Can We Wish or Post “Happy World Hijab Day” on Social Media on World Hijab Day?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Is it permissible to wish or post about World Hijab Day on social media? World Hijab Day is an annual event founded in 2013 by a Muslim lady named Nazma Khan that takes place on February 1st worldwide.
Its stated goal is to encourage women of all faiths and backgrounds to wear and experience the hijab for a day to educate and raise awareness about why the hijab is worn. I have many Hindu followers on Instagram. My intention in posting “Happy World Hijab Day” was to raise awareness and demonstrate to the Hindu followers that Muslims embrace their religion.
But someone asked if it was halal or not. Please provide me with an answer from the Hanafi school of thought.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health.
World Hijab Day is a culturally marked event; it is not a religious event but celebrates a critical aspect of a symbol of the religion and promotes awareness of it to empower women. It is an excellent way to campaign for our right to wear Hijab and create awareness amongst all the various women.
World Hijab Day
This cultural project is described on their website as follows:
“February 1st, 2013, marked the first annual World Hijab Day (WHD) in recognition of millions of Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab and live a life of modesty.
The brainchild of this movement is a New York native, Nazma Khan, who came up with the idea as a means to foster personal freedom of religious expression and cultural understanding by inviting women from all walks of life to experience the hijab for one day on February 1st annually.
The objective and purpose of the initiative is to show solidarity amongst various religious groups by encouraging all women, Muslims and non-Muslims, to adopt one of the famous symbols of Islam: the hijab. Through this, it is aimed that Muslim women will feel more confident and safer with wearing the hijab in non-Muslim majority countries, like America, and stereotypes amongst non-Muslims of the hijab as symbols of ‘oppression’ and ‘segregation’ will be challenged and overcome.”
Participating on the Day
Muslims who wish to participate during World Hijab Day should only do if the activities and event are within the sharia limits of permissibility and does not include any impermissible activities. This way, the correct message will get across.
Posting Happy Hijab Day
One can post Happy Hijab Day to create and raise awareness of the day and event to promote the hijab and its importance in Islam.
Means are Important as the Ends
When attempting to change any negative aspects of society, the adopted means are just as important as the ends, if not more so. Ali (Allah be pleased with him)reported, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “There is no obedience to anyone if it is disobedience to Allah. Verily, obedience is only in good conduct.” In another narration, the Prophet said, “There is no obedience to a created being if it is disobedience to Allah.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
The ends cannot justify clear sins, like haram activities, music, the open intermingling of sexes, etc. In any event, the objective must always be to please Allah Most High and support His religion. When this becomes the guiding principle, Allah’s help will naturally come.
Related:
World Hijab Day | Better Awareness Greater Understanding Peaceful World
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
