pride

Pride and Its Kinds

Pride is man's attitude of considering himself better than others and this attribute is one of the calamities called egotism and self-centeredness. When man exposes or expresses this feeling of imagining himself better than others it is called or pride or haughtiness.

Sometimes this pride makes one stand up against Truth and signs of God and HIS Messengers and sometimes against Gods slaves other people and many a time it so happens that if such a proud man does not try to improve his inner self he even turns into a disbeliever.

Regarding the first kind, verses so describe: Surely those who are too proud for my service shall soon enter Hell abased.

2 Your God is One God; so as for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts are ignorant and they are proud. Truly Allah knows what they hide and what they manifest; surely HE does not love the proud. And when it is said to them, what is it that your Lord has revealed? They say: Stories of the ancients.

3-What; whenever then an apostle came to you with that which your souls did not desire, you were insolent so you called some liars some you slew.

And they said: What! Shall we believe in two mortals like ourselves while their people serve us?
And if you obey a mortal like yourselves, then most surely you will be losers.
And they say: Why was not this Quran revealed to a man of importance in the two towns?
And when they said: O Allah! if this is the Truth from Thee, then rain upon us stones from heaven or inflict us a painful punishment.

About this verse, Allamah Tabarsi quotes Imam Sadiq (a.s.): After the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) appointed Ali (a.s.) to caliphate at Ghadir-e-Khumm and said: MAN KUNTU MAULAAHU FA ALIYUN MAULAHU this matter spread everywhere. Noman bin Haaris Qahri who was a hypocrite came to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and said: You asked us to give witness to the oneness and ordered us to perform jihad, prayers, fasting, zakat and we accepted all of it. But you did not remain contented at that and made this boy he meant Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) you caliph and said: MAN KUNTU ….. Is this word from your calf or is it the command of Allah?

They Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied: By Allah except whom there is not Deity, it is from GOD, Noman returned saying: O Allah: if this is the truth from Thee, then rain upon us stones from heaven. Soon thereafter a stone fell upon him and he was killed.

This Hadith does not come into conflict with the aforesaid verse that was revealed before Ghadir because the cause of its revelation was not the event of Noman but Noman had, in his enmity, referred to extracted from the verse which was revealed earlier. This is like our prayers wherein we quote the Holy Quran and say: RAB BA NAA AA TINAA ….

But regarding the second kind: Showing pride against people slaves of God is also Haraam and, in this regard, the Holy Quran quotes the words of Luqman like this:

And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exulting overmuch,; surely Allah does not love any self-conceited boaster.

2 - The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) says: One who has eve an atom size pride in his heart will never enter Paradise. They asked: O Messenger of Allah: Some of us do desire to wear good clothes and perform good jobs. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied: In fact, Allah is beautiful and HE likes beauty and nicety but what is pride is to reject the truth and to consider others lower than ones self.

3- Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: Pride and Greatness are the attributes of God and one who becomes proud stands against the Divine attribute of Greatness.

4- Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: Greatness is the cover cloth of God. Whoever takes any part therefrom will be thrown into Hell by God.

5- Imam Baqir and Sadiq (a.s.) have said: Anyone who has the minutest particle of pride in his heart will not enter paradise.

6- Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: Proud people will, on the Day of Judgement, arrive in the field of gathering in the from of ants and they will continue to be crushed under feet until God concludes taking account of all.

7- The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Tomorrow on the Day of Judgement most condemned people will be the proud people.

Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) said: I am astonished by the behaviour of the son of Adam. His beginning was semen and his end will be a corpse and during his lifetime too he carries dirt and yet becomes proud. Though there are many narrations in this regard we suffice with there few and hope that Almighty God will all of us away from this and from all other evil attribute. Now that we have known the impermissibility of pride we restart with some other discussion about Takabbur.

1- Causes and Reasons of Pride

The problems which may cause pride are:

A - Sometimes knowledge and wisdom ends in this attribution whereby a man imagines oneself greater and higher than others. Of course this happens when man has not improved himself. Otherwise, if one takes into account the dimensions of spirit, the more his knowledge increases the more he imagines himself to be low and considers all others to be better than him.

B - And sometimes 'worship' becomes the cause of pride when man sees that he is a worshipping and obedient man and that others are not like that. As a result, a kind of pride is created within himself. So that is better is that such a man should ponder that it is possible that the deeds which, according to his thinking are good may not lead him anywhere as has been mentioned in a verse of the Holy Qumran: -

"Say: Shall we inform you of the greatest losers in (their) deeds? (These are) they whose labour is lost in this world's life and they think that they are well versed in skill of the work of hands." (Kahn: 103 - 104).

Again it is possible that may be some of the good deeds of a man become void due to some other bad deeds done by him, leaving him nowhere.

C - And sometimes it is possible a man shows pride because of his 'lineage', forgetting the fact that lineage does not benefit a man because one day a man came to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and narrated nine of his forefathers' names by way of pride. The Holy Prophet (saw's.) said: do not you know that the tenth of them is you and will be in the hell?

