– Says it’s not a religious practice, so ruling of bid’ah can’t be passed on it
The Chief Imam of Usman Bin Affan Jumu’at Mosque, Kano, Sheikh (Dr.) Aliyu Yunus Muhammad has said it is a misunderstanding of the term ‘bid’ah’ to classify the recently commemorated World Hijab Day as such.
Imam Aliyu, who is also a Lecturer at the Federal College of Education, Kano, explained that World Hijab Day is not a religious practice and therefore the ruling of bid’ah cannot be passed on it.
He gave this explanation while speaking exclusively with Muslim News shortly after his Jum’ah Khutbah (sermon) of Friday, February 4, which centred on the significance of Hijab and the essence of World Hijab Day (WHD).
We paid rapt attention to the Imam of Kano's Usman bn Affan mosque, Sheikh Aliyu Yunus, during today's Khutbah. He spoke on the importance of #Hijab and the essence of #WorldHijabDay2022, saying it's a great initiative meant to create awareness about persecution of #Hijabites. pic.twitter.com/8CapN87AZN
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) February 4, 2022
The Shariah graduate from the University of Madina, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, had faulted the critics of the annual event in his emotion-laden lecture, rendered in Hausa, saying it’s a laudable initiative meant to create awareness about hijab persecution around the world.
World Hijab Day is not bid’ah
According to him, “I have seen that in the North here too. Some brothers say creating a day for the hijab is bid’ah. I don’t believe they understand the essence of doing it. World Hijab Day is not religious, it’s like Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day.
“Let’s understand the definition of bid’ah. It’s to create awareness; creating awareness does not go against the religion, especially now that the Muslim women in hijab are facing problems in the Southwest (Nigeria). I think those brothers saying it’s bid’ah should understand the meaning of bid’ah and the essence of the World Hijab Day,” the Imam said.
Muslim News findings revealed that World Hijab Day has in the last ten years gained traction in the world with well over 150 countries, including Nigeria, using the day to create awareness about the travails of Muslim ladies, both young and old adorning the hijab.
Sheikh Aliyu, who is not just an Imam with many years of experience but also a lecturer, Federal College of Education, Kano since 2005 argued that dedicating a day to creating global awareness about the use of hijab to the world is a modern way of propagation.
“Therefore, it’s a good idea that we use this 1st of February to enlighten our women and women in general on radio stations, newspapers, and social media on the essence of hijab to Muslim ladies. It’s a modern way of da’wah. It’s not against Islam. It’s something we can use to enlighten our sisters about the hijab.”
Hijab is compulsory for women
The Imam who had his first degree in Islamic Shari’ah from the University of Madina, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, told his congregation that the hijab is compulsory for Muslim women, adding that a proper hijab must cover from head to toe.
He said, “Our sermon was on the women’s veil (Hijab). We explained that the hijab is obligatory upon every woman. Just as the five daily prayers, the fast of Ramadan, and others are obligations in Islam, the hijab for a woman is compulsory because Allah commanded in the Qur’an that women should cover their awrah.
“Allah also commanded the Prophet to tell the Muslim women, including his wives and daughters to cover up their bodies. From these verses, we understand that hijab in Islam is compulsory.
“We explained the type of hijab and the meaning of hijab in Islam. It’s a cover that should be in accordance with the Islamic Shari’ah. It should not be for showing the beauty of the woman or something transparent. So, we explained the conditions of a proper hijab.
“In the end, we said on the 1st of every February, World Hijab Day is being commemorated since one lady of Bangladesh origin in New York started a kind of enlightenment over the hijab in 2013. Alhamdulillah, everybody accepted her call and started enlightening the Muslim ummah and even non-Muslims make solidarity for the hijab,” he added.
The Hijab of the Muslimah
Sheikh Aliyu also went on in his exclusive interview with Muslim News where he explained the hijab of Muslim ladies. He said, “The term hijab is what everyone tries to explain in their ways. But we should look at the Shari’ah. What is the proper definition of hijab? The ones used by our sisters in these modern days like headscarf is not hijab; something that only covers the head and leaves other parts of the body, that’s not hijab.
“Hijab must cover from head to toe. Aisha (RA) said the Prophet (SAW) saw Asmaa (RA) with a transparent dress, and he said to Asmaa, whenever a woman reaches the age of puberty, she should cover herself up except the face and palms. These are the only places allowed to be shown. The hijab must be proper according to the Shari’ah.”
Hijab protests, and other forms of protests
The respected Islamic scholar said though protest is one of the contentious issues among scholars of the religion, he doesn’t subscribe to it. He noted that there are better ways to advocate the hijab rights than going the protest way which most times could be hijacked by bad elements.
He encouraged engaging Muslim leaders and politicians to press home the demand for hijab as a religious and constitutional right while emphasizing that protest is a contentious issue among Islamic scholars.
“I don’t also agree with carrying placards; it’s not a proper way of protesting. What I believe is engagement with our leaders, especially the politicians. We need to explain to them and express our concerns so that they can use their influence to assist us to fight for our rights.
“Protest is an issue that has been viewed differently by scholars. Our salafi brothers say it’s not a proper way to express our concerns because the Prophet and His companions never did this kind of thing. The issue of protesting against leaders to demand our rights is contentious. I am not saying 100 percent that protest is not accepted.
“There are ways we can protest because Islam gives us the right to show our concern in a peaceful manner, not the way people are doing today, causing a lot of problems in the nation.
We also need to look at the outcomes of the protests. Like here in Nigeria, when there is a protest, some bad elements would hijack it, and lives may be lost, property destroyed. I don’t think protests in Nigeria would be accepted. Even in the West, you can see what happens. My opinion, however, is that protest is not against Islam in the actual sense.”
Yes. Commemorating WHD cannot be termed bidiah. It is not enforcing or introducing a new thing in religion. Instead it only validates what is established in public appearance.