Obligatory Conditions for Hijab
53How can a sister know if her hijab is correct? The scholars agreed on the following eight conditions regarding hijab:
Obligatory Conditions for Hijab
1. Covering all of the body
It is an agreed position by many respected scholars that the face and hands of the woman must [in addition to everything else] be covered. Some scholars say it is permissible to uncover the face and the hands of the woman as long as there is no fitnah (infatuation) caused by this action. Two things must be taken into consideration:
a) if she is beautiful and beautifies her face and hands with external substances, or
b) if the society around her is corrupt where men do not lower their gaze
Then it is prohibited for her [in both these scenarios] to uncover her face and hands.
On the authority of the wife of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam, Umm Salama radiya Allahu anha said:
“When the verse {That they should cast their outer garments over their persons} [33:59] was revealed, the women of the Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads.” [Sahih Abi Dawud]
2.The hijab must not be a display
The hijab itself must not be a display. Allah ordained it so as to cover the beauty of women and not for showing off. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says,
“And not show of their adornment except only that which is apparent.” [24:31]
He also says,
“And stay in your houses and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance.” [33:33]
It is in no way logical that the hijab itself be a source of display.
3. The hijab must not be transparent
The purpose of wearing hijab must be achieved. In order for the hijab to be a cover, it must not be made of transparent material making the woman covered only by name, while in reality she is naked. The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam is quoted as saying,
“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 hadeeth 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]
This indicates that a woman could cause herself a grave and destructive sin if she puts on a garment that is thin and transparent and which clearly shapes her body’s features.
4. Hijab must be loose, and not tight
The hijab is a safeguard against fitnah. If it is tight, it will be descriptive of the woman’s body and this violates and defeats the whole purpose of hijab.
5.The hijab must not be perfumed
On the authority of Ad’Diya Al-Maqdisi, the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam said:
“Any woman who perfumes herself and passes by some people that they smell her scent, then she is a zaniyah (adulteress).” [Sahih an-Nasaa’i]
6. The hijab shouldn’t resemble the dress of a man
Imam Ahmed and an-Nasaa’i reported the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam to have said:
“Women who assume the manners of men are not from us and also those of men who assume the manners of women.” [Sahih al-Jami’]
Further, Abu Huraira narrated that:
“The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam cursed the man who wears the dress of a woman and the woman who wears the dress of a man.” [Sahih Abi Dawood]
7. The hijab must not resemble the garments of the kuffar
Abu Dawoud and Ahmed have related that the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam said:
“The one who take the similitude (manner) of a certain people, then he/she becomes one of them.” [Sahih Abi Dawood]
Abdullah bin Umar radiya Allahu anhu said:
“The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam saw me wearing two garments dyed in saffron (orange), whereupon he said: ‘These are the clothes (usually worn) by the kuffar, so do not wear them.'” [Sahih Muslim]
8.The hijab should not be for fame
Abu Dawoud and Ibn Majah have related the prophet to saying:
“The one who wears a garment designed for a worldly fame, Allah will make them wear a garment of humility on the Day Of Resurrection then he will be set ablaze.” [Musnad Ahmad, and it is Sahih]
The garment of fame is any garment a person wears to make themselves look famous. This applies whether the garment is highly precious and shows admiration to the life of this world or if it is chosen of a low quality to show lack of interest to this worldly life. The person may put on clothes with distinct colours so as to draw attention, act proudly and/or arrogantly.
Concealed ways of display: Examining the various conditions about the hijab one can clearly recognize that many of the young Muslim women are not fulfilling these conditions. Many just take “half-way” measures, which not only mocks the community in which she lives, but also mocks the commands of Allah sunbhanahu wa ta’ala. They consider what they put on now wrongly as “hijab.” So, O Muslims, be mindful to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and His Messenger salla Allahu alayhi wasallam, and do not deceived by those who “bless” this action of yours and conceal their true intentions.
If you are sincere in achieving Jannah, then be mindful of these things, insha’Allah.
Article from the University of Essex Islamic Society. Via IslamWorld.
Hijab Has No Basis in Islam – Or Does It?
February 18, 2010[…] Obligatory Conditions for Hijab […]
Muslim Girl
February 18, 2010Great article and great reminder, mA!
I have one concern, though, regarding this point:
7. The hijab must not resemble the garments of the kuffar.
Abu Dawoud and Ahmed have related that the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam said:
“The one who take the similitude (manner) of a certain people, then he/she becomes one of them.” [Sahih Abi Dawood]
For women who don't wear the abaya full time, but still wear loose pants / long shirts to cover themselves adequately, how is it considered that they are sinning if they are still adhering to the commandments of hijab, just because they are wearing something made from a Western design? (i.e. Western clothes)
I think regardless of what you wear, if it does the job of hijab (not men's clothes, sheer, tight, see-through, etc), then it's hijab. It doesn't matter what clothes you to wear to achieve modesty – as long as you achieve it in the end!
