To Cover or Not? - That's Messed Up! - Nouman Ali Khan

00:06:37
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AALgGKSnU2g

Summary

TLDRIn a conversation, Ustadh Nouman addresses a common misunderstanding regarding the term 'Khimar' in the Qur'an, which is often thought not to refer to head covering. He explains that 'Khimar' is a specific term for a veil that includes head covering, contrasting it with the term 'Hijab', which means barrier. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the original Arabic language to avoid oversimplifications in translations that lead to confusion. Ustadh Nouman encourages open dialogue about the meanings in the Qur'an and the significance of linguistic roots in understanding Islamic teachings.

Takeaways

  • 🕌 Ustadh Nouman discusses the term 'Khimar' in the Qur'an.
  • 📖 'Khimar' specifically refers to a head covering.
  • ❓ Many misunderstand the meaning due to oversimplified translations.
  • 🔍 'Hijab' means barrier, not specifically a head cover.
  • 🍷 The word 'Khamr' relates to covering and blocking the mind.
  • 👳‍♂️ Men also wore 'Khimar' historically.
  • 💬 Understanding original Arabic is crucial for accurate interpretation.
  • 📚 Ustadh Nouman encourages dialogue on Qur'anic meanings.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:06:37

    In a conversation, Abdullah and Ustadh Nouman discuss a common misconception regarding the Qur'an's mention of head covering. Ustadh Nouman shares an email he received from a woman who claims that the Qur'an does not address head covering, specifically referencing Surah 24, which uses the term 'Khimar'. He notes that this confusion is widespread and aims to clarify the meaning of 'Khimar', which refers to a veil that covers the head. He explains that the Arabic language has multiple terms for head coverings, and 'Hijab' is not the term used in the Qur'an. Instead, 'Khimar' encompasses the concept of head covering. Ustadh Nouman elaborates on the historical context of the term and its usage before Islam, emphasizing the importance of understanding the original Arabic to avoid misinterpretations. He concludes by inviting further discussion on the topic, highlighting the need for clarity in understanding the Qur'an's teachings.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What does 'Khimar' mean in Arabic?

    'Khimar' refers to a veil or covering, specifically including the head.

  • Is 'Hijab' the correct term for head covering in the Qur'an?

    No, 'Hijab' means barrier; the term used in the Qur'an is 'Khimar'.

  • Why is there confusion about head covering in the Qur'an?

    Many people oversimplify translations and do not consider the original Arabic meanings.

  • What is the significance of the word 'Khamr'?

    'Khamr' means to cover and is related to alcohol as it covers the mind.

  • Did men also wear 'Khimar'?

    Yes, men used to wear 'Khimar' as part of their traditional attire.

  • What should people understand about the Qur'an's teachings on covering?

    It's important to understand the original Arabic meanings to avoid misconceptions.

