Question: Please inform us on the ruling on World Hijab Day which takes place every February 1st. Many Muslims in the West promote it. Is it a Bid`ah? If not, is it forbidden or doubtful since there is an imitation of the disbelievers?
Answer: I put this question to a number of Scholars: Shaykh `Abdul-Azīz Ibn Sālih al-Jarbū` in Riyadh, Shaykh Khālid Ibn `Abdir-Rahmān al-Qāsim in Jordan, Shaykh Māhir Ibn Yāsīn al-Fahl in Iraq and Shaykh Khālid al-Hāyik in Jordan. Below are their replies. I have excluded my original question and condensed my follow up questions for brevity:
Shaykh `Abdul-Azīz Ibn Sālih al-Jarbū`:
“It is not allowed to specify a day for that nor for anything else except with a Sharī Evidence.”
Shaykh Khālid Ibn `Abdir-Rahmān al-Qāsim:
“Correct; this is an innovated matter in this form. And the default is to tie people to the Right of Allāh, Ta`ālā, upon them at all times.”
I asked: “What if someone agrees but says it is needed due to the war being waged against Hijāb?”
“These words are not accepted in the Shar`īah, because calling to a Sharīah related matter must be through Shar`ī means. And the Shar`īah is Perfect and Self-Sufficient. And It Contains the Shar`ī Methods to call to It. And due to that, there is no need for innovated methods.”
Shaykh Māhir Ibn Yāsīn al-Fahl:
“I see that this action is not good, and it will lead to wrongdoings. And from those wrongdoings are that we will be innovating an `Īd.”
I asked: “What if someone agrees but says it is needed due to the war being waged against Hijāb?”
“We clarify the Hijāb to the people by mentioning the Evidences from the Book and the Sunnah, and by explaining the Āyāt of the Book, in the gatherings of Thikr and Qur’ān.”
I asked: “What if they say these are only attended by Muslims and we want to teach the disbelievers?”
“This justification is flawed, and not valid except according to Machiavelli, who says that the ends justify the means.”
And I explained to Shaykh Khālid al-Hāyik the concept of World Hijab Day and asked him about participating in it, and he replied: “What Hijāb is this?! Just covering the hair of the head?! It is not to be participated in.”
And Allāh Knows Best.
Abū Tālūt
Sunnah Studies 