"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss. " Surah An-Nur, 31.
When Dr Mattson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8YBQXdKxTs&feature=related) questions which surah people are reading when they say that the commandment is the women dress modestly (mockingly), it is rather funny that it happens to be the same one she uses to assert that the veil is obligatory for Muslim women.
Rather it is the FIRST commandment, before this khimar business.
In the second bold text, you see what is also at the heart of the issue here.
The commandment is to draw their veil over the bosom. They question then becomes, well, what if I am not wearing a veil? The veil was a common phenomenon found in pre Islamic Arabia, most commonly amongst middle and upper class women who did not work in hard labor. Therefore, it stands to reason that there were in fact unveiled women in early Islamic Arabia.
At that point, a woman has two choices: find a veil to over her bosom, or cover it some other way.
"O people! Behold, we have created you from a male and a female and have made you into nations and tribes to that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware." [Qur'an 49:13]
This verse acknowledges, and even condones that people on this earth are inherently different. I believe this verse can be interpretted as cultures instead of nations and tribes. Dress is a component of culture.
The verse does not say that God (swt) "have made you into nations and tribes to that you might come to change one another", meaning Arabs are not to tell non-Arabs that they are to dress the same way they do. Rather, there are different, yet similar means of modest dress amongst different cultures.
This concept of mutuality is even further strengthened in this surah: "Unto every one of you have We appointed a [different] law and way of life. And if God had so willed, He could surely have made you all one single community: but [He willed it otherwise] in order to test you by means of what He has vouchsafed unto you ..." [Qur'an 5:48].
I sincerely believe that this test is culture, and relativity of modest dress within it. The real test, the Qur'an says, is to be the most modest in your culture. While I would assert most women in Afghanistan do not willingly wear the burka, there are some who do. Those who do choose it, do so because they see it as the ultimate in modest clothing.
In fact, God (swt) directs people to compete for his favor in completing these tests: "For, every community, faces a direction of its own, of which He is the focal point. Vie with one another in doing good works. Wherever you may be, God (swt) will gather you all unto Himself: for, verily, God has the power to do anything." [Qur'an 2:148]
As long as you have God (swt) in your heart, and truly believe that you are following His commandments, no one should need to tell you how to do so.
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