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  • 00:00:09
    -Salam Alikum Ustadh Nouman - Waalikum Assalam, Abdullah, How is it going?
  • 00:00:11
    Good to see you, what you been up to?
  • 00:00:13
    Nothing much
  • 00:00:14
    Man, I'm tired!
  • 00:00:16
    You traveled this week, right?
  • 00:00:18
    No, not this week, trip's coming up, I'm just getting prepped for programs and stuff
  • 00:00:22
    Especially after class this week, a couple of e-mails came through that *groans*
  • 00:00:30
    So there's this one e-mail, right?
  • 00:00:33
    This lady e-mails, it's a really long e-mail about how she's read that the Qur'an never talks about covering the head
  • 00:00:40
    That's not a messed up thing necessarily
  • 00:00:44
    But she says I read the Ayah, and I read what it says in Surah 24, Surah Annour has the Ayah
  • 00:00:51
    And it uses the word 'Khimar' which is for 'veil'
  • 00:00:55
    And I looked up the dictionary, and it says things like a shawl or cover
  • 00:00:59
    So it doesn't say anything ever about covering the head
  • 00:01:03
    And I start thinking: is this like, a common confusion? or is it just this one time e-mail?
  • 00:01:09
    So I do a little digging, and it's actually extremely common,
  • 00:01:12
    Like a lot of people think that the Ayah does not talk about covering the head at all
  • 00:01:16
    This is a really common confusion, I didn't know
  • 00:01:19
    One of the things I really wanna do is adress this in a sane way
  • 00:01:26
    I'm not interested in getting somebody to wear Hijab, that's their decision
  • 00:01:28
    But in the end of the day, if something is being said about the Qu'ran, we have to be honest
  • 00:01:32
    And there are people who would like it to mean something it doesn't mean
  • 00:01:38
    And then there are people who genuinely just don't know any better
  • 00:01:42
    I'd like to assume that anybody who has this confusion, they just don't know any better
  • 00:01:46
    Or whatever they read convinced them of this
  • 00:01:49
    I don't like to think that they mean evil, or have an agenda or like a misguided opinion or whatever
  • 00:01:58
    The cool thing about Arabic, is that for just covering the head, there are nine different words
  • 00:02:08
    And one of them is 'Khimar'
  • 00:02:11
    So you have 'Miknaah' and 'Mighfar' and all these bunch of words
  • 00:02:16
    And it depends on if it covers the head
  • 00:02:18
    and if it's up to here, to here or here, depending on the length, each has its own meaning
  • 00:02:23
    And in old Arabic the word 'Khimar' which is used in the Qur'an
  • 00:02:26
    You and I know we commonly use the word 'Hijab'
  • 00:02:28
    'Hijab' is actually not a word for head cover
  • 00:02:31
    It's actually a word for barrier, like a wall could be a Hijab, a curtain could be a Hijab
  • 00:02:36
    It just got coined as 'Hijab', but that's not the word in the Qur'an, nor the Arabs ever used it like that
  • 00:02:43
    So the word is 'Khimar'
  • 00:02:45
    And the cool thing about is the word itself includes the meaning of covering the head
  • 00:02:49
    Like the head and then some
  • 00:02:52
    And it's used before Islam
  • 00:02:55
    The men used to have Khimar, too
  • 00:02:57
    One of the names for their turban, if it was extra long and went down to almost the middle of the belly
  • 00:03:04
    The men used to call it Khimar, too
  • 00:03:06
    It's so cool, the women had like different fashions, or whatever
  • 00:03:10
    And one of the things women before Islam used to do is to have this bandanna thing
  • 00:03:15
    That they would tie to the back with their ponytails
  • 00:03:17
    And it would go to the middle of their back
  • 00:03:19
    So they wouldn't drape it in front, they drape it behind them
  • 00:03:22
    This also was called Khimar
  • 00:03:24
    And the Qur'an says they should take their Khimar and throw it in front of them
  • 00:03:30
    In other words, the only difference is, keep the Khimar, the head cover is already included in the meaning
  • 00:03:35
    Just used it to cover the front also
  • 00:03:38
    And it should be a certain length, that's the meaning
  • 00:03:41
    And somebody argues: No, no, the word Khimar just means shawl, it doesn't mean head cover
  • 00:03:49
    Are you familiar with the word 'Khamr'?
  • 00:03:52
    Is that Alcohol?
  • 00:03:53
    Alcohol, right
  • 00:03:54
    Do you know why it's called 'Khamr'?
  • 00:03:56
    Cause it messes with your head
  • 00:03:58
    Blocks your judgment
  • 00:03:59
    'Khamar' literally means to cover
  • 00:04:02
    And it's called Khamr because it messes with your mind and creates a block in your mind
  • 00:04:05
    It's almost as though your head is covered in something
  • 00:04:11
    It's part of the meaning of the word, we're not even talking about the Islamic meaning
  • 00:04:17
    We're talking about Arabic itself
  • 00:04:19
    Back in the day, they'd see, some horses have funny, like from the neck onwards is white and the rest is brown
  • 00:04:27
    They would say this horse is 'Mutakhammer'
  • 00:04:29
    It's like it has a Khimar on
  • 00:04:32
    So how are you gonna explain that?
  • 00:04:35
    Horses don't have shawls on
  • 00:04:38
    It's just the length and it's covering its head up to its neck and all the way down, so that's why they call it a Khimar
  • 00:04:46
    It's already in the language
  • 00:04:49
    But it's so unfortunate when they say they should draw their veils on their chests, that's what some translations say
  • 00:04:55
    Well, a veil could be a shawl, could be any other kind of cloth
  • 00:04:58
    And it doesn't really include head covering
  • 00:05:01
    But the Arabic word does
  • 00:05:03
    So, I feel a lot of this confusion comes because people don't pay attention enough to the original language
  • 00:05:09
    And how a lot of translations oversimplify the issue
  • 00:05:13
    And we start coming to drastic conclusions
  • 00:05:15
    But I think that even if you talk about all of this
  • 00:05:18
    Somebody gets upset and says: Who are you to tell me I have to wear this or that?
  • 00:05:22
    I'm not anybody to tell you anything
  • 00:05:24
    But what I'd like for people to know is, here is the word in the Qur'an, and here is what it means in Arabic
  • 00:05:31
    And if you think there's better evidence, if you think there's another meaning in Arabic, then maybe you should tell me
  • 00:05:38
    I don't know, maybe I should do a talk about that someday
  • 00:05:43
    Barak Allahu feek, I'll see you next time, In Shaa Allah, take care
Tags
  • Khimar
  • Hijab
  • Qur'an
  • Arabic language
  • head covering
  • Islamic teachings
  • misunderstanding
  • linguistic roots
  • translations
  • cultural context