“Throw a glance at the vitality of all affairs in the universe around you!(and ponder) Don’t disturb the entity responsible for creation with the hassles of company as the safety ofcreation lies inthe isolation of the very act of creation. Only in solitude is born the pearl of creativity!”
Iqbal shared this vision of his in his poem “khilafat-e-Adam” in his famous “Javed Nama”. In this profound vision Iqbal reveals the wisdom and logic that lies behind the phenomenon that is ‘hijab’.
I refer to it as a phenomenon because in recent times this word has become synonymous to a scarf/ a piece of cloth Muslim women wear to cover their hair and this apparent manifestation of an essentially profound concept is quite transcendental to the modern world causing many a stir amongst the powers that be.
The recent uproar at the burkini in france, the ban and then the withdrawal of the ban by the government. The hijabis in the Olympics, the Scotland yard allowing hijab as a part of its uniform and the Canadian PM denouncing French Governments ban on the Burkini; all point towards the ancient obsession men have with a woman’s apparel while for women it has become a symbol of empowerment, liberation, strength and identity!
Naila Kelani a Muslim blogger for “Muslim Women Speak” in her piece “Art and Hijab Politick” says it as it is:
“This foregrounding of beauty and self-confidence is not unusual; somewhere down the line popular, sound bite-y reasoning for wearing the hijab changed from “submission to God” and “modesty” into territories of “refusing to abide by Western beauty norms” and “maintaining a strong identity.” And sure, the hijab can be a marker of identity. It does disrupt notions of beauty in a way that pronounces the difference between public and private spaces, creating modes of being unique to each, but divorced from any directly spiritual reasons, the spectacle of it all can be tiring. We end up with the classic reduction: the purpose of the hijab is ostensibly to mask beauty, but also,that’s what makes it so beautiful”
Iqbal’s ‘Hijab’ on the other hand holds a deeper significance. It focuses on the way of nature. According to Iqbal the passion or the capacity to create is intrinsic to the human being and those who are able to reach their full potential in creativity know the importance of Hijab (a hurdle, barrier, curtain to achieve isolation). Great men have pondered on the secrets of this universe in solitude and reached the heights of intellect and creativity not possible without it. Iqbal’s woman in hijab is more than liberated, she is an epitome of power and strength. She is an aide to God himself. Creativity personified. She has been entrusted with the power to create and affect mindsets. The hijab is not merely a piece of cloth but a complete way of life for her so that her power and strength is preserved and magnified. Her creative abilities are the lifeline of a nation and in her ‘hijab’ lies the salvation of her actual strength.
We are in a need of a more ethical understanding of this phenomenon. Tolerance only for a piece of cloth has no practical standing without giving any recognition to the underlying social dynamics that come with it. Allowing such women freedom and respect regardless of their financial status in society. Granting them social acceptance and space. Resisting the systematic oppression and rejection of ‘hijab’. All this and much more can be done in this regard to safeguard a woman’s right to her ‘creative self’.
The modern world has to some degree, recognized a woman’s right to wear what she wants even though it is yet to be seen whether the ‘Hijab’ and its spiritual dimension; submission and a strong connection to God himself will ever be as readily acceptable and encouraged as its commercial version is.
The writer is a research assistant at an NGO working for the welfare of women and the family unit.