purplecthulhu

Apparently only Khalsa Sikhs, who have been baptised or initiated through the Amrit ceremony are required to carry/wear the five K's and not all Sikhs are required or choose to be initiated in such a way. So it is an internal question within the Sikh religion as to whether or not the five K's are Sikh requirements. Regardless, they are certainly Khalsa Sikh requirements for those who have chosen to undergo that Amrit initiation, so maybe it doesn't matter that it's not a requirement for all Sikhs.

Actually head covering is a requirement, but there is always meant to be an element of choice within Islam as to whether or not you follow a requirement after reading the scriptures. I can't remember what the exact wording is, but the hadiths' specifically state that the prophet asked women (and men) to dress modestly, and set out exactly how that should be. For women you are asked to cover your beauty, and earlier on it specifies that your hair is part of your beauty and should be covered. But this hadith also covers the tendency Arab women used to have, during a battle, to bare their breasts during fighting, so whilst the original requirement was to cover hair and chest area (which can be done with loose clothing and a shawl, so long as that shawl isn't then used to make you look *more* alluring), it doesn't cover the full hijab, with the face covering and everything. I do cover my head and dress modestly (mainly because my parents expected me to study Islam before I wholeheartedly embraced it), because the hadith are so specific about it. But I don't wear the niqab because I don't think it is a requirement for Muslim women, and I don't believe it ever was. During the time of the Prophet Muslim women would preach to flocks of new converts, which I think would have been a very difficult task if people couldn't see their faces, and nothing in Islam encourages women to cut themselves off from the world. But then I think it should be the choice (so long as it is their choice) for other women to wear it if they feel they need to. I just don't like being preached at to wear it, like I'm a bad person if I choose not to. Ok, I do realise I've gone slightly off topic, and I hope I've made sense here.