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[quote]I would say that there are several points to consider here:

1. The word used for 'head covering' in this ayat is 'Khumr'. In Arabic this word is specifically and only used for the head covering cloth. If God did not mean to direct towards the observance of head covering, usage of such a word seems unnecessary and a cause for confusion, charateristics that the word of God certainly do not possess.
The fact that this word is used and no other is in itself a pointer towards head covering. 
I agree the Quran presupposes an intelligent reader, then this aspect of language was enough rather than a discourse about the issue.

2. The women of those times, before the advent of Islam, used to cover their head and let the rest of the cloth trail behind. Thus firstly there was no need to directly say 'cover your heads' or something to that effect but what was needed was to rectify the practice and the way this ayat is pronounced does just that. It presupposed the head covering and tells the women to cover their chests with it as well.

3. With a practice corrupted, Quran usually only pointed to the parts of it that had been corrupted. Like its tells the Jews to offer 'Ruku', since bowing was a practice that they had given up in praying.

4. Yes we have an innate criterion about good and evil. The need for a revealed criterion was to reaffirm that innate criterion and be a lighthouse in case of confusion or divergence.

However for some that innate guidance is not that clear, or there are matters in which our own guidance is not enough, and hence the need for revealed guidance.
I have seen that for many its the revealed guidance that clearly visualizes for them the moral criterion since their own for any number of reasons had been muddled, and hence leads to the clarification of their innate guidance.

Yes revealed guidance does not exhaust every sphere but then lays down enough guidlines that are needed, (and very clearly so). Then the argument can arise, especially in case of this ayat,of people interpreting guidelines differently.

And ofcourse, acts of morality that are not chalked out clearly should not be treated any less. However acts that have been chalked out attain the status of the binding word, a law, a regulation. A statement which attains the kind of reverence that is unmatched. Therefore the dimensions of what has been mentioned in letter should be clear.

My knowledge is limited and my expression weak. I hope I have conveyed clearly my point of view. I would be very pleased to read your reply. Please correct me if I have faltered in any way, and point out if I have not understood something right.

Thank you.

continuing courses from the website 
www.al-mawrid.org[/quote]

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