﷽
("In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful")
Conditions of proper hijab
It should cover all the body apart from whatever has been exempted.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
This verse clearly states that it is obligatory to cover all of a woman’s beauty and adornments and not to display any part of that before non-mahram men (strangers) except for whatever appears unintentionally, in which case there will be no sin on them if they hasten to cover it up.
Al-Hafiz ibn Kathir said in his Tafseer:
“This means that they should not display any part of their adornment to non-mahrams , apart from that which it is impossible to conceal. Ibn Mas’ud said: such as the cloak and robe, i.e., what the women of the Arabs used to wear, an outer garment which covered whatever the woman was wearing, except for whatever appeared from beneath the outer garment. There is no sin on a woman with regard to this because it is impossible to conceal it.”
It should not be an adornment in and of itself.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And not to show off their adornment.” [al-Nur 24:31] The general meaning of this phrase includes the outer garment, because if it is decorated it will attract men’s attention to her. This is supported by the verse in Surat al-Ahzab (interpretation of the meaning):
“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance.” [al-Ahzab 33:33].
It is also supported by the hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: There are three, do not ask me about them: a man who leaves the jama’ah (larger Muslim community), disobeys his leader and dies disobedient; a female or male slave who runs away then dies; and a woman whose husband is absent and left her with everything she needs, and after he left she made a wanton display of herself. Do not ask about them.” (Narrated by al-Hakim, 1/119; Ahmad, 6/19; from the hadith of Faddalah bint ‘Ubayd. Its isnad is sahih and it is in al-Adab al-Mufrad).
It should be thick and not transparent or see-through because it cannot cover properly otherwise. Transparent or see-through clothing makes a woman more tempting and beautiful. Concerning this the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “During the last days of my ummah, there will be women who are clothed but naked, with something on their heads like the humps of camels. Curse them, for they are cursed. Another hadith adds: They will not enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance.” (Narrated by Muslim from the report of Abu Hurayrah)
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: “What the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) meant was women who wear clothes made of light fabric which describes and does not cover. They are clothed in name but naked in reality.” (Transmitted by al-Suyuti in Tanwir al-Hawalik, 3/103)
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ISLAMIC WAYS
Spirituelles"Islamic Ways: A Practical Guide to Living a Faith-Based Life" is a concise and user-friendly book that explores the fundamental principles and practices that shape the Islamic way of life. Whether you are a new Muslim, a curious individual, or simp...