And if we feel proud of our ancestors we must know that our origin is from dust as mentions the holy Qumran:

"Who made good everything that He has created, and He began the creation of man from dust. Then He made his progeny of an extract, of water held in light estimation." (Sandal: 7 - 8).

The holy Qumran says that the differences of tribes are for recognition and they do not bring any distinction for man.

"O you men! Surely we have created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may know each other; surely the most honourable of you with Allah is the one among you most careful (of his duty); surely Allah is Knowing, Aware." (Hujarat: 13).

D - "Power and Courage" cause pride. First man must know that if the proof of personality is his strength then some of the animals may be more strong and courageous than us. Secondly man, in the face of illnesses, is so much weak that, as you see, he begins to shiver as a result of mere fever.

The Holy Qumran says:
"Allah is He Who created you from a state of weakness then He gave strength after weakness, then ordained weakness and hoary hair after strength; He creates what He pleases, and He is the Knowing, the Powerful." (Rum: 54).

E - And if the cause is pride, power and kingdom then we should know that, it is not only no part of human being, but no kind of assurance of its continuity is available to us. How many were the people who got up in the morning but could not maintain their kingdom till night or could not pass the night with power till next morning. Hence one of the poets sang about Naadirshaah:-

(When night fell he was wearing a crown on his head but when it dawned he had neither crown nor head. A single turn of the heaven showed Naadir was not there what to talk of his kingdom!)

2 - Kinds of Pride

The above quoted verses and narrations show that there are three kinds of pride:

· Pride or arrogance in front of the Creator of the Heaven and the earth.
· Ego against the Messengers of God.
· Haughtiness in front of the slaves of Allah.

3 - Grades of Pride

And the grades of pride too can be divided into three:

1 - This vice takes root in the heart of man and then his words and deeds make it known that he considers himself better than others.

2 - He does not express from his tongue but practically he considers himself to be higher than others.

3 - Man fights against this vice that has occupied his heart. So its signs are not traceable in his words and deeds. This is less dangerous than the earlier two types of pride. Yet, we must, under all circumstances, seek shelter in Allah, the ONLY ONE GOD, so that He may save us from the evil of our own soul.

4 - Signs of Pride

One of the signs of pride is that man imagines that he is better than others and is not ready to accept the truth. So it is quoted from Imam Sadiq (a.s.):
"Pride is to consider people low and truth to be light (weightless)" (Kafi, 2: 310).

And it is also related from Imam Sadiq (a.s.):
"Addressing Hafs he said: If a man considers himself to be better than others he can be considered to be proud. Hafs asks: What if a man considers himself better as he does not commit sin whereas others are sinning? Imam (a.s.) replied: Alas, Alas. It is possible that fellow is pardoned and he repents but you are kept in eye for being presented before God for accounting. Have you not heard the story of Moosa (a.s.) and the magicians? (That they repented and were considered as true faithful). (Bihaar 73: 206, 226, 233).

And it has been mentioned that, according to the impeccable Imam (a.s.), the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) once passed by a group of people who had gathered round a man. He asked: What is the matter? They replied: O Prophet of Allah! This man is mad. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: He is not mad. He has a soul related (spiritual) problem or illness. If you want to know who is really mad I must say that mad or lunatic is a man who walks with ego and pride and wonders at his own opinion, while walking moves his shoulders arrogantly and hopes for heaven (paradise) from God (and also) no one has been safe from his evil and no one hopes anything good from him. This kind of man is mad or lunatic and the one who you think mad is a victim of spiritual ailment.

Sometimes signs of pride can be seen from the manner of speaking, sitting or walking of people. Also sometimes such person desires that a group of people should follow him or that others should stand like slaves in front of him. These are the signs of proud and arrogant people. It was due to this that the manner of sitting of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was such that, most of the time, he did not look like the president of the assembly. Sometimes, while walking o road, he used to say: Some of you may walk ahead. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used to walk behind them. (Bihar 73:206,226,233).

All that has been mentioned above was about pride. But what is the most important of all is man himself who should know what is his task:

5 - Harm of Pride

A - Whenever man imagined himself to be above others he stayed back from acquiring knowledge and wisdom and fell deep down in the pot of multiple ignorance. And as he is not prepared to consult others even form the worldly viewpoint he many a time, gets loaded with losses. So much so that sometimes he loses even his kingdom and family like, Khusro Parvez and Aboo Lahab and Rezashah Pahelvi and ……

B - Pride brings man down in the eyes of God and HIS creation. The Holy Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said: "Most hated persons are the proud ones. It is also narrated: "Man yastakbir…."

"The one who is proud is degraded by God".

6 - The Way of Remedying Pride

In the face of this ailment of the soul or spirit what should one do and in what way it should be driven away? To get rid of this illness it is necessary to follow some prescriptions:

Firstly: He should think what was he, what he is and what will be he? Man's first and last is obvious. Practically too he is hot the master of himself. Is it proper on his part to be arrogant or proud? He must ponder more over this.

Secondly: He must study carefully the verses and traditions condemning this vice and always remember he same.

