Should I wear headscarf? Quran about Hijab. How covering protects life?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Bismi-llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

"In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful."

Should I wear headscarf? 
What Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran about Hijab? 
How covering body protects life?
 

WHAT DOES HIJAB MEAN?

The Arabic word "Hijab" has several meanings. It translates as "veil", "screen", "cover(ing)", or "curtain". So wearing a Hijab includes covering body as well as an appropriate behavior. 

WHAT ALLAH (SWT) SAYS IN THE HOLY QUR'AN ABOUT HIJAB?

قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ يَغُضُّوْا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَ يَحْفَظُوْا فُرُوْجَهُمْ, ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ

Say to the believing men that: they should cast down their glances and guard their private parts (by being chaste). This is better for them
(Surat An-Nur, 24:30)

This is a command to Muslim men that they should not lustfully look at women (other than their own wives); and in order to prevent any possibility of temptation, they are required to cast their glances downwards. This is known as - hijab of the eyes

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their head covers (khumur) over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed
(Surat An-Nur, 24:31)

  In this ayat Allah (SWT) gives similar command as to the men in the previous verse regarding hijab of the eyes
After “hijab of the eyes” came the order describing the dress code for women: (...and not display their beauty except what is apparent, and they should place their khumur over their bosoms
?What is the meaning of “khumur” used in this verse
Khumur is plural of khimar, the veil covering the head
? Then what does the clause “placing the khumur over the bosoms” mean
According to the commentators of the Qur’an, the women of Medina in the pre-Islamic era used to put their khumur over the head with the two ends tucked behind and tied at the back of the neck, in the process exposing their ears and neck. By saying that, “place the khumur over the bosoms,” Almighty Allah ordered the women to let the two ends of their headgear extend onto their bosoms so that they conceal their ears, the neck, and the upper part of the bosom also
Finally the verse goes on to give the list of the mahram – male family members in whose presence the hijab is not required, such as the husband, the father, the father-in-law, the son(s), and others

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ, قُلْ لأَزْوَاجِكَ وَ بَنَاتِكَ وَ نِسآءِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ: يُدْنِيْنَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلاَبِيْبِهِنَّ

O Prophet! Say to your wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers that: they should let down upon themselves their jalabib
(Surat Al-Ahzab, 33:59)

? What is the meaning of jalabib
Jalabib is the plural of jilbab, which means a loose outer garment
This means that the Islamic dress code for women does not only consist of a scarf that covers the head, the neck and the bosom; it also includes the overall dress that should be long and loose. So, for instance, the combination of a tight, short sweater with tight-fitting jeans with a scarf over the head does not fulfill the requirements of the Islamic dress code

?SO WHY DOES ALLAH (SWT) COMMANDS WOMEN TO COVER

PROTECT YOUR FAMILY
By wearing hijab the wife gives her husband confidence that she belongs to him only. Men deeply respect their wives for this. Also, this action encourages them to keep their eyes down while passing by uncovered lady. By wearing Hijab and having appropriate behavior you don't give other men chance to follow you or have a friendly conversation therefore protecting your family from unnecessary fights because of husband's jealousy

REDUCE CHEATING
By covering your body you have high value for it. Your body is like a diamond that no one can touch. Therefore you will never allow other men besides your husband to use it

REDUCE DIVORCES
By wearing hijab and jalabib you do not expose your beauty to other men. Therefore a passing man will not have an opportunity to compare his wife's body to yours'. As a result the thought of divorcing his wife and marring to a younger more beautiful woman won't come to his mind

SAVE CHILDREN
If the passing man saw your beauty and as a result divorced his wife, you will be a cause for this action. If they had children together then kids will loose their father or mother or even worse - end up in the orphanage

PROTECT OTHER FAMILIES
If you cover your head, don't expose the beauty of your body, and behave appropriate toward other men besides your husband - you are doing a wonderful job! Every day you save million families from cheating, divorces, fights, and crying children

HADITH

"As one of the minor signs before the Day of Judgment, Rasul Allah (SAWS) mentioned: “There will be women who will be dressed but they will be naked. Their heads will be like the humps of camels. They will not enter Jannah and will not even smell the scent of Jannah while it can be smelt from a far distance.” 
(Sahih Muslim)

Another hadith mentions that one can smell the scent of Jannah from a distance traveled in seventy years.

