Conditions of the Hijab
This is my humble attempt to hopefully, insha Allah, clarify the purpose of hijab in Islam and its conditions.
Yes, the hijab of the Muslim woman indeed has conditions.
Furthermore being a Muslim from birth does not mean that person knows everything about Islam even if they claim to practice it or are practicing it. Islam is a lifelong journey that is the responsibility of every Muslim to learn as much as they are able.
On that note it is important to mention that a Muslim woman who wears the hijab may not even know why she wears it. Yes, that’s right. Sometimes Muslim women wear the hijab because it just happens to be part of what they know to be their culture. That is why we sometimes see Muslim women from Muslim countries take off their hijabs when they move to secular or non Muslim lands. They don’t believe or they don’t understand that the hijab is indeed part of Islam and an obligation so when in Rome…
They abandon their hijab to ‘blend’ in.
No wonder there is so much confusion as to whether the covering of the Muslim woman is necessary or not. But indeed it is. It is an obligation on every believing woman; past, present and future. It was not just a command given to Prophet Muhammad’s wives and daughters as some falsely claim.
Allah says the meaning of which is:
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils over their chests, and not reveal their ˹hidden˺ adornments except to their husbands, their fathers, their fathers-in-law, their sons, their stepsons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, their fellow women, those ˹bond women˺ in their possession, male attendants with no desire, or children who are still unaware of women’s nakedness. Let them not stomp their feet, drawing attention to their hidden adornments. Turn to Allah in repentance all together, O believers, so that you may be successful.”
Surah An Nur 24:31
And:
“O Prophet! Ask your wives, daughters, and believing women to draw their cloaks over their bodies. In this way it is more likely that they will be recognized ˹as virtuous˺ and not be harassed. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Surah Al Ahzab 33:59
It is also important to note that as Muslims we believe that there are clear differences between men and women. We have no delusions about that. We are also commanded by Allah to both lower our gazes from the opposite gender in order to keep our hearts pure. Emphasis of this is placed heavily on both genders and as women we are also commanded to cover ourselves.
“O Prophet! Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity. That is purer for them. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what they do.”
Surah An Nur 24:30
The eyes are the doors to the heart. What the eyes do not see, the heart does not desire.
Islam is a holistic religion which takes into consideration the benefit of the whole of society and not just the individual. So some acts of worship that we do, even though they are for Allah’s sake, will also benefit the wider society. As Muslims Allah is pleased with us when we interact with each other in a just and dignified way. This also includes interaction with non Muslims.
As a result, in Islam there are codes of etiquette for interactions between men and women in the public sphere. It is impermissible to touch the opposite gender which includes even shaking hands. The Prophet Muhammad gave a severe warning to the Muslim men about touching any woman he didn’t have a right to touch, whether sexually or not.
It was narrated that Ma’qil ibn Yassaar said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “For one of you to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle is better for him than that he should touch a woman who is not permissible for him.”
Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 486. Shaykh al-Albaani said in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5045, that this hadith is saheeh.
Fornication is forbidden in Islam for both men and women. Allah tells us in the Quran:
Do not go near zina (fornication and adultery). It is truly a shameful deed and an evil way.
Surah Al Isra 17: 32
What is the Hijab?
So it is important for a Muslim woman to know exactly what the hijab is. It is not simply a scarf that covers the head as many believe.
That being said the conditions of the hijab are as follows:
- The hijab must cover her entire body- with the exception of face and hands according to some scholarly opinions
- It should be thick enough to conceal what is underneath it- non transparent
- It should be loose-fitting, not tight- so no cat-woman outfits
- It should not be so attractive as to call men’s attention to it
- It should not be perfumed
- It should not be a dress of fame and vanity (i.e., it shouldn’t be extravagant or excessively opulent)
- It should not resemble the dress of men
Terms you should know:
Awrah- this is part of the body that should be covered from others except the husband and wife. There is no awrah between a husband and wife.
The awrah of the man is between the naval and the knee.
https://islamqa.info/en/answers/34976/the-evidence-that-a-mans-awrah-is-from-the-navel-to-the-knee
The awrah of the woman varies depending on where and whom she is with.. The Prophet Muhammad said that all of the Muslim woman is awrah, meaning all of her body should be covered. This is in reference to when she is in public or in the presence of males that she could potentially marry because they would be permissible (this is called: non-mahram).
In the Quran Surah An Nur 24:31 Allah specifies that a Muslim woman can show her adornment or beauty to other females, close male relatives that are impermissible for her to marry and small children who are unaware of the differences between males and females and understanding of sexuality.
The awrah of a woman and her male relatives (mahram) is all of her body except for the head and neck, arms and ankles.
The awrah of a woman with other women is between the naval and the knee.
https://islamqa.info/en/answers/82994/what-is-a-womans-awrah
Hijab- means a barrier or a screen. It is something that conceals something from sight. For example the walls of a house are a ‘hijab’ concealing what is inside it from the eyes of those outside. This term hijab is applied wholly to the covering of the Muslim woman as the Prophet said that all of the woman is awrah
Jilbab- Is an overcoat that the Arabian women used to wear at the time of Prophet Muhammad. It starts at the head and covers all of the body. This is the specific item of women’s clothing that is referred to in surah Al Ahzab 33:59 when it says:
“To draw their cloaks (jilbab) over their bodies.”
Khimar- was a head piece that the Arab women used to wear on their head and it would trail behind their back so their hair, neck and chest would still be exposed. In ayah 31 of surah An Nur this is referred to and Allah tells them to draw it over their bosoms:
“Let them draw their veils (khimar) over their chests.”
This is how we get the khimar or head covering today.
It should be also noted that when the ayah in Surah An Nur 24:31 was revealed and the female companions heard it they immediately covered their faces. So that was their own interpretation of this verse.
Narrated by al-Bukhari, 4480; Abu Dawud (4102):
Aa’ishah, May Allah be pleased with her, said: May Allah have mercy on the Muhajir women. When Allah revealed the words “and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)”, they tore the thickest of their aprons (a kind of garment) and covered their faces with them.
I hope you benefited from this post. If there are any mistakes please let me know so that I can correct them insha Allah.
The Niqabi Diaries is a podcast dedicated to sharing the stories of the Muslim women who have experience wearing the face veil.
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