Thirdly: He must keep its harms in mind so that the disease is removed fully.

Fourthly: He should practically fight with desires and crush them and for that purpose he should do that which is not pleasing to the heart.

7 - What Should Society Do While Confronting the Arrogant?

The judgment of intelligence or reason and the order of religion is that to assist or help anyone in anything wrong or evil is sin, ugly, disobedience of God and hence all means should be utilized so as to remove injustice and oppression and sins.

The Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said: "Izaa ……"

"Whenever you meet with the courteous of my community be humble before them and show pride against the arrogant". (Akhlaaq e Bashar, p.172).

Also we read in a well known tradition: "At ta kab bur…."

"Showing pride (toughness) while facing the arrogant is a kind of worship.

8 - Who shows pride?

Generally those who suffer from inferiority complex show pride and imagine themselves to be better than others.

What man understands is that, pride or arrogance is the result of meanness and ignobility of man. It is recorded from Imam Sadiq (a.s.): "Maa min ……."

"Man does not show arrogance but due to the abjectness which he finds in himself". (Kafi, 2:312).

In another hadith we read: "Maa min rajulin…."

"No man exhibits pride and arrogance except because of the weakness which hi sees in himself". (Ibid).

Benefits of wearing "Niqab"

How much do you really know about the niqab? Is niqab is a symbol of female subjugation? Is it true that women who wear the niqab cannot possibly contribute to society? The niqaab isnt in the quran? Wearing the niqaab implies all men are predatory? Does the niqab pose a security risk?

The following are benefits and reasons for wearing covering that are beyond the basic and most important benefit of pleasing Allah.

A sense of Islamic identity. When you wear full hijab (covering of the head, neck, chest, face, hands and feet), there is no doubt that you are Muslim. You will not be mistaken for anything else but a Muslimah. Perhaps this is what Allah meant when He said “…they should be known as (free and respectable women) so as not to be annoyed…” (Surah 33:59)

Knowledge that we are following the example of the “best generation” of Muslims. The wives and daughters of the Prophet (SAW), as well as the Companions wives, wore the veil and covered completely. They are the most pious of women who we try to learn to be like, so why would we make an exception in this instance?

Preservation of yourself for your husband. Men are jealous by nature and do not want anyone else looking at their wife. As a pious and righteous wife, we should want to preserve our beauty from others and share it only with our husband.

Respect for our parents. Our parents (and other family members) feel a sense of pride that we are guided and showing the physical proof of our Islamic identity. When we cover to this degree, our fathers and brothers do not need to worry that we will go astray.

Being treated with respect as a thinking human being. When we are veiled, no one can tell if we are fat or thin, blonde or brunette, cute or homely or beautiful, or what color our skin is. This is a big blessing, in that they will not see us as an exploitable object or insult us either. People are forced to hear the words we say instead of concentrating on what we look like and missing out on our minds.

Cuts down on race issues. When we are covered fully, no one knows for sure even the color of our skin. This protects us from the racist remarks and treatment that is still so prevalent in North America, and elsewhere.

Other Benefits and Opportunities Derived By Wearing Niqaab

When we wear the niqaab, we need to be prepared for the questions we will be asked and (more often) for the comments we will overhear. When wearing the niqaab, we function as a “posterboard” for Islam. This means we need to tune our behavior and speech to match the attitude we want to convey! Most sisters will tell you that they find it easier to behave modestly when they are also covered modestly.

Another benefit most sisters will mention is their sense of privacy. The niqaab “hides” us from prying eyes, helps us to “lower our gaze” and provides a sense of security.

Using Your Niqaab for Dawah
Contrary to the negative things some may say about the “message” sent by niqaab and veiling, your niqaab is an excellent opening to dawah opportunities.

While you may notice that a lot of women (and even men) approach you to ask about your head covering (whatever style you may wear), most people already have some idea that Muslim women cover their hair. Since many other religions wear a version of a head covering, just being in a khimar may not open up doors for you to share why you wear it, as people may only assume you are a Catholic nun or Amish or something else. Also, with the influx of various cultures in North America and the fad of others wearing cultural dress as well, to some people the khimar or head scarf is not really seen as a religious obligation, but only a cultural dress.

This is where the niqaab opens doors for you to be specific about why you wear it. More people are going to be curious as to why you cover even your face and hands, so you will be given opportunity to explain the truth behind why you cover, and refute the “cultural” misunderstandings.

Even for those that do not ever speak to you or question you, just seeing you covered will cause them to think about it. This is especially true among other Muslimahs who do not cover. Seeing you covered and not making excuses to not do so may give them the push they need to consider veiling.

An excellent way to spread the truth about Islam is through your niqaab. Muslims and non-Muslims will ask you if you are oppressed etc. and you will have the perfect chance to explain to them that because you cover, you are in fact FREE. This will in turn also give you a chance to talk about the freedoms Islam granted women 1400 years ago, that are only within the last 100 years or less being implemented in the “modern” and “civilized” world!

