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11. Ibid., 4/107. 12. Al-Haythami, Majma‘ az-Zawa’id wa Manba‘ al-Fawa’id, Kitab an-Nikah, 4/281. 13. Al-Baihaqi, Sunan al-Kubra, Katib as-Sudaq, 7/235. 14. Kanz al-‘Ummal, Kitab an-Nikah, 16/322. 15. Ad-Darimi, Sunan, Kitab an-Nikah, 2/141. 16. Abu Dawud, Sunan, Kitab an-Nikah, 2/235. 17. Ibn Hajar al-‘Athqalani, Fath al-Bari, 9/167. 18. Al-Haythami, Majma‘ az-Zawa’id wa Manba‘ al-Fawa’id, Kitab an-Nikah, 4/255. 19. Abu Dawud, Sunan, Kitab an-Nikah, 2/336. 20. Ibid, 2/336. 21. Thomas Patric Hughes, Dictionary of Islam, p. 91. 225-233 Woman Between Islam And Western Society CHAPTER 10 Hijab in Islam HIJAB IN THE LIGHT OF THE QUR’AN AND HADITH This chapter is based on an authoritative Arabic book titled Hijab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah fil Kitab was-Sunnah, by Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, a famous scholar and traditionist. It was translated by this writer and initially published in condensed form in the quarterly, Islam and the Modern Age.1 The third edition of the original work with some additions is before me. The question of hijab (veil), or purdah in Urdu, the author tells us, has been discussed in light of the Qur’an and Hadith. From the author’s point of view, a woman’s face is not included in the parts of the body that need to be compulsorily covered. He suggests, however, that it is better to cover it. He agrees with those who, in spite of holding the view that the face is not to be covered as a rule, nevertheless advocate the covering of the face in order to discourage mischief, in view of the general moral degradation in present-day society. Here is one of the traditions referred to by him to support his argument. ‘Aishah says that Muslim women used to attend the morning prayer led by the Prophet wrapped in a sheet of cloth. Afterwards, when they returned home, it was so dark that they could not be recognized. This narrative makes it clear that their faces were not covered. Had their faces been