Men and women should understand the importance of hijab

While scrolling through Facebook, I came across various posts. One day, a brother posted a small message with an old and a new five-taka note placed side by side, emphasizing the importance of the Hijab. Both notes were from 2009, but one was carefully kept, and the other had been used in the market. The note used in the market had become worn, while the new one remained as beautiful and unchanged as before. The message conveyed that those who observe the Hijab and those who don't are like these two notes—one preserved and unaltered, while the other has worn out.

However, a  Feminist woman commented that whether the money is old or new, both are still five Taka. You can’t buy five Taka with three or four Taka, no matter how worn it is. According to her, whether a woman observes the veil or not, both are still women. She argued that just as immoral boys want pure virgin girls, girls who have lost their dignity also desire virtuous boys, even though they may not express it openly.

If we think about this from a general perspective, would a girl choose to marry an 80-year-old man over a 25-year-old young boy? No, she wouldn’t, even though both are men. Similarly, would a boy choose to marry a 50-year-old woman instead of an 18-year-old virgin girl? No, he wouldn’t, either!

In the words we speak, we promote certain ideals, but deep inside, we hope for the opposite. In other words, we are forced to keep our true feelings to ourselves. We may say we don’t want to observe the veil, but we still desire women who do.

Therefore, the decision to wear the Hijab or not is yours. However, if you claim to be a Muslim, then you cannot consider your decision final. There is no room for deviation from the decision that Islam has provided. If you keep in mind the ultimate truth of the Hereafter, then there will be no hesitation in abandoning the indifference towards the Hijab.

The bottom line is that observing the Hijab is a command from Islam, and Allah (SWT) and the Prophet (PBUH) have made it obligatory. Observing the Hijab is an act of worship, while neglecting the Hijab and rejecting it is disbelief (kufr), and walking around uncovered is forbidden (haram).

Therefore, both men and women must remain conscious of the importance of the veil. Through the implementation of such obligatory guidelines, we can build a civilized society.