Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
My take on Hijab
Firstly, let us define 'Hijab'. Dr. Mohammed Ismail Memon Madani in his Kitab Hijab writes; " These days the word Hijab is often translated in English as Head Scarf, which is not in accordance with its meaning and intent in the Holy Qur'an and Ahadith. It is, therefore, misleading. The correct translation is 'Something that covers and conceals completely'."
So there you have the definition of Hijab. Now let us discuss Hijab. Hijab is that which beautifies a woman with the veil of honour, dignity, chastity and saves her from demoralisation, being abused and used like filth. Some people due to, I don't know maybe, ignorance or selfish desire seek to make out that Hijab is not part of Islam, that Islam does not require a woman to observe the Hijab. Astaghfirullah. These same people say that as long as 'my heart is clean' that's all that matters. No, you are wrong. If your heart was so clean, if it was so pure, you would observe the Hijab and obey Allah's (SWT) Command without a second's thought. Indeed, you would be running to obey Him. So ask yourself, is your heart truly 'pure', or are you motivated by selfish desires. What is stopping you from acknowledging Allah's Command. Because first thing, you have to understand and accept Hijab as being a Command of Allah, then go about following it. If you do not even accept it as being required in Islam, how will you then carry it out? So accept it as a command from Allah. Let us look at some of the verses of the Glorious Qur'an on the subject of Hijab;
"O Prophet! tell thy wives and daughters and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient that they should be known (as such) and not molested: and Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful." (Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 59)
"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons or their women or the slaves whom their right hands possess or male servants free of physical needs or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah that ye may attain Bliss." (Surah An-Nur, verse 31)
Can anyone now deny Hijab? Can any Muslim deny it? Let us follow the example of the Prophet's (SAW) wives. There is no woman today who could be more pious than the Wives of the Prophet (SAW). The Prophet's (SAW) Wives were the first to observe the Hijab, they used to veil despite them being so pure, so free from evil. If the best of all women, the mothers of the believers, used to screen themselves fully from their ghair mahram, does it not mean we should be doing it more than anyone? In the Kitab Hijab by Dr. Mohammed Ismail Memon Madani, he mentions how after the following verse was revealed; "O Consorts of the Prophet! ye are not like any of the (other) women: if ye do fear (Allah) be not too complaisant of speech lest one in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire: but speak ye a speech (that is) just." (Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 32). After this verse was revealed the Wives of the Prophet (SAW) used to cover their mouths with their hands to hide their natural voice while talking to strangers. SubhanAllah. Does any Muslim woman do this nowadays? Can we even compare to the Prophet's (SAW) Wives?
I'll leave you to think over everything I have said.
May Allah (SWT) grant me and all of you the tawfeeq to follow all His Commands fully. Ameen.
Wassalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.