Peace
I agree with Neptin. Think about how hot the Arabian Peninsula and those neighboring regions are. The reason why desert dwellers wear head covers (irrespective of gender both men and women) is to shield themselves against the sun. That is the primary use for clothes in these hot regions. It's better to cover up and let garments shield against intense heat than let your exposed scalp and skin pay the price. In fact the Quran shows us this is true.
1681
WaAllahu jaAAala lakum mimma khalaqa thilalan wajaAAala lakum mina aljibali aknanan wajaAAala lakum sarabeela taqeekumu alharra wasarabeela taqeekum ba/sakum kathalika yutimmu niAAmatahu AAalaykum laAAallakum tuslimoona
And Allah (has) made for you from what He created, shades and (has) made for you from the mountains, shelters and (has) made for you garments to protect you (from) the heat and garments to protect you from your (mutual) violence. Thus He completes His Favor upon you so that you may submit.
Siin-Ra-Ba-Lam = to clothe, put on the garment, be confused. sirbil - shirt, clothing/garment, breast plate, coat of mail.
Here are some articles highlighting why loose clothing that covers entire body is much more advantageous in desert climate.
http//www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question101794.html
http//www.nature.com/nature/journal/v283/n5745/abs/283373a0.html
Allah also explains why He has made clothing for us. I think the foremost requirement for both men and women is to cover our privates.
726
Ya banee adama qad anzalna AAalaykum libasan yuwaree saw-atikum wareeshan walibasu alttaqwa thalika khayrun thalika min ayati Allahi laAAallahum yaththakkaroona
O Children (of) Adam! Verily We have sent down to you clothing, it covers your shame and (as) an adornment. But the clothing (of) righteousness - that (is) best. That (is) from (the) Signs of Allah so that they may remember.
= Lam-Ba-Siin
To wear/cover, put on a garment, be clothed in, envelop, conceal, conformed, cloak/disguise, that which is worn. Obscure/confuse/confound, mystify, render a thing obscure and confused to another.
Employed/busied/occupied himself with/within a thing, become involved/entangled/complicated, to mix/mingle/accompany a thing.
Clothes are also for adornment, so wear your nice things, but I believe modesty is the best policy.
Having seen the above Ayaat we can understand that clothes are granted to us for covering our shame, protection against environment and also as adornment.
The next three ayaats are where many differ in
2431
And say to the believing women (that) they should lower their gaze and they should guard their chastity, and not (to) display their adornment except what is apparent of it. And let them draw their head covers over their bosoms, and not (to) display their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers or fathers (of) their husbands or their sons or sons (of) their husbands or their brothers or sons (of) their brothers or sons (of) their sisters, or their women or what possess their right hands or the attendants having no physical desire among men or children who (are) not aware of private aspects (of) the women. And not let them strike their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah altogether O believers! So that you may succeed.
In my understanding this ayaat is simply conveying modesty and covering of the cleavage by using any form of garment, whether it is a head cover or shawl.
What this ayaat is not conveying however, is for the women to remove their head covers and use them instead to cover their cleavage. Can you imagine women in the hot deserts having to take off their protective head covers which shields them from the sun, as we have seen in the ayaat above and the articles about extreme heat?! It would be a punishment to force women to remove their head covers. Hence, if khimar is referring to head cover, then one can still wrap the ends over and around the chest. It can however in my understanding refer to any form of "clothing".
The women are asked to cover their bosom and to not strike their feet a.k.a switch or walk in a seducing manner that would expose shape and features. So when the women are asked to not display their adornment we can deduce that it is not necessarily referring to hair but the body.
3353
O you who believe! (Do) not enter (the) houses (of) the Prophet except when permission is given to you for a meal, without awaiting its preparation. But when you are invited, then enter; and when you have eaten, then disperse and not seeking to remain for a conversation. Indeed, that was troubling the Prophet, and he is shy of (dismissing) you. But Allah is not shy of the truth. And when you ask them (for) anything then ask them from behind a screen. That (is) purer for your hearts and their hearts. And not is for you that you trouble (the) Messenger (of) Allah and not that you should marry his wives after him, ever. Indeed, that is near Allah an enormity.
Some claim this is the evidence for why women should wear the hijab but there are few things that those who make this clam are missing
This is referring specifically to the wives of the prophet; they are unlike any of the women. Therefore, what applies to them does not necessarily apply to all women
The command is given to whoever enters the house of the prophet to ask from behind a screen, not to the wives!
So what is it referring to you might then ask?
Well we have to truly envision who the people the Quran was delivered to were and how they lived. They were mostly nomadic. They were tent dwellers. Envisioning this might help further understand the command. My family originates from Africa and our culture has very close similarity with Arab culture. In our homes, all the accesses to rooms/chambers are covered by a partition/curtain for privacy. Especially our parents room is screened. I should never walk to my parents room, remove the screen/partition and enter even if just to speak to them, that is improper etiquette. I should always ask permission to enter first. They may be lying in their privacy and we know Quran 2458 speaks of privacy.
Basically tent dwelling culture is most likely the same. Chambers within the tents were probably sectioned off by partitions.
The believers entering the homes of the prophet are encouraged to treat the wives of the prophets as their mothers 336 and respect their privacy and not to barge in their private chambers even if to ask for something but to keep proper etiquette and ask from behind the private chambers.
3359
O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and (the) women (of) the believers to draw over themselves their outer garments. That (is) more suitable that they should be known and not harmed. And is Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
I believe this ayaat was especially particular to the women of that time because they were being harassed by the neighboring peoples. So to distinguish them so that there would be no excuse about their identity for the ill intentioned harassers, they were made to cover themselves with their outer garments to be readily recognized. I believe this command reinforced modesty to protect the women.
The same applies for women today if they want to avoid being harassed they might want to follow these instructions as well.
I still however do not see this as necessarily covering your hair, although when I envision a woman back at the time of the prophet drawing a garment over herself, I do envision her drawing a shawl/ or cloak like garment over her head and around her body, because that is how those particular peoples dwelling in the desert dressed they did not take chances exposing their skin to the sun and neither do their descendants today as we have seen in above articles.
That being said the hijab is more of a regional item which has had a functional purpose but has turned into a cultural item.
If you are living in regions where its functionality has benefit, by all means wear a loose fitting head cover and shield yourself from the sun's heat. However, if you live in regions where its functional purpose is obsolete then it is up to you to decide whether your sense of fashion and sense of modesty equate to wearing a head cover.
The commands for modesty are in 2431 and 3359. I think it is important if one wants to fulfill these command to understand that outer garments entail loose fitting clothing, not tight fitting.
Tight fitting clothing would defeat the purpose of not displaying adornments and defeat the purpose of protecting women from harassment. I think the emphasis for modesty is in relation to the body of the woman and not her hair.
For example this below defeats all purpose of modesty
http//feedmelols.com/uploads/V1yHH.jpg
Dear Tuva82 I hope you have understood that nowhere in the Quran does God give an explicit command for women to cover their hair.
May Allah guide us closer to His Straight Path
