Everything in the Universe tends to be Covered

Allaah The Almighty safeguarded the Earth with the atmosphere before women lived on it wearing Hijaab (Islamic covering). The Earth with its atmosphere; all types of living cells; and all parts of the plants ranging from seeds to fruits – are all covered.

A caterpillar starts its life in a cocoon; the skin covers the organs; a corpse is shrouded in white pieces of cloth; and then buried under the earth, men and women alike.

Inanimate objects are veiled:

A sword is kept in its sheath. When a pen loses its cap; its ink dries up; it becomes useless and is thrown away to be trodden on, because it lost its cap, which is the source of its protection. Why do our children bind their books and notebooks? Is it to waste time or to protect them? You put your head on a pillow which is kept clean because of its case that protects it from dirt.

Living beings are veiled:

The cell is surrounded with double membranes, inside and outside, to protect it and regulate the activity of its components.

• The plant cell

It is surrounded by a thick wall which supports it even after death.

• The animal cell

Vertebral cells exist in holes; bone cells are located in tubes; the female ova is kept in the ovaries; the neurons (nerve cells) are long and sheathed, so that they are protected from damage and being cut. Every cell has its own cover; similarly, a woman has to have her distinctive cover (Hijaab).

Plants are veiled:

• The seed

Soil is the veil of the seed; it shelters the seed from the sunshine. The seed lives in darkness in order to grow. The shell is a second cover followed by a third one. The root has a growing top covered by a cap whereby the root penetrates the soil.

Deep soil is better for the seed than the surface. Similarly, when a woman covers herself, she rejects superficiality and thrives spiritually; when she discards her Hijaab, she brings evil upon herself and spreads corruption among the Ummah (Muslim nation).

• The flower

The pistil is in the center of the blossom and is surrounded by petals that protect it. Allaah The Almighty protects the pistil in this way. Is the woman not entitled to such protection? What are the means of this protection? Is not a woman who discards the Hijaab like a beautiful flower, looking dazzling in her adornment, spreading her fragrance, and attracting all kinds of creatures towards it? But all flowers wither and mix with the dust – the difference is that the flower has no reckoning, but human beings do. Would you like this end?

• The fruit

Consider: What happens to an apple when you cut part of it and leave it? Why does a banana turn black after peeling it?

Animals are veiled:

• Sea animals

In the sea, we find various types of corals, shells and snails – all of them form covers to guard mollusks. Surely, blessed Is Allaah, The Creator, The Originator and The Fashioner!

• Land animals

The butterfly passes through different stages of development. It receives a great command from the Allaah The Almighty, that it carries it out. It secretes sticky threads, spins them, and weaves them to produce a veil for the developing pupae inside a cocoon.

If an unthinking creature obeys the orders of Allaah the Almighty, then how can a woman who is favored with reason and logic disobey Allaah The Almighty?

Reptiles have scales; a hedgehog has sharp spines; a turtle carries a big, heavy shell on its back throughout its life. A turtle has the heaviest veil that bears witness to its patience. Which woman has the most precious Hijaab? A woman who spends a fortune on a showy, costly Hijaab which itself needs to be covered with another Hijaab in order to be Islamically acceptable; or the modest garb of a woman who desires the dress of Paradise?

Covers vary from one animal to another, and they may vary among the same species according to the needs of the animal.

Young birds are protected by the fragile shell of the egg that can easily break. So, women should not claim that Hijaab is merely a piece of cloth, for this piece of cloth is sufficient to protect you – Allaah willing. Eggs hatch, letting chicks come out with light fluffy hair which later develop into long feathers that protect the bird.

Humans are veiled:

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, within three darknesses.} [Quran 39]

• The fetus in its mother's womb

The fetus remains safe in its mother's womb for nine months, and the womb is surrounded by membranes and layers. The three types of darkness are: darkness of the placenta, darkness of the womb's wall, and darkness of the walls of the belly.

These membranes provide the fetus with comfort, security, food and oxygen.

• Veils in the man's body

The diaphragm exists in the body and separates the heart and the lungs from the rest of the organs. It perfectly performs its function because it is thick, and neither light nor transparent.

On the contrary a woman’s Hijaab nowadays is light and revealing the details of the body. Not only is the woman's Hijaab transparent, but it is also revealing – as if it were designed to allure, not to conceal – thus, belying its very purpose.

• The skeleton

It consists of a hard, protective skull where the brain is located. The brain is the man's treasure, because it is the site of the mental faculties which distinguish him from animals, and it is located securely inside a bony container. A skillful doctor's lancet cannot reach it except after sawing the skull. It is a mighty safe given to the rich and the poor, and is similar to an iron safe where precious jewels are kept. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {…And in yourselves. Then will you not see?} [Quran 51]

• The heart

The heart is like a gift wrapped in multiple layers. There are five soldiers guarding it: the pericardium, which is light; two soft lungs surrounding it; a breastbone securely containing them; muscles and tissues garmenting the breastbone; all of which is covered with protective skin. Likewise, the mercy, love and wisdom of our Lord encircles us, so He legislated Hijaab for us.

• The eye

The eye is the most valuable item man possesses. It is like a ball that fits in the eye sockets to protect it from injury. A woman, like the eye, puts on Hijaab to guard herself from being exploited as a sex object. People who misuse the faculties granted by Allaah The Almighty start with an unlawful look at a non-Mahram (marriageable) woman, followed by a smile, then a greeting, then a conversation, then a date, then a meeting, then impermissible exposure of adornments and free intermixing. The result usually is committing unlawful sex, diseases, shame, destruction, and finally torment in Hell. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them.} [Quran 24]

• The skin

The skin is a thick tissue which covers the body entirely and hides the bones, muscles, blood vessels, and so on. Let the woman imagine: If the skin had been transparent and showing what is under it, what would people have looked like? Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {We have certainly created man in the best of stature.} [Quran 95]

You sterilize the wounds on your skin in order to protect your body; however, Hijaab protects both your body and soul. How could you carelessly and indifferently discard it? With your Hijaab, you are a representative of Islam, a role model for others, and a guide for the whole world to the existence of a great religion.

With Hijaab, you are a protected jewel, and without it, you are like a sweet left uncovered for flies to land on. Are you a commodity for sale, or a corpse on which bacteria and worms gather? No. By Allaah, you are a well-protected pearl.

So, put on your Hijaab, because everything in the Universe is covered. Do not behave at odds with laws of the Universe, for deviation leads to The Fire.]