The notion of “veil” in the Koran
Addressing the notion of the veil in the Koranic story must be part of this idea that the spirit and the letter of the sacred text are intimately linked to make sense and revivify at every moment the actions of each believer in their orientation towards the Unique, by drawing from its most intimate source, deep in its heart.
Far from being a legal code or a treatise on the licit and the illicit, the Koran is above all an incitement to a new way of being in the world and of bringing out the Divine in one’s own existence:
“ God sends down the most beautiful message: a harmonious Writing in its unfoldings. Their skin shivers, those who fear their Lord! Better: she and their hearts are softened by the Reminder of God. This is the guidance that comes from God: He guides whomever He wills; he whom He leads astray finds no guide » (Quran 39, 23).
What is understood as “veil” in Revelation covers several meanings, each time with an appropriate word. First of all there is what we call: jilbab, khimar Or thaûbaccording to the verses and circumstances, and which relate to female dress. On the other hand, there is the notion of hijab which is not a garment but – and this concerns both men and women – which is linked to the concern to preserve, hide and veil.
Clothing aspects
Let’s first see what relates to women’s clothing:
“O Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters and the wives of believers to cover themselves with their veils (jalâbihinna), this is the best way for them to make themselves known and not to be offended…” (Quran 33, 59).
The word “ jilbab » (pl. jalâbih) comes from the root jlb which means “to pull”, and designates an overcoat “pulled” over the dress 1. Wearing the veil, Jacques Berque explains to us in his attempt to translate the Koran, distinguishes the free woman (hurray) women of inferior conditions.
“Tell the believing women to lower their gaze, to be chaste, to show only the exterior of their finery, to draw back their veils (khumur, sing. khimâr) on their chests, to only show their finery to their husband…Tell them again not to strike the ground with their feet so as not to show their hidden finery. » (Quran 24, 31).
The word “ khimar » comes from the root kh-mr which means “to cover” (hence alsokhamralcoholic drink which covers the normal senses and intelligence of the drunk individual) 2. This verse establishes a new attitude of decency in public rather than requiring veiling the faces of women.
“There is no fault to be blamed on women who can no longer have children and who can no longer marry, for laying down their veils (thiyâb, sing. thaûb iehabit, clothing), provided they do not show themselves in all their finery; but it is better for them to abstain from it…” (Quran 24, 60).
Concerning this garment itself, no details are given as to the nature of the fabric, its color, its type, its cut, etc. It is only indicated how it should be worn: folded down, so as not to show or reveal feminine trappings or amenities.
Only decency, reserve and ultimately the garment of reverential Fear of God, which alone gives right orientation and discernment, is required. This is not achieved by standardizing behavior and clothing, because each social situation requires an adapted response where discernment, that is to say respect for others and not simply our simple identification, is the main quality.
Islam is obviously not just a way of dressing. We can even say that there is no truly “Islamic” dress. Indeed, the clothing of the Prophet did not differ from that of an Arab or a Meccan living in the 7the century. Furthermore, for non-observance of the wearing of the veil, the Law has not provided for a temporal sanction, because this is a question relating to the afterlife (unlike murder or theft).3
The veil as a symbol
Another term designating the “veil” in the Quranic narrative is translated by the wordhijab and does not seem to cover the idea of clothing in the sense of what was discussed previously. The word hijab has become in common parlance a generic term for anything a woman can use to cover her head and/or face, which adds to the confusion. In fact, it designates both that which covers, that which hides, and that which separates, that which acts as a screen. This term appears in six verses:
“David said: I have preferred the love of these noble horses to the remembrance of my Lord; until these horses disappeared behind the veil. He then said: “Bring them back to me.” And he began to cut off their hams and necks. » (Quran 38, 32-33)
The role of the veil designating occultation regarding worldly affairs and earthly pleasures is essential here. This occultation ultimately allows us to leave behind the illusion of a world which would be an end in itself and which would itself contain its own truth.
“A thick veil is placed between Paradise and Gehenna…”, (Quran 7, 46). Here, the veil does not allow the respective inhabitants of one or the other site to communicate or exchange with each other.
“Mention Mary in the Book. She left her family and retired to a place towards the East. She placed a veil between her and her family. We sent her our Spirit: he appeared before her in the form of a perfect man. » (Quran 19, 16-17). Once again, it appears that orientation towards God requires a form of break, symbolized here by the veil, with certain aspects of the earthly world which can be a source of confusion.
