The word "Hijab" comes from the Arabic word "hajaba" meaning, to hide from view, or conceal, refers to the covering of a woman's body and hair, and is an order from Allah the almighty,

A common misconception about Islam, is the dress of a Muslim. The dress code is not optional, it is an obligation, an order from Allah the almighty, and it applies both to men and women equally. Men and women are commanded to cover their "awra" for a man this is from the navel to the knee, and for a woman everything including the feet, except for the hands and face must be covered.

Allah says "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women, to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not be annoyed"

In regards to modest behaviour, It applies equally to men Allah the almighty says "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty, that will make for greater purity for them, and Allah is well aware of what they do"

And regarding women Allah says "And say to believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except that which is apparent. That they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands or their fathers, or their sons or their husbands sons, or their brothers or their brothers sons, or their sisters or their sisters sons, or their women, or male servants free of physical desire, or small children (who don't know what the awra of women is) and they should not stamp their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments, O Believers turn together towards Allah, that you may attain bliss"

Hijab is a blessing from Allah, Muslim women are valued for their personalities not for the way they look.

A woman is not an object to ogled by men. If we look today even to a simple television advert, women are considered so worthless that they are used to advertise anything from cars, to shower gel. They decorate the front of newspapers, and so many women live in misery subjugated into trying to keep up with the latest fashion to try and keep their husbands attention. Worrying whether they are too fat too thin or if they need silicone implants.

How degraded woman have become, magazines are adorned with those upon whom a cruel trick has been played. Women have even been led to believe that they should enjoy looking at such images, or that it's something to be expected and accepted that men will look at such things. This leads to men being dissatisfied with their wives and comparing them to unrealistic images, most of the women do not look that way in reality, airbrushing heavy make up and plastic surgery give a false impression.

The women adorning these covers think they have been given some kind of freedom of expression. The fact of the matter is that once they pass a certain age, they will be discarded and another woman brought to take her place. The women involved want their youth preserved in images, and images are certainly all they will have left to hold onto. We see that once a woman passes her so called "prime" she is considered no longer attractive this shallow attitude is unacceptable in Islam.

The prophet Muhammad was 25 when he married Khadija who was 40 years old, they had six children together and he loved her just as much 25 years later when she died at age 65 regardless of the fact that she had lost most of her teeth due to old age. When his later wife, A`isha pointed this fact out, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was upset with her for saying such a thing, for he loved Khadija more than any of his wives and didn't mind in the least how his wife looked. He loved her for who she was.

The problems arising from abuse and devaluing of women are immense in today's society. Women are so subjugated in some societies that they dance on tabletops or around poles for the benefit of lecherous men. Rape, violence and prostitution is common place. In a study carried out last year in America, the biggest cause of death to American women, were their husbands, and partners. 40% of those murders were carried out whilst the women were pregnant. These kinds of statistics are absolutely shocking. The abuse of women has brought about widespread diseases, such as AIDS, clamidiya, herpes, syphilis, and numerous other diseases these are the result of sexual activity outside of marriage, promiscuity and adultery. The penalty for proven adultery in Islam is death. How many marriages would still be in tact if it weren't for such evils as prostitutes and adultery. If this penalty was imposed, it would certainly make people think more than twice about being so flippant, and risking the lives of their wives or husbands through bringing deadly diseases to their spouses. How many men, women and children would have been saved such terrible pains, had people adhered to the commandments of Almighty Allah…

People today use the argument that anything between two consenting adults is acceptable, however the damage that arises from this attitude is clear and apparent all around us. The financial cost to the state of raising illegitimate children, the emotional damage to the child who has no father, and to the mother who has no support throughout her pregnancy childbirth and caring for the child afterwards. This throwaway attitude to human relationships has led to 48% of children in the U.K. in the last five years being born illegitimate. Sadly many of these children will never know who their father was.

The position of Islam is that a woman is precious, to be protected, respected, her beauty shown only to those family members whom she cannot marry, Once a man has married a woman and is fulfilling his rights and obligations, only then can he cast his eyes upon her body, and she upon his. A woman is entitled to the rights and respect given to her by Allah the almighty , which she fully deserves.

A Muslim man will be fully committed to a woman from day one, through marriage. When a Muslim man marries a woman he has seen nothing more than her hands and face. He also has not spent time alone with her, as he does not have the right play with her emotions, then discard her.

Hijab is first and foremost an order from almighty Allah the creator of all that exists,and clearly the benefits of Hijab as we have seen, are so numerous, valuing a woman for who she is, and not how she looks , is something women have been fighting for in many societies, for centuries. But women's lib" is nothing new. Muslim women have been liberated, valued for their minds and personalities for 1400 years. Now were just waiting for the rest of the world to catch up with us.

Maysaa bint Mikail