WOMEN IN ISLAM

that there is a difference between Islam and Muslims. Islam is the name of an ideology, while Muslims are a community that has its own culture, which keeps changing owing to various circumstances. In such a situation, Muslim tradition will be judged in the light of the original teachings of Islam instead of regarding this culture as Islam itself. HIJAB IN THE LIGHT OF THE QURAN AND HADITH The present article 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. This writer translated it and initially published it in condensed form in the quarterly Islam and the Modern Age. (Islam aur Asr e Hazir, Urdu Edition, New Delhi, January 1973) 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 the light of the Quran 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, despite 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