“When you read the Quran, We place a veil thick between you and those who do not believe in the future life. » (Quran 17, 45).
“It is not given to a mortal that God should speak to him, except by inspiration or from behind a veil, or by sending him a Messenger to whom is revealed, by His permission, what he wanna…. » (Quran 42, 51). It should be noted here that this “veil” is the one that permanently covers our earthly state. That is to say, we believe we do things by ourselves, when it is God who acts through us. And in this regard, feeling responsible for one’s actions is already a way of making God live in us.
“When you ask something from the wives of the Prophet, do it from behind a veil, it will be purer for your hearts and for their hearts. You must not offend the Prophet of God, nor ever marry his former wives; it would be an enormity on your part before God. »4 (Quran 33, 53)
According to the 6 occurrences that we have just cited, it appears that the role of the “veil” or hijab is double since it both separates and links two orders of realities. Therefore, it separates us from the temptations of this world by allowing us to turn to God and also reminds us of our creaturely status.
It is within the framework of spiritual realization within the Sufi path that this theme is most developed. The notion of “veil” is then everything that diverts, separates, protects man from the vision of his Creator: “ Then the veil will be removed and they will see their Lord. God gave them nothing better and more joyful than to look at Him » 5; “ God has seventy veils of light, and if he were to uncover his face, the glory of his face would certainly burn away anything that came into his sight. » (hadith)
In this perspective the concept of “limitation” is translated by the term “veil” (hijab), that is to say what hides the true aspect of things from man. Being in the world is in itself an imperfection, a veil, a sin, due to the necessarily limited character of the individual, but above all as an affirmation of the existence of a being independent of God. 6. “The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the unbeliever » (hadith), this means that the insatiable desire of the prisoner is to leave his prison, tells us Al Hakim Tirmidhî 7.
Thus, all spiritual “work” is carried out through an interior “battle” which aims to lift the veils (kashf) by turning away from everything that is not God. This fight consists of “ the erasure of human qualities and the neutralization of bodily powers (…) then in the orientation of man towards the Real (…) so that the veil is lifted and the secrets of the worlds and sciences appear » 8. This is clear vision, “ a true image (…) an increase in evidence and removal of the veil in knowledge as it is realized here below » 9.
Ultimately, there is no other Reality than God (Lâ ilâha illa Llâh), and nothing is closer to us than God (Quran 50, 16). Thus, the veil itself becomes an illusion: “ What veils you from God is not the existence of an entity that shares being with Him – this is impossible – but simply your illusion that there exists something other than Him. »(10).
Notes:
(1) Muhammad Hamidullah, The Prophet of Islam; his life, his workVolume 2; El-najah, Paris.
(2) M.Hamidullah, Ibid.
(3) M.Hamidullah, ibid.
(4) In order to complete this verse, essential concerning the use of the veil, it is necessary to specify very clearly the particular and unique status of the Prophet’s wives, rendered thus in the sacred text:
“O you wives of the Prophet! You are not comparable to any other woman. If you are pious, do not belittle yourself in your words so that those whose hearts are sick will not covet you! Use proper language! Stay in your homes, do not show yourself in your finery as women did in the days of ancient ignorance! Pay your prayers, give alms; obey God and his Prophet! O you people of the House! God only wants to remove filthiness from you and purify you completely. » (Quran 33, 32-33)
The expression “Mother of Believers” which is reserved for the wives of the Prophet comes from the verse which establishes the connaturality between himself and his wives in relation to simple believers:
“The Prophet is closer to the believers than they are to each other; his wives are their mothers” (Quran 33, 6). From which results the absolute prohibition to marry with them, as it is with our own mothers.
(5) This notion is to be compared to this passage taken from the New Testament: “When he turns to the Lord, the veil will be removed. »(2Corinthians 3, 16).
(6) ‘Abd al-Razzâq al-Qâshânî, Esoteric Commentaries on the Quranby Pierre Lory, Les Deux Océans, Paris.
(7) The Seven Spiritual Degrees on the Path to GodEdition Iqra.
(8) Ibn Khaldûn, The Way and The Law, or the Master and the LawyerTranslated from Arabic, presented and annotated by René Pérez, Islam/Sindbad, p.152.
(9) Ibn Khaldûn, Ibid., p.137.
(10) Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah, The wisdom of Sufi masterstranslated from Arabic, annotated and presented by Eric Geoffroy, Grasset.
