Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?

To understand the hijab, one must first understand the historical status of women before Islam. In ancient Babylon, women could be put to death for their husband's crimes. In Greece, women were considered subhuman. In Rome, men had the right to kill their wives. In pre-Islamic Arabia, female infanticide was widespread — newborn girls were buried alive.

Islam transformed the status of women 1,400 years ago by granting them rights to property, inheritance, education, divorce, and consent in marriage — rights that Western women did not gain until centuries later.

Regarding hijab specifically, the Qur'an addresses men first. Surah An-Nur 24:30 commands men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty before verse 24:31 prescribes hijab for women. This order is significant — it places the primary responsibility on men to control themselves, not on women to hide.

The hijab in Islam encompasses six criteria: the extent of covering (entire body except face and hands, according to the majority of scholars), the clothing should be loose and not body-hugging, it should not be transparent, it should not be glamorous or attention-seeking, it should not resemble the clothing of the opposite gender, and it should not resemble distinctive religious garments of other faiths.

But hijab is far more than clothing — it includes conduct, behavior, attitude, and intention. A person of modest character who dresses modestly fulfills the complete hijab.

The Qur'an explains the practical wisdom: the hijab is prescribed so that women may be recognized as dignified individuals and not be troubled. It serves as protection, not restriction.

Islam also prescribes the most severe punishment for those who violate women's dignity. The question is not whether hijab restricts women, but whether a society that values women should take concrete steps to protect them or merely offer words.