Question
I had a question about this word “Khumur”. Isn’t “Khumur” in Arabic a generic word for ANY covering? Secondly, why are we translating “Idhrib” as “extend”. Is this word ever used for extending anything? Can you cite any instances in the Qur’an?
Answer
The word “Khumur” is the plural of “Khimaar”. The word “Khimaar” when used with reference to women particularly implies the head covering. The well known Arabic dictionary “Aqrab al-Mawaarid” writes about the word “Khimaar”:
النَّصِيفُ و هو ما تغطي به المرأَة رأَسها
All such pieces of cloth, which are used to cover the head. It is a piece of cloth, which is used by a woman to cover her head
The word is so well known that the phrase “تخمرت المرأة” is used to imply that the woman is wearing a “Khimaar”. Sometimes, the word “Khimaar” is also used for a man’s head covering, as is the case in the following narrative ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh):
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَسَحَ عَلَى الْخُفَّيْنِ وَالْخِمَارِ (مسلم، كتاب الطهارة)
The Prophet anointed over his socks and his head covering.
As far as the word “ضرب” (dharaba) is concerned, when it comes with the preposition “على” (`alaa), it can imply “to cover” or “to daub” as is used in the Qur’anic verse:
وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَسْكَنَةُ ۚ
Thus “ضربت بخمارها على جيبها” means: “she covered her chest with her head covering”.
December 1998