Tips for Using Your Niqaab for Dawah

• Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with women that stare at you.
• Don’t disregard sisters that do not wear niqaab. Welcome them with open arms as your sisters in Islam and show them by example the virtues of being a niqaabi.
• Carry around pamphlets about hijab, purdah, niqaab, women’s rights in Islam, and other Islamic issues. You never know when you will have the opportunity to share them.
• Teach your daughters about niqaab and make sure they wear it when they are old enough. Teach your sons to respect and appreciate women that cover fully.
• Make yourself familiar with the ayahs of the Qur’an and the traditions of the hadith that back up your view about niqaab. This way you are able to share them with others.

Whether you believe niqaab to be fard (required) or mustahab (preferred but not obligatory), it is good for you to have the proofs that substantiate your opinion and be able to refute the arguments that are opposed to niqaab.

Liberation by the Veil
Modesty and chastity , very important ideologies with Islam, are achieved by prescribing standards on behavior and the dress of a Muslim. A woman who adheres to the tenements of Islam is required to follow the dress code called Hijab, other synonymes are Veil, Purdah, or just Covering. It is an act of faith and establishes a Muslim's life with honor, respect and dignity. The Hijab is viewed as a liberation for women, in that the covering brings about "an aura of respect" (Takim, 22) and women are recognized as individuals who are admired for their mind and personality, "not for their beauty or lack of it" ( Mustafa ) and not as sex objects.

Contrary to popular belief, the covering of the Muslim woman is not oppression but a liberation from the shackles of male scrutiny and the standards of attractiveness. 

In Islam, a woman is free to be who she is inside, and immuned from being portrayed as sex symbol and lusted after. Islam exalts the status of a woman by commanding that she "enjoys equal rights to those of man in everything, she stands on an equal footing with man " (Nadvi, 11) and both share mutual rights and obligations in all aspects of life.

Men and women though equal are not identical, and each compliments the other in the different roles and functions that they are responsible to. " From an Islamic perspective, to view a woman as a sex symbol is to denigrate her. Islam believes that a woman is to be judged by her [virtuous] character and actions rather than by her looks or physical features" (Takim, 22). In the article, "My Body Is My Own Business", Ms. Naheed Mustafa , a young Canadian born and raised, university-educated Muslim woman writes, "The Quran [ which is the Holy Book for Muslims] teaches us that men and women are equal, that individuals should not be judged according to gender, beauty, wealth or privilege. The only thing that makes one person better than another is his or her character." She goes on to say, "In the Western world, the hijab has come to symbolize either forced silence or radical, unconscionable militancy. Actually, its neither. It is simply a woman's assertion that judgement of her physical person is to play no role whatsoever in social interaction."

Muslims believe that God gave beauty to all women, but that her beauty is not be seen by the world, as if the women are meat on the shelf to be picked and looked over. When she covers herself she puts herself on a higher level and men will look at her with respect and she is noticed for her intellect , faith ,and personality, not for her beauty. In many societies, especially in the West, women are taught from early childhood that their worth is proportional to their attractiveness and are compelled to follow the male standards of beauty and abstract notions of what is attractive, half realizing that such pursuit is futile and often humiliating (Mustafa).

Chastity , modesty, and piety are promoted by the institution of veiling. "The hijab in no way prevents a woman from playing her role as an important individual in a society nor does it make her inferior." (Takim,22)
A Muslim woman may wear whatever she pleases in the presence of her husband and family or among women friends. But when she goes out or when men other than her husband or close family are present she is expected to wear a dress which will cover [her hair and] all parts of her body , and not reveal her figure. What a contrast with Western fashions which every year concentrate quite intentionally on exposing yet another erogenous zone to the public gaze! The intention of Western dress is to reveal the figure, while the intention of Muslim dress is to conceal [and cover] it, at least in public (Lemu,25).

The Muslim woman does not feel the pressures to be beautiful or attractive, which is so apparent in the Western and Eastern cultures. She does not have to live up to expectations of what is desirable and what is not. Superficial beauty is not the Muslim woman's concern, her main goal is inner spiritual beauty. She does not have to use her body and charms to get recognition or acceptance in society. It is very different from the cruel methods that other societies subject women, in that their worth is always judged by their physical appearance. The are numerous examples of discrimination at the workplace where women are either accepted or rejected, because of their attractiveness and sex appeal.

Another benefit of adorning the veil is that it is a protection for women.Muslims believe that when women display their beauty to everybody, they degrade themselves by becoming objects of sexual desire and become vulnerable to men, who look at them as " gratification for the sexual urge"(Nadvi,8). The Hijab makes them out as women belonging to the class of modest chaste women, so that transgressors and sensual men may recognize them as such and dare not tease them out of mischief" (Nadvi, 20). Hijab solves the problem of sexual harrassment and unwanted sexual advances, which is so demeaning for women, when men get mixed signals and believe that women want their advances by the way they reveal their bodies.

