Om_Mohammed
19-08-2008, 05:22
Assalaamu alaikum ya muslimeen.
Greetings and good day to all.
Seems to be that Netcurtains still has a hard time coping with our (Islamic) practice of the face covering. And with his inability to cope with it, he is still using the derrogatory connotation of the word 'mask' instead of 'veil', even though we have time after time through the years tried to reason with him the better usage of the term 'veil' rather than 'mask' for the reference to the woman's face covering.
Well, John...trying to reason with you hear in the best manner. Will begin with the clear and easy definitions from the online dictionary, since you like using the online references so much.
mask: Main Entry: 1mask
Pronunciation: \ˈmask\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French masque, from Old Italian maschera
Date: 1534
1 a (1): a cover or partial cover for the face used for disguise
*Have used here only this portion of the definition...there is more.
veil: a: a length of cloth worn by women as a covering for the head and shoulders and often especially in Eastern countries for the face
*Same as above...have used only this portion of the definition...there is more.
--------------
Now, definitions clear and present, let me go on to explain. They both are quite similar, but it is the sound of intonation inflicted when each is used that results in the preference of this one over the other. And also the reason by which we muslim women even use the face covering.
We do not cover any portion of our bodies...the whole body, our heads & hair, or our faces, to disguise ourselves. In fact, it is made clear in the Quran...in the verse which dictates the 'hijab' (i.e. covering), that the muslim woman wear or don this covering to be known as a believing woman. There is no mention of disguise.
It is legal, or permissable, for her to be seen by men who are of a certain relationship to her (in arabic this term is 'mahram'-which indicates those relations which it is illegal for her to marry, which include also the man who is already her husband. they are mentioned by name of family position in name in the Quran). Other than those relations, she is to cover herself whenever she runs the course of perhaps being seen by other men (other than those relations).
So, you can see, our reason for covering is not to disguise ourselves, but to cover ourselves in modesty from those who are not priveleged or deserving to see us. It is a cover of modesty, and a cover of respect, and a cover of duty that we are paying to our Creator.
Another point: the veil is a religious covering of the face, whereas the mask is a non-religious entity.
It is a VEIL that we use, not a MASK.
I hope now, John, that you will understand the fine difference between the two terms, and that you will learn to train yourself to refer to this small but important peice of cloth as the veil, rather than the mask. At the very least, in these forums, respect us enough to do so here.
Thankyou.
Om Mohammed.
Greetings and good day to all.
Seems to be that Netcurtains still has a hard time coping with our (Islamic) practice of the face covering. And with his inability to cope with it, he is still using the derrogatory connotation of the word 'mask' instead of 'veil', even though we have time after time through the years tried to reason with him the better usage of the term 'veil' rather than 'mask' for the reference to the woman's face covering.
Well, John...trying to reason with you hear in the best manner. Will begin with the clear and easy definitions from the online dictionary, since you like using the online references so much.
mask: Main Entry: 1mask
Pronunciation: \ˈmask\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French masque, from Old Italian maschera
Date: 1534
1 a (1): a cover or partial cover for the face used for disguise
*Have used here only this portion of the definition...there is more.
veil: a: a length of cloth worn by women as a covering for the head and shoulders and often especially in Eastern countries for the face
*Same as above...have used only this portion of the definition...there is more.
--------------
Now, definitions clear and present, let me go on to explain. They both are quite similar, but it is the sound of intonation inflicted when each is used that results in the preference of this one over the other. And also the reason by which we muslim women even use the face covering.
We do not cover any portion of our bodies...the whole body, our heads & hair, or our faces, to disguise ourselves. In fact, it is made clear in the Quran...in the verse which dictates the 'hijab' (i.e. covering), that the muslim woman wear or don this covering to be known as a believing woman. There is no mention of disguise.
It is legal, or permissable, for her to be seen by men who are of a certain relationship to her (in arabic this term is 'mahram'-which indicates those relations which it is illegal for her to marry, which include also the man who is already her husband. they are mentioned by name of family position in name in the Quran). Other than those relations, she is to cover herself whenever she runs the course of perhaps being seen by other men (other than those relations).
So, you can see, our reason for covering is not to disguise ourselves, but to cover ourselves in modesty from those who are not priveleged or deserving to see us. It is a cover of modesty, and a cover of respect, and a cover of duty that we are paying to our Creator.
Another point: the veil is a religious covering of the face, whereas the mask is a non-religious entity.
It is a VEIL that we use, not a MASK.
I hope now, John, that you will understand the fine difference between the two terms, and that you will learn to train yourself to refer to this small but important peice of cloth as the veil, rather than the mask. At the very least, in these forums, respect us enough to do so here.
Thankyou.
Om Mohammed.