Rethinking hijab from inside religion

Women’s being obliged to cover their bodies results from an overall enquiry into jurisprudential sources. However, a deep thinking over the testimonies for hijab shows there are controversies about the limits and manners of hijab. The two extremes of these controversies are too far away from each other to be considered in a single perspective. On the one hand, some believe all parts of a woman’s body, including hands, face, and even her voice, should be covered; on the other hand, others believe a sincere look at a woman’s face and her saying prayer without a head cover are allowed. The former belief may result in social problems for women and Islamic societies whereas it is necessary for the Muslim women to have an active participation in the social life. Now the question is whether reviewing jurisprudential texts and approaching the issue from inside the religion can solve some of the problems Muslim women are facing or not. The paper tries to answer some of these questions, referring to Quranic verses, traditions, and words from jurisprudents.