The western idiology of, 'if you have it, you should flash it!' is quite opposite to the Islamic principle,where the purpose is not to bring attention to ones self, but to be modest. Women in so many societies are just treated as sex symbols and nothing more than just a body who "display themselves to get attention" (Mustafa) . A good example is in advertising, where a woman's body is used to sell products. Women are constantly degraded, and subjected to reveal more and more of themselves. .

The Covering sanctifies her and forces society to hold her in high esteem. Far from humiliating the woman, Hijab actually grants the woman an aura of respect, and bestows upon her a separate and unique identity (Takim, 22). According to the Qu'ran, the same high standards of moral conduct are for men as it is for women. Modesty is essential in a man's life, as well, whether it be in action, morals or speech. Islam also commands proper behavior and dress of men, in that they are not allowed to make a wanton show of their bodies to attract attention onto themselves, and they too must dress modestly. They have a special commandment to lower their eyes, and not to brazenly stare at women.

In Sura Nur of the Holy Qu'ran it says, " Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them, and God is well acquainted with what they do". Many of the misconceptions of the Muslim woman in the west, particularly her veil stems from Arab and Muslim countries that have deviated from the true doctrines of Islam, and have " mixed up Islamic principles with pre-Islamic pagan traditions" (Bahnassawi, 67)

In this present period of decline from Islam, many Muslim women are alienated , isolated from social life, and are oppressed by Muslim men and rulers who use the name of religion for their injustices. (Bahnassawi, 65) In this instance, the Hijab is used as a means of keeping many Muslim women away from society, with the misconception that it signifies isolation and weakness. But as many Muslim women come back into the fold of the untainted and true Islam, they are able to recognize the injustice of men who have for so long stripped them of their rights to be an integral part of society and "deserving the same dignity, honor, progress and prosperity as the men" (Nadvi,26). Women regaining their true identity and role in society, are now wearing Hijab and embracing its concept of liberation for women, and are taking their rightful places that Islam had endowed upon them fourteen hundred years ago.

The concept of veil is quite misunderstood both in the West as well as amongst some Muslims. Sydney Morning Herald published a great article by Naomi Wolf exploring the motivation of wearing a veil among Muslim women – the article is a very good one and worth a read for anyone trying to understand the issue. The author recognized that Muslims differentiate between private and public life when it comes to sexuality. Modesty is a cherished value for both men and women in public. In an Islamic society, partners exclusively belong to each other. Explaining the concept, Ms. Wolf writes:

The West interprets veiling as repression of women and suppression of their sexuality. But when I travelled in Muslim countries and was invited to join a discussion in women-only settings within Muslim homes, I learned that Muslim attitudes toward women's appearance and sexuality are not rooted in repression, but in a strong sense of public versus private, of what is due to God and what is due to one's husband. It is not that Islam suppresses sexuality, but that it embodies a strongly developed sense of its appropriate channelling - toward marriage, the bonds that sustain family life, and the attachment that secures a home.

A family forms the foundation of a society, and it ought to be preserved. Modesty is one of the means, and perhaps the most important means, of achieving that goal. And headscarf is one of the many components of that modesty. However, it is not only headscarf that is the focus of Islamic teachings - it is in fact modesty. For this reason, in its order, Quran first addresses males and tells them to "lower their gaze and guard their modesty" and then moves to address women. Exploring the headscarf, the author narrates:

Many women said something like this: "When I wear Western clothes, men stare at me, objectify me, or I am always measuring myself against the standards of models in magazines, which are hard to live up to - and even harder as you get older, not to mention how tiring it can be to be on display all the time. When I wear my headscarf or chador, people relate to me as an individual, not an object; I feel respected." This may not be expressed in a traditional Western feminist set of images, but it is a recognisably Western feminist set of feelings.

"Why do Muslim women wear the hijab?"
Eighteen year old Canadian Muslimah Sumayyah Hussein explains. (Followed by discussion points for young people.)

I am sitting in my first-period class impatiently waiting for the teacher to stop babbling about monomials and polynomials. When the bell rings, a girl approaches, her face forming a question mark. She wonders if it's okay to ask a "personal" question...

"Why do Muslim women wear the hijab?"

It's not the first time this has happened and it is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed.

One of the major misconceptions about the hijab (covering of the body except the face and hands) is that young women are forced to wear it by their parents or by male family members.

Sumayya Syed, 16, says that what parents or men want have nothing to do with it. In fact, she astounds people who ask by saying that every woman should have this form of liberation.

Syed maintains that when a woman is covered, men cannot judge her by her appearance but are forced to evaluate her by her personality, character, and morals. "I tell them that the hijab is not a responsibility, it's a right given to me by my Creator who knows us best. It's a benefit to me, so why not? It's something every woman should strive to get and should want."

The young woman admits to being surprised that many people wonder if she wears the hijab everywhere (at home, when sleeping, in the shower). The truth is that Muslim women only cover themselves in front of men who are not direct relatives (brothers, fathers, and uncles) to prevent indecent acts or thoughts.

Another young woman who wears the hijab, Zeinab Moallim, 18, maintains that some people assume that all Muslims who wear the traditional dress are immigrants who don't know English and perceive them as "weirdos".

