Awdat al-Hijab

Awdat al-Hijab (The Return of the Hijab) is an extensive multi-volume work by the contemporary Egyptian scholar Muhammad Ismail al-Muqaddim, dedicated to the history, ideological controversies, and legal proofs surrounding the Islamic veil (hijab and niqab) Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a…+1. Published across three distinct parts, it examines the modern phenomenon of Muslim women returning to religious dress against the background of Westernization campaigns and Islamic jurisprudence Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a…+1.

Structure and Contents

The work was published by Dar Taybah in Riyadh in three main volumes, each addressing a distinct aspect of the topic:

Part One: The Battle of Hijab and Unveiling

Titled Ma'rakat al-Hijab wal-Sufur (144 pages; 1st ed. 1404 AH / 1984 CE), this part focuses on the historical trajectory of the unveiling (sufur) movement in modern Egypt Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a…. The author traces its origins through early intellectual figures such as Rifa'a al-Tahtawi and Murqus Fahmi, up to the influential writings of Qasim Amin and the controversies they ignited among supporters and detractors Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a…. It documents the subsequent continuation of the movement by Ahmad Lutfi al-Sayyid and political figures such as Saad Zaghloul, along with activists like Huda Sha'rawi, Safiyya Zaghloul, Ceza Nabarawi, and Durriyya Shafiq Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a…. The volume also analyzes colonial policies surrounding social reform and the Islamic stance toward calls for unveiling Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a….

Part Two: Woman Between Islamic Honor and Pre-Islamic Degradation

Titled Al-Mar'ah bayna Takrim al-Islam wa-Ihanat al-Jahiliyyah (326 pages; 1st ed. 1406 AH / 1986 CE), this volume discusses the status and dignity of women in Islamic thought Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a…. It was completed in Alexandria in Rabi al-Thani 1404 AH (December 1983 CE) and arranged into three chapters Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a…+1:

• Chapter One: Discusses the societal role of women as a source of strength or decline, the social consequences of moral corruption, European influences, and the responsibility of authorities and Muslim scholars Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a….
• Chapter Two: Examines the condition of women in non-Muslim civilizations and in pre-Islamic Arabia (Jahiliyyah) Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a….
• Chapter Three: Divided into seven sections detailing the ways Islam honored women, distinguishing true honoring from Western notions of absolute equality with men Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a….

Part Three: Evidences for the Hijab

Titled Adillat al-Hijab (486 pages; 1st ed. 1410 AH / 1990 CE), this part presents the jurisprudential and textual arguments for the legal obligation of covering the face and hands, refuting counterarguments permitting unveiling Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a…+1. The author completed its compilation in Alexandria on 15 Jumada al-Akhirah 1409 AH (22 January 1989 CE) Awdat al-Hijab. It is structured into an introduction, six chapters, and an epilogue Awdat al-Hijab:

• Chapter One: Discusses the trial (fitnah) of women and Islamic legal measures designed to prevent moral corruption, such as the prohibition of fornication, modesty, and the encouragement of marriage Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a…+1.
• Chapter Two: Examines the linguistic and legal definitions of hijab and unveiling, stages of hijab, and its history Dalil Maktabat al-Mar'a a…+1.
• Chapter Three: Details the virtues of the hijab and the evils of improper display (tabarruj) Awdat al-Hijab.
• Chapter Four: Sets out the legal conditions for valid Islamic dress and critiques contemporary deficiencies Awdat al-Hijab.
• Chapter Five: Compiles proofs for the obligation of covering the face and hands from verses of the Quran and prophetic hadiths Awdat al-Hijab.
• Chapter Six: Responds to common objections and adduces statements from classical authorities across the four Sunni legal schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali) Awdat al-Hijab.

Reception

Awdat al-Hijab is widely referenced in contemporary Islamic legal and fatwa literature as an extensive and detailed defense of the full veil and a key modern reference documenting the ideological history of the hijab debate Majallat al-Bayan+1. It went through multiple editions, including a fifth edition revised in 1411 AH (1990 CE) and a tenth edition in 1428 AH (2007 CE) Awdat al-Hijab+1.