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Hijab and the Elders of Deoband
Hadhrat Moulana Husain Ahmad Madani (RA) lived in the house of his ustaadh, Sheikhul Hind (RA), when he was a young boy.
Being a minor, purdah [hijab] was not observed between him and the wife of his ustaadh.
When Hadhrat Sheikhul Hind (RA) returned from Maalta, his wife was overjoyed to hear that Hadhrat Moulana Madani (RA) had taken care of and served her husband in prison.
She requested to meet him so that she could pass her hand over his head in appreciation for what he had done.
When she put forward this request to Hadhrat Sheikhul Hind (RA), he broke down in tears and said, “I also wish that you could express your feelings to him in this way. I guarantee you that if we had our own son he would not have served me as Moulana Husain Ahmad has done. But the Shari’ah has not permitted him to come in front of you.”
Source: Hadhrat Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi (Rahmatullahi Alayh) – His life and works, pp. 11 – 12
Due to the rulings of Hijab, Shaykh al-Hind (RA) didn’t even allow his wife to see Shaykh al-Islam (RA) – who was a person beyond reproach.
- Those who cherish the Akabireen of Deoband should reflect on this. Even if we cannot control our womenfolk, we ourselves do not have to post pictures and videos of them on social media for the whole world to see.
- There are learned sisters on social media sporting themselves wearing various niqab, headscarf, and abaya fashions – with their husbands explicit approval of this advertisement. Logic: If you’re attracted to your wife, I guarantee you that other men are too.
- There are plenty of people with foot, eye, and hand fetishes as well. Shaykh Google can show you. Do not grant open access for someone to have illicit fantasies about your womenfolk. The bottom line here is: What are you doing? Are you being responsible according to those you claim to follow?
- It is extremely demoralizing to see that many of the learned – who claim to be inheritors of Shaykh al-Hind (RA) – are now using women for marketing purposes on social media. They will never be able to restrain ghair-mahram men from exposure to the women they use – and they are responsible for this mass exposure and its consequences.