"I remember in my class when I answer questions, some students look at me like I'm kind of dumb and I can't answer (them)," she says. "So usually I answer, just to let them know I can do things."

All of the young women interviewed agreed that the advantages of wearing the hijab are many. According to Rema Zawi, 16, "You feel modest...and you feel like you're covered up. You have more self-respect. You have more confidence in yourself that you don't need to care about (how) you look."

Syed emphasizes that a major plus is that people actually evaluate her on who she is and not on her beauty or clothing. "It keeps me protected from the fashion industry. The hijab liberates you from the media, brainwashing you into, Buy this, buy that, you're supposed to look like this," she says. "It allows me to be who I am. I don't have to worry about being popular through buying things that are 'cool'."

Hana Tariq, 15, who just recently began wearing the hijab, agrees with Syed's view and says that the hijab lets you know who your real friends are.

"People who are friends with you because of the way you look aren't real friends. And people who judge you by your personality are true friends, because people can change looks but they don't really change personalities."

The young women said the hijab provides them with an identity. They don't have to tell people they are Muslims. It shows.

However, there are drawbacks. Mariam Hussein, 18, was in a store minding her own business, when an old woman came up to her and proclaimed loudly, "Go back to your country!" It was a difficult situation because the young woman considers Canada her home.

Responses to the hijab vary widely. Zawi is one of the few Muslim girls in her school who wears the traditional Muslim garb. She says some students treat her differently by looking at her in strange ways or vandalizing her property. However, she also finds that other students have questions for her regarding the hijab.

"I find that it's so hard for them to ask because they're really shy, so I confront them. I tell them, If you want to know anything, just talk to me." One young woman's first year at Silverthorn Collegiate was especially difficult. A counsellor was looking at her English marks from previous report cards, and said she found them "impressive". But then she made a comment that hurt. "Well, it's obvious you don't need ESL," she said.

The counsellor made the assumption that since the young woman wore the hijab, she had just emigrated and needed to take English as a Second Language. Syed, who attends a school with a fairly large Muslim population, says the people she knows treat her with dignity and the comments she gets from friends and classmates are generally not disrespectful.

"Most people in my life respect me with my hijab: they don't swear around me, they don't crack bad jokes," she says.

Some people may think that the more a woman covers, the less freedom she has. But, according to Muslim tradition, it is actually the opposite. The less she wears, the more she is degraded and the more she is put in the line of fire of male criticism.

Syed is astonished at the behaviour of some women who claim to want "freedom". She can't understand how going topless, for example, represents equality. "People have to understand that we (males and females) are not equal in body image but we should be equal in rights, in justice. Taking off your shirt will not make you equal to a man; it'll make you lower. Why? Because the woman's body is created differently."

Amani Elkassabany, 30, who is not presently wearing the hijab, has a different view. She applauds those who wear the hijab (especially those who wear it for God and with good intentions), but feels that it is not necessary to wear the hijab to gain respect.

"Just because a woman covers, doesn't mean she is automatically entitled to respect, or has already proven the worth of her mind. Respect must be earned regardless of one's appearance and it is not earned through a dress code alone."

Elkassabany sees advantages to wearing the hijab, but thinks that having internal modesty is more important than external modesty. "This external covering is really just a reflection of an inner commitment to dedicate oneself to the worship of the Creator," she comments.

She is also concerned about the restraints wearing the hijab implies, restraints that are exclusive to women. "Both men and women are required to dedicate themselves to God, but it is only women who are expected to demonstrate this dedication outwardly in the form of hijab," she says. "This expectation on the part of [women] is what I find difficult to accept."

Whether the hijab constrains or liberates women is an ongoing debate. However, statistics reveal that in Western society, women and men are perceived very differently.

One study, done at the University of California, found that media photographs emphasize the faces of men but the bodies of women. In the average picture of a woman, less than half the photo (45%) was devoted to the woman's face. In the pictures of men, nearly two-thirds (65%) of the photograph featured the man's face.

The same article reports the results of an experiment conducted with a group of 40 male and 40 female college students. These students were told that a study of freehand drawing styles was under way and were assigned to draw either a man or a woman, capturing "the character of a real person." It was observed that the men drawn had very distinct features, with close attention paid to facial details. However, the images drawn of the women were mostly of the body, with the faces vague or even featureless.

Perhaps, as women de-emphasize their bodies, this severe imbalance will be at least partially rectified. Meanwhile, Islam provides a solution to this problem - one which dignifies and honours all women.

Look at how much pretty when muslimah wear niqab. Their beauty beyond of everything. SubhanaAllah.

Janji Ditepati

Voice demands for independence had been heard. Unfortunately, after Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 when Hiroshima and Nagasaki was bombed, the colonial British returned to Malaya with the intention of Malaya as a colony.

In Malaya, the official handover of power by the Japanese to English is made in Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur on February 22, 1946. Britain has introduced the Malayan Union which gives equal rights, especially with issues of citizenship to all people regardless of race and their loyalty to the country.

