Saturday, 8 December 2012

Why a veil?

A veil is a curtain that hides something from others. It can be a physical veil or a spiritual veil. A physical veil is what is manifest in the eye of the beholder; a spiritual veil is one which is not manifest but exists nevertheless. Veil hides or protects, it separates, and it brings about a discipline. Sometimes a veil is there because some things are so grand that they cannot be seen. Sometimes the veil is there to protect that which is delicate. Sometimes the veil is there to safeguard the onlooker, sometimes it protects that which it covers. It protects from evil. It stops not just the action but the very intention of doing wrong. While a physical veil may be used to shield from the gaze of the onlookers, a spiritual veil has a far greater importance. A spiritual veil protects a man from getting tempted towards wrong thoughts. And veil is better than the remembrance of God? This veil stops the whisperings of the satan. It purifies and heals. It cleans that what has been polluted. It preserves that which is delicate and needs protection. A veil is not to save others from getting tempted; it is to protect one’s own soul from getting tempted. It is the sword as well as the shield.

2 comments:

  1. "The best thing for a woman is that she is protected from the sight of strangers such that neither does she have to see them nor do they get to see her." Bibi Fatima Zahra(sa).

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  2. I was not talking about any physical veil, I was talking about the spiritual veil, something that is far more important. It is not about a man looking at a woman or a woman looking at a man, it is about guarding your thoughts. The purity of soul is far more important than anything and everything that is manifest to the eyes.

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