Daabaco Boggan | Print

---

NUURUDDIIN vs XIJAABKA::: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 |

Reply to Nuruddin Farah’s comments on Hijaab

I recently heard the comments of Nuruddin Farah about the hijaab. Farah is a self declared scholar who openly acts as an “expert” on Somali culture and tradition, even though he was away from Somali for more than 30 years. At the time he left Somalia, Somalis were recovering from the effects of Italian colonialism and there were many practices in the culture that were of Italian origins. In other words, he spent rest of his life as an observer who was outside the country. And now at 62, he is said to be “A prolific writer”[1] who goes around the world lecturing on Somali culture and tradition. He has even written books on these topics!!!

Recently, he gave a lecture on one of his newest novels at Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, MN. In his lecture, he made some comments concerning Somali women wearing the hijaab[2]. And from his comments were “…I am sometimes disappointed in the women in that they wear clothes that are not ours they wear Saudi Arabian clothes –they bring lots of traditions that is not ours…”[3] As we all know, Somalis adhere to the religion of Islam which was revealed to prophet Muhammad (Salalaahu Alahi Wa Salaam) nearly 1400 years. All Muslim women regardless of whether they are Somalis, Afghani’s, Arabs, or Asian are obligated to observe the hijaab in the manner that was prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad (salalaahu Alahi Wa Salam). God willing, in the coming passages I will expose the ignorance of Farah concerning the hijaab in the light of the two sources which every Muslims follows: Qur’aan and Sunnah.

In an authentic hadeeth, the Prophet Muhammad (salalaahu Alahi Wa Salam) said, “…And the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad.”[4] And from the tongue of the Messenger (Salalaahu Alahi Wa Salam) is the noble Qur’aan which clearly states what type of hijaab Muslim women are required to wear. Qur’aan advices Muslim women with the following verse. Allah says,  

Nuruddin Farah. (MPR Photo) Fiction of Somalia ::: Listen to call-in show

“And do not display yourselves like that of the times of (Jahliyyah) ignorance”[5]

Allah also says,

“O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the believing women to draw their Jalabeeb close around them; that is better that they will be recognized and not annoyed. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Gentle.”[6]

In addition to this verse, there is an authentic hadeeth which explains the concept of the Jalabeeb more clearly. The hadeeth states, 

“[this verse] That they should draw their Jalabeeb close around them…" was revealed, the women of Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads by wearing jalabeeb.”[7]

Another Hadeeth narration states,

“When the verse: ‘They should cover (draw their veils over) their bodies, faces, necks, and bosoms was revealed (the ladies) cut their waist sheets at the edges and covered their heads and faces with those cut pieces of cloth.”[8]

This hadeeth clearly states that the women implemented the verse that was revealed to Allah’s Messenger (Salalaahu Alahi Wa Salam) that they cut their waist sheets at the edges and “…covered their heads and faces with those cut pieces of cloth.”[9]

So when Farah says that he is “…disappointed in the women..” who are wearing “Saudi Arabian clothing”, was he aware of the fact that it is the religion of Islam that commands the believing women to wear their clothing this way? Indeed ignorance is a detrimental disease as was stated by  Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah. In addition, I was truly amazed by Farah’s audacity to speak in public comfortably while attacking the religion of Islam directly.

He further went on to make another spurious statement. He said that hijaab practice in Somalia is all “…Afghani business.” Interestingly, this man is completely ignorant of the benefits of hijaab in Somalia societies –if he was such an “expert” on Somali culture and tradition he would have at least known that the practice of hijaab has actually saved Somali society from a lot of predicaments that other non-Muslim African countries suffer from such as, AIDS, rape, indecency, prostitution etc…

As for this “traditional Somali” women’s clothing that he is talking about, I would say that it is purely based on certain practices of the nomadic camel herders who simply could not afford nor had no access to the pure Islamic knowledge (i.e. they were ignorant). A major testimony for this is that up until 200 years ago, women in major cities in Somalia used to observe hijaab (i.e. covering the whole body) according to the Islamic traditions until the emergence of European colonizers who affected much of the culture since then. If this was not so, than how did the Somali women managed to avoid European colonizers who were recognized for their mass rapes (Like they did in Libya to Berber women)? ...it was because these Somali women were covered head to toe. In other words, the traditional Somali women’s clothing is in accordance with the Islamic hijaab which is described in the Qur’aan and Sunnah.

Lastly, Mr. Farah needs to get his facts straight before he opens his mouth on subjects which he has no knowledge of. If he is dissatisfied with Islam, like his colleague Salman Rushdi (who praises Nuruddin Farah), let him keep it secretly to himself like he has done for so many years.

Mahmood as-Somaali
San Diego, California (USA)
Mohmoudi@hotmail.com

BAARID | SEARCH