"Federal agreement signed by the Kings on January 21, 1948 managed to return to the embrace of Malayan Malays; the rule of kings, the privileges and rights of citizenship rights"

Union appears to cause loss and marginalize the rights of the Malays and the natives as the natives of this country and affect the institutions and functions of the Malay Rulers. Thus, the British introduced the Malayan Union proposal drew strong opposition throughout the Malays, including the Conference of Rulers. Datuk Onn has collected more than 200 Malay representation in the All Malayan Malay Congress in 1 to 4 March 1946 in Club Sultan Sulaiman, Kuala Lumpur. A committee, composed of figures like Dato Onn Jaafar, Chief Bukit Gantang Dato, Dato Nik Ahmad Kamil, Dato Hamzah Abdullah and Mr. Zainal Abidin (East Java) is established.

Congress agreed with the proposal to set up an organization called the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) or the United Malays National Organisation (twinner) which will be presented in the next congress. In the All Malayan Malay Congress 3rd in Johor Bharu Dato 'Onn Jaafar announced the establishment of UMNO on May 11, 1946. aims to champion the establishment of an independent and sovereign Malaya country, promote and safeguard the interests of the Malays and people of Malaya and to preserve and defend the religion and Malay customs and institutions of the position of Malay Rulers.

Successfully change their opposition to the Malayan Union Federation Agreement signed by the Kings on January 21, 1948, which returns to the embrace of Malayan Malays; the rule of kings, the privileges and rights of citizenship rights. Successful struggle of the Malays form the Federation of Malaya, which consists of nine Malay states of Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Perlis, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It is headed by British High Commissioner who has executive authority and is assisted and advised by the Federal Executive Council and Legislative Council of the Federation.

Position of the Rulers successfully placed in a better place, among others, serves to advise the High Commissioner on national policies to be implemented in the Federation of Malaya. Resident office was replaced by a chief minister. While tightening the conditions of citizenship by operation of law and an application for naturalization.

Step of the Malays to keep going with the whole union to obtain independence for Malaya. UMNO led to many famous figures such as Datuk Onn Jaafar, Tun Abdul Razak, Ghaffar Baba, Dr. Ismail Aziz, Sardon Jubir and so down the road to independence. The appointment of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra replace Dato 'Onn Jaafar who resigned as President of UMNO on August 26, 1951 real new chapter in the struggle for independence.

It is clear that the struggle for centuries the Malays started since the fall of Malacca, the Malays, with local sultans or leaders always try to restore the dignity of the nation. Their struggle as a guerrilla war began as pioneered by the former sultanate of Malacca (1511) and the Sultanate of Johor, Raja Haji (1782), Dol Said (1831), Datuk Maharaja Lela, Datuk Sagor (1875), Datuk Bahaman, Mat Kilau (1891), Tok (1914), Haji Abdul Rahman Limbong (1928), Datu Mat Salleh (1894), Sharif Mashahor (1860), Rentap (1853) and others.

Malays form of struggle for independence in early 1900 began to be moved around by religious groups such as Syed Sheikh al-Hadi, Tahir Sheikh Jalaluddin, movements Hizbul Muslims, religion Mountain huts Semanggol, as well as the role of Sheikh Abdullah Fahim, a religious teacher at the Head-year limit on in the 1930s and especially the Malay teachers from Sultan Idris Training College.

After that, the forms of struggle and change using the ink pen. They are among the novelists, short story writer, poet and journalist, especially out in an Utusan Malay Malay gave a lot of exposure on the struggle to free themselves from the clutches of colonialism. Among the pioneers was Zainal Abidin Ahmad (East Java), A. Rahim fired, Jacob Abraham, Isaac, Haji Mohamad, Ahmad Boestamam, Usman Awang, Shahnon Ahmad and many others until they become part of the English game and imprisonment. Indeed, when we follow the roots of the struggle for independence, obviously it has shed sweat, blood and tears.

There is some news about promulgation of Malay Independence. Let's check it out~

Berita Harian

 Malay Mail (English)

Utusan Zaman (Jawi)

Fatigue fighters of our country who are willing to fight for independence life was not vain. Malaysia has now reached 55 years of Independence. Independence theme for this year is ''Janji Ditepati" .After 55 years of independence, developing Malaysia in style. Development achieved so fast and dynamic. Economic strength and unity is the key to the integrity of the Independence that it has traveled. People enjoy share political stability, economic prosperity and social justice are equal and balanced. Education continues to drive people to become a modern nation, civilized and respected. Fragrant Malaysia on the world stage as a nation, which developed and stable.

Several landmarks such as the first national car production project Proton Saga which pioneered the motor industry, the construction of the Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers once recognized as the World's Tallest Tower, the construction of the Sepang International Circuit, which successfully raised the image of the country, particularly in the organization of Formula One car racing as well as lifted Petronas in producing skilled manpower in motorsport and other landmarks and achievements into products truly proud of.

