hymn no. 85 V. no.30

“Unlovely is the person is the husband who covers his thighs with the garment of his wife. “

So the Rig Veda says that wearing the clothes of the opposite sex is prohibited.

It is further mentioned in the Mahavir Charitra Act 2 Page 71 that

When Purshuram comes, Rama tells his wife Sita that “He is our elder, please lower your gaze, and put on
the veil. “

Rama tells his wife Sita to put on the veil and to lower her gaze.

If you read historical books, the books talking about the Coin Age, the Age of the Gupta and the post Gupta
age, there are coins , on which there are pictures of the Indain woman wearing the veils and the veil are
going upto their shoulders, some go upto the arms. There are many Indian woman In the villages who wear
the veils, some of the woman even cover their faces.
So,if you analyze, even the Hindu Scriptures say that a woman should wear the veil. That the woman should
lower their gaze. It is a pity that Raja Ram Mohan Roy might not have read those verses. God willing, if Raja
Ram Mohan Roy would have read those verses, even he would have told that a woman should wear the
veil. The Former Home Minister of India agreed on the Islamic point that a rapist should be put to death.
Maybe the next Home Minister of India will agree to the Islamic point that a woman should wear the veil and
will advice the same.