This hadith is about Muslim women as those without eeman wouldn’t be entering Jannah anyway. Muslim women will have clothes on but they will be so tight and figure hugging that all parts of their bodies will be on display. Today we see clothes marketed that are so tight that all they conceal is the color of the skin. This hadith also applies to very thin and see-through clothes. The head looking like the hump of a camel means that women will wear on the top of the hair extra stuff for fashion to make head look bigger like camel hump.

Rasul Allah (SAWS) said: “Modesty brings nothing but good.” 
(Sahih Bukhari)

As we know hijab does not only mean "covering". It also means "veil" or "screen" which refers to an appropriate behavior. Being modest is a perfect description of a person with a hijab. Hazrat Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) was well known for his modesty. So much so that even the angels were mindful of it. Hazrat Fatima (radi Allahu anha) is also well known for her sense of haya and modesty.

ADVICE OF A WISE TEACHER

Once students asked their teacher: "Why should we cover our body?" The teacher was a very wise lady. She took out of her pocket two candies and unwrapped one. Then she offered the students to choose which candy they would prefer to take. All of them responded that they would take the covered one. On the teaches' question: "Why?" The students replied: "It is more clean than the unwrapped one, because no one has touched it." The teacher smiled and said: "This is the answer on your question".

WHAT BIBLE SAYS ABOUT COVERING?

1 Corinthians 11:5 
But every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.

1 Corinthians 11:15 
But if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 

Deuteronomy 22:5
A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.

1 Timothy 2:9
Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire..

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Since I started wearing Hijab I paid attention that my life completely changed. These are the tips that I would like to share:

1. Save time
2. Save money
3. Better hair
4. Better skin
5. Feel comfortable
6. Healthy 
7. Protect daughters

So first of all I started having lot's of free time because I stopped going to the malls to buy all different styles of clothes. Instead of wasting my golden time for shopping around I could spend it for more important things in my life: family, education, praying, reading Qur'an, self developing, massage etc. Every day I save time while dressing up, because I don't have to make different hair styles anymore. I just put on my headscarf and I am ready. My husband loves it. Also, when I stopped going to the shopping centers, I started following the sunnah because our beloved Prophet (SAWS) said:

“The most beloved places on Earth to Allah are its mosques, and the most despised places on Earth to Allah are its markets.”
(Sahîh Muslim)

From the day I put on hijab I started saving money. I had no more interest to buy expensive name brands and make money for those smart business men who promoted their company well and earned money on me.

Before my hair were very dry and I had split ends. It looked awful. After wearing the headscarf for couple months I paid attention that my hair became healthier. It happened because now nothing was destroying them. Sunlight did not burn them, wind did not make them messy, cold did not freeze them. So my hair grew strong, long, and healthy.

Same happened with the skin on my body. It became more moisturized. Also, it has been proven that the skin that gets exposed too much to the sunlight gets wrinkled faster.

Now when I am going out I don't have to worry how to look beautiful in other peoples' eyes and wear uncomfortable tight clothes. I wear loose comfortable outfits and feel good.

Remember when your mother used to say in the childhood: "Baby girl please wear a hat so you won't get sick". These words come often to my mind now because I understand how important they were. Because my head is always covered I never get ear infections, sunstroke, or sick in winter.

Finally, the moment we give birth responsibility for our children lies down on our shoulders. We will be questioned on the day of Judgement: "How did we raise them?" and  "What example we showed them?" If you wear hijab, your daughters will wear it when they grow up. In shaa Allah!

Hope, this article will help you to start doing the right thing in your life.
May Allah (SWT) reward you for your actions! Amen.