All praise is due to Allah (SWT) who sent guides who are willing to give their lives for the guidance of the ungrateful people. One of the most important lessons we can learn from the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (as), the grandson of the Prophet (SAW), is the importance of hijab. If we look at the current times we can see that both men and women are openly ignoring the laws of hijab. We see some of our Muslim brothers who claim they are Shia and are lovers of Imam Hussein (as) openly socializing with women who are Na-Mahram to them. How can we claim to love the Imam (as) and yet we do not consider the reason he gave his life as important? We then can consider such people like the hypocrites of Kufa.

Some of our Muslim sisters don't even wear the head coverings when going out. Some wear the head covering but wear clothes that are tight fitting and they don't consider the laws set forth by Islam. Is this how we thank Imam (as) for giving his life? Do we even realize the emphasis that is given to hijab? When Bibi Zainub (as) gave her speech to the people of Kufa she made the importance of hijab clear.

She said “ Woe unto you Kufians! Do you know that you have injured the heart of the Prophet of Allah? What kind of pious ladies of the Messenger's household have you unveiled? What blood of the holy Prophet have you shed? How did you violate his honor and respect? Verily, how much fuel have you added to the fire of dark calamities and troubles?” ( Lohoof by Seyed Ibn Tawus)

As can be seen in the quotation above, Bibi Zainub (as) talks about the unveiling and the death of Imam (as) with the same gravity and seriousness. This shows that the loss of the hijab of the women was a great crime that can be related and compared to the death of the holy Prophet's (SAW) family. So now we can ask ourselves, are we really the mourners of the Imam (as) when we openly ignore the rules of hijab? Are we the followers of Bibi Fatima (as) when we walk around in public without a head covering even if there is no one like Shimr there to threaten us as he did to Bibi Zainub (as)? If we were on the plains of Kerbala would we be among the camp of Imam (as) that followed the rules of hijab or would we be in the camp of Yazid that ignored such rules?

I hope that through this article we have been able to realize the importance of hijab to the lovers of Ahlul bayt (as). Now that our hearts are open to the message of Imam Hussein (as) we should make efforts to learn what our learned scholars and Marja (ra) have to say about hijab. We should learn the rules in Islamic laws. I will quote one of the rules that people seem to not know about:

“2442. It is haraam for a man to look at the body or hair of the Non-mahram women, regardless of whether it is with the intention of pleasure or not, and whether there is a fear of falling into sinful act or not. It is also haraam to look at the faces and the arms, upto the wrists, of such women with the intention of pleasure, or if there is fear of falling into a sinful act, and the recommended precaution is that one should not look at their faces or arms even without such intention. Similarly, it is haraam for a woman to look at the body of a Non-Mahram man, except places which are customarily not covered, like, his face, head, neck and feet. She can look at these parts of a man without the intention of deriving any pleasure, or if there is no fear of being entrapped in any sinful act.”

Refer to other rules for further clarification. Let me end by praying for the end of the suffering of our brothers and sisters around the world and a quick reappearance of our 12th Imam (as).