Open sky storm preparation has been done with the MultiMedia Super Corridor (Multimedia Super Corridor) to be on par with the Silicon Valley in the United States. Achievement Malaysians are equally impressive when a group of climbers successfully captured the summit of Everest on May 15, 1997, to swim across the English channel on August 3, 2003, the expedition diving in the north pole in 2003 and captured the continent Anrtartika solo expedition in 2004. On 10 October 2007, Malaysia's first astronaut has been sent to the International Space Station (ISS).

Last but not least, 

Happy National Day MALAYSIA ^^

Mabul Island

Pulau Mabul first became popular due to its close proximity to Pulau Sipadan. However, in the last few years it has gained its own recognition as one of the best 'muck-diving' sites in the world. Many who visit the area stay either at Mabul or at Kapalai. You may have found out by now that Sipadan no longer caters to overnight stays. All operators who had resorts on Sipadan have now relocated their operations elsewhere.

Mabul is a small oval shaped island surrounded by sandy beaches and perched on the north-west corner of a larger 200hec reef. The reef is on the edge of the continental shelf and the seabed surrounding the reef slopes out to 25m to 30m deep. There are several dive resorts operating on Mabul.

Currently with 4 resorts in the area, 1 converted oil rig stationed just in the shallow waters off Mabul , a bajau fishing village, a mosque, a school and an admin centre for the village. Just to the left of Sipadan Village Resort are several stalls selling all sorts of seashells. Please do not buy them as you may have been informed that it is an offence to take anything of this sort out of Malaysia and could be an offence to take them into your home country too.

Just to the back of Borneo Divers Resort is the village. A stroll round showed us how basic their lives are out here in the vast Indo-Pacific Ocean. Mostly fisherman, the Bajau Laut has always been noted in history accounts of being hostile and were better know in the old days as sea gypsies.

Sea Gypsies had a notorious reputation of being ruthless to visiting boats. Progress has changed all that now. Many have turned to living on land and making a life out of fishing. Even so, please as a visitor on the island do dress appropriately if you intend to visit the village. They are conservative and don't take to visitors disrespecting their way-of-life much.

But Mabul has a beauty and it's not the kind you may get at Sipadan. Having been quite used to diving on coral reefs, diving in Mabul is as much a WOW! as being on coral reef. At Mabul it's called 'muck diving'. Not familiar with the term, we were not too sure that we would actually appreciate wading and finning through muck. But once we got accustomed to the fact that we've hit rock bottom..the only way to go is macro.

Apparently, 'Muck Diving' was coined by a bunch of divers on a liveaboard keeping the goats in the pen, the yard tidy and grandchildren clean down in PNG (Papua New Guinea). Nothing to do in the evening possibly prompted an adventurous diver to jump off the boat and into the silty yonder just below the hull.

Muck diving is usually in conditions where divers scour the silty, sandy shallow beds for the weird and wonderful creatures that hunt and breed and live in this seemingly barren area. Visibility is usually pretty poor but it is not a priority in muck diving. Underwater photographers get to take their time taking as many pics as they like in conditions good for them and for the environment. No thrashing divers, no broken corals and no broken hearts.. (for the environmentalists at least) some creatures you don't have to dive to see. This young banded sea krait was seen slithering across the bar floor. It was caught and quickly released into the water. We saw as many creatures muck diving as we did diving on the pristine coral reefs at Komodo/Flores and perhaps even more! It was simply amazing. And when muck diving, don't shrug off debris on the beds, such as old tyres, concrete blocks, bottles etc. there may be lots of creatures taking cover.

Mabul is arguably one of the richest single destination for exotic small marine life anywhere in the world. Flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, mimic octopus and bobtail squids are just a few of the numerous types of cephalopods to be found on Mabul's reef. The sight of harlequin shrimp feeding on sea stars and boxer crab waving their tiny anemone pom-poms are just a small example of the endless species of crustaceans.

Many types of gobies can be found including the spike-fin goby, black sail-fin goby and metallic shrimp goby. Frogfish are everywhere-giant, paintednd clown frogfish are all regularly seen. Moray eels and snake eels of many types can be seen along with almost the whole scorpion fish family. It would be quicker to list the species not found at Mabul- crazy critters are in abundance at this magical macro site!

Where to stay

When in Mabul, opt to stay in any one of these excellent resorts:

1. Borneo Divers & Sea Sports (Sabah) Sdn Bhd
2. Explore Asia Tours Sdn Bhd (Sipadan-Mabul Resort)
3. Seaventures Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd
4. Sipadan Water Village Resort Sdn Bhd
   * Resort rates may vary

How to get there
From Kota Kinabalu, take a 55-minute flight to Tawau and enjoy an hour’s drive to Semporna. From here,Mabul is another 45 minutes by speedboat. Be sure to pre-arrange transportation with your respective resort/dive operator.

Extra information

Contact Borneo Divers & Sea Sports (SABAH) Sdn Bhd (KPL 1510)

Address:	9th Floor, Menara Jubili, 53 Jalan Gaya, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Phone :	+6088 222226
Fax :	+6088 221550	Email:	information@borneodivers.info
Website:	www.borneodivers.info