Why women cover their hair in islam

An answer to a question that appeared in Yahoo! Answers The question was: Why do Muslim women have to cover their heads and bodies?

Will they be raped if they don’t?

Your question is legitimate. It is not a matter of either dress like that or you will be raped.

This could be a long answer, but please bear with me.

1. This religious tradition is not only Islamic. All religions brought to us by prophets receiving revelations from God have the same tradition. It is true that Muslim women tend to stick more than other women to their religious instructions. If you go even today to villages in Eastern Europe you will see Christian women wearing the scarf. Also remember that Christian nuns cover their heads, arms and leg. I am sure you agree with me that they stick to their religion more than other Christian women.

2. God created humans with the aim of keeping them in control of Earth till the end of this life. Anything that endangers the persistence of humanity is not accepted by God and His religions. Killing people for no legitimate reason, abortion for no good reason and similar actions are forbidden. It is a fact that exposing female bodies will attract males.

Religion wants a family with bond of marriage. This is because only in a family of the two genders will babies be securely raised. Anything that damages the family and prospects of marriage will endanger humanity survival. I wish you look around you and see what extramarital sex is doing to children that may be born of such relation. Also because of lack of marital persistent responsibility sex of this kind usually does not produce children.

3. Just imagine if marriage was abolished, as it is happening gradually now, what will happen to humans.

4. It is for this reason that religions want the women to cover attractive parts of their bodies to keep away the possibility of attracting males to chase women, not necessarily to rape them, but to persuade them into illegitimate sex, with all the consequences.

These are principles of life that have been proven by practice, although we know that God knows better, and in religion we follow His orders whether we know the wisdom of them or it is not apparent to us. Women do not have to cover in presence of men in the family whom they are forbidden to marry.

5. It is a fact that men's bodies (hair, head, and legs) are not attractive in any way. They need not cover them in religion. However, obviously the private parts have to be covered and not by cloth which show the shape.

Muslims are proud that they are still sticking to God's instructions more than followers of other religions. This is being considered strange and unacceptable by many others because they are ignorant not only about Islam, but about instructions of their own religions.

Akram Al-Hilali 2012