Page 40 - The Evil Called Mockery

38 THE EVIL CALLED MOCKERY

themselves. This makes it more likely that they will be rec-
ognized and not be harmed. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most
Merciful. (Surat al-Ahzab, 59)
The verses concerning covering the head in Surat an-Nur were
revealed in the period following the hegira:
Safiyyah bint Shaybah said: "When we were with A'isha (may Allah

be pleased with her), we mentioned the women of Quraysh and their
virtues. A'isha said, 'The women of Quraysh are good, but by Allah
(swt) I have never seen any better or more strict in their adherence to
the Book of Allah (swt) than the women of the Ansar. When Surat al-
Nur was revealed (...that they should draw their veils over their bos-
oms...) their menfolk went to them and recited to them the words that
Allah (swt) had revealed. Each man recited it to his wife, his daughter,
his sister and other family relatives. Every woman among them got
up, took her decorated wrapper, and wrapped herself up in it out of
faith and belief in what Allah (swt) had revealed. …" (Tafsir Ibn
Kathir, Surat an-Nur, "The Rulings of Hijab")
The women of faith in the time of our Prophet (saas) greeted

Allah's commandment on the subject of the headscarf with great
willingness and enthusiasm, obeying it at once.
The believers' unshakable obedience has caused great discom-
fort among the unbelievers in every period of history because they
want to be the most respectable and important people. As a result,
this is one of the reasons why they oppose the believers, for the lat-
ter obey the person Allah has chosen and sent to them. And so they
verbally attack the believers and the prophets:
[T]hey ask: "Why should we believe you, when the vilest
people follow you?" (Surat ash-Shu‘ara', 111)