'Hijab' is an Arabic word that describes Muslim women's entire dress code, which includes a veil and whatever else is needed to cover everything except the face and hands. It is adopted at puberty - an age when Muslims, say children, should become accountable for their actions.
This essay will attempt to briefly enumerate the basic requirements regarding Muslim women’s dress (Hijab) as stipulated by the 'Sharee’ah' (Law) of Islam. The term 'Hijab' itself includes not only dress and covering the body, but methods of behavior before members of the same and/or opposite sex, promoting privacy for females and prohibiting loose intermingling between males and females, and thereby encouraging modesty, decency, and chastity.
The following requirements represent those agreed upon by the overwhelming majority of scholars and are all solidly backed by firm evidence taken from the Qur’an, the 'Sunnah' (Prophet's tradition) and the practice of the 'Sahaabah' (Prophet's companions):
1: The Extent of Covering
The dress worn in public must cover the entire body except what has been specifically excluded, based upon the following verse:
Allah Ta’ala (the Exalted) says:
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts from sin and not to show off their adornment (Zeenah) except only that which is apparent, and draw their head covers (Khumur) over their necks and bosoms and not reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women (i.e., their sisters in Islam), or their female slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants free of physical desires, or small children who have no sense of women’s nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah all together, O you Believers, in order that you may attain success.[24: 31]
The word 'Zeenah' in the 'Aayah' (verse) above, literally means “adornment”, and includes both (a) that which Allah has adorned, i.e., the woman’s natural and /or physical beauty, and (b) that with which they adorn themselves, i.e., jewellery, eye shadow, attractive clothing, hand dye, etc. The word 'Khumur' (pl. of 'Khimaar') refers to a cloth which covers the head (includingthe ears), hair, neck and bosom.
2: Thickness
The garment should be thick and opaque so as not to display the skin color and form of the body beneath it. Delicate or transparent clothing does not constitute a proper covering. The Muslim scholar Al-Qurtubee reports a narration from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her /RA) that some women from 'Banu Tameem' (an Arabic tribe) came to see her wearing transparent clothing. ‘A’ishah said to them: 'If you are believing women, these arenot the clothes of believing women.” He also reports that a bride came to see her, wearing a sheer, transparent 'Khimaar' whereupon ‘A’ishah (RA) said: “A woman who wears such clothing does not believe in 'Soorah (Qur'anic chapter) An-Noor'.
Muhammad (PBUH) said: "… scantily dressed women, who go astray and make others go astray; they will not enter Paradise nor smell its fragrance, although it can be smelled from afar."; [At-Tabarani, Muslim]. "Scantily dressed women" are those who wear clothing which reveals more than it conceals, thereby increasingher attractiveness while opening the path to a host of evils.
3: Looseness
The clothing must hang loosely enough and not be so tight-fitting as to show the shape and size of the woman’s body. This obviously includes such things as skin-tight body suits, etc. The following hadith proves this point clearly. Usama ibn Zayd (RA) said: 'The Prophet (PBUH) gave me a gift of thick Coptic cloth he had received as a gift from Dahiah Al- Kalbee, and so I gave it to my wife. Thereafter the Prophet (PBUH) asked me: “Why didn’t you wear the Coptic cloth? I replied: I gave it to my wife. The Prophet (PBUH) then said: Tell her to wear a thick gown under it (the Coptic garment) for I fear that it may describe the size of her limbs.” [Ahmad, Al Bayhaqee, and Al-Hakkim]
4: Color, Appearance and Demeanor
Allah says: “O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women; if you fear (Allah), then do not be too pleasant of speech, lest one in whose heart is a disease should feel desire (for you). [33 : 32]
The reason for the revelation of this verse isnot the fear of distrust or misbehaviour on the part of the women, but ratherto prevent them from speaking invitingly, walking seductively, or dressing revealingly so as to arouse sexual desire in the heart of lecherous and evil men. Seductive dressing and enticing speech are the characteristics of ill-intentioned women, not Muslims. Al-Qurtubee mentions that Mujaahid (RA) said: "Women (before the advent of Islam) used to walk about among men." Qataadah (RA) said: "The women used to wear an untied cloth on their heads, while provocatively toying with their necklaces, earrings, and other ornamental jewelry.
5: Difference from Men’s Clothing
The clothing of a Muslim woman must not resemble the clothing of men. The following two hadiths help to explain this. Abu Hurairah (RA) said: "The Prophet (PBUH) cursed the man who wears women’s clothes and the woman who wears men’;s clothes". [Abu Dawood and Ibn Maajah – Authentic]
6: Difference from the Clothing of Unbelievers
Her clothing must not resemble the clothing ofthe unbelievers. This is a general ruling of the 'Sharee’ah' which encompasses not only dress but also such things as manners, customs, religious practices and festivities, transactions, etc. Indeed, dissimilarity with unbelievers is a precedent that was established by the first generation of Islam. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-’Aas said: "The Prophet (PBUH) saw me wearing two saffron colored garments, so he said: “Indeed, these are the clothes of 'Kuffaar' (unbelievers), so do not wear them.” [Muslim]
7: The hijab must not be perfumed
On the authority of Ad'Diya Al-Maqdisi, the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Any woman who perfumes herself and passes by some people that they smell her scent, then she is a 'Zaniyah' (adulteress)."
8: No Vain or Ostentatious Dressing
The woman’s dress must not be an expression of ostentation, vanity or as a status symbol by being excessively showy or expensive, nor must it be excessively tattered so as to gain admiration and fame for being extremely humble. Ibn ‘Umar (RA) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Whoever dresses for ostentation in this world, Allah will dress that person in a dress of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, and then set it on fire.” [Abu Dawood]
Sources:
1-Rachel Hodder
2-Al-Haramain Foundation, by I. A. Palmer
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