I hope I don't sound rude – it's just a question I am wondering :-)
Bint AbdelHamid
February 19, 2010No, it's not rude at all to ask, and it's a valid (and important) question.
Actually, #7 is a point of concern to everyone, since it's a general requirement — not resembling the clothing of the kuffar applies to men, as well as to “abaya-wearing” women in regards to what they wear at home. So the scholars did include it in the list of requirements for hijab, but it's a more general requirement as well.
I found this article very informative, and I think it should answer your question. A lot of it focuses on the dress of brothers, but point 4 especially deals with the question you brought up.
The issue of whether or not women have to wear abaya/jilbab is not actually based on this requirement, but on ayah 33:59, “O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves their jilbabs (outer garments).” Based on this, many scholars said wearing a jilbab or some sort of outer garment on top of regular clothing is a requirement. Wa Allahu a'lam.
Muslim Girl
February 20, 2010Jazak'Allah khair for the link and the explanation :) I always wondered about this and now I have an answer!
Bint AbdelHamid
February 20, 2010Wa iyyakum, I'm glad it helped!
farah
April 03, 2010so, I am just wondering then…does that mean that jeans and shirt are not acceptable for women to wear even if they are loose? and long skirts and shirts too? And abaya is a must?
Bint AbdelHamid
April 04, 2010Sister Farah, I follow the opinion of scholars who say that abaya/jilbab/outer garment is a must for the completeness of hijab.
I know there are sisters who go through a lot of effort to dress modestly, picking out loose pants, long skirts, flowing shirts, etc., may Allah reward them and increase them in their carefulness over the deen. At the same time, I would definitely advise my sisters to look into the matter more – study the issue to find which opinion has the most compelling evidence, or ask a person of knowledge whom you trust to help guide you to the best answer.
Safia
June 10, 2010This is a really great article, but I have a question about something
Question number 2 states that the hijab must not be a display. Does a colorful hijab like red, yellow, pink or any other bright colors like that count as a display or are they permissible?
Bint AbdelHamid
June 25, 2010Safia, I think the best answer I can give you at the moment is to ask a person of knowledge whom you trust. Considering certain colors as a “display” can depend on the culture and society you're in, but try asking a sheikh or someone knowledgeable whom you trust about those particular colors.
Suzannesabah
September 22, 2010colours of kuffar??orange??our religion is much simpler than that,it is very clear that we should be modest and how to be modest…but our religion is not depressing i am sorry but even if you give me a million hadith i know in my heart that this is misinterpreted….depressing seriously depressing…and about the expensive garment hello its harram to be chic so we need to wear depressing clothes that makes us look like beggers??or low class , there is class in religion,there is rich and poor…and there is arrogant and humble has nothing to do with clothes its about the behavior ,if God has blessed me to afford expensive luxurious things its not harram!!?? i like to look good and wear good quality clothing it has nothing to do with being arrogant,i am sorry this is just not right,and btw the abaya the black one is an arab tradition,we shouldnt be wearing black , and not all muslims are arabs ,i hope u can understand that tradition and religion are totally different…
Suzannesabah
September 22, 2010i don’t mean to attack what you have written, i know we all have a good intention ,but sister if you cannot answer the questions posted about the article then you should not post it….when you have enough information about this subject you can teach and preech…thank you
Mahdiya1956
September 22, 2010As Salaam Alaikum,
Shukran. During Ramadan I decided to wear niqab and hijab. Allah (SWT) placed it on my heart and I am truly grateful to My Lord for it. It just happened, Allah is truly merciful and kind. I am a very fashionable and coordinate stylista person. Love fashion and jewerly. However, I came to realize that those things are not important when it comes to my soul. So, it came time for me to shed my external (worldly clothing) and focus on the internal (my soul). May Allah continue to allow me to strive and live my life to be pleasing to Him and comply to my religion (Islam) wholeheartly. Ameen
Sisters, It’s only as hard as we make it. Read, read, read. As Salaam Alaikum, Mahdiya
Lightsofislam
September 22, 2010Mashallah tabarakallah I love your site so much,, everything, the contents which are reliable and based upon daleel (references) and also the way you have designed it. May Allah swt continue to guide you in your efforts and bring many many readers to your site. I have reposted some of your articles with reference back to yours so readers may come and visit your site inshallah..
Lightsofislam
September 22, 2010jzklh khair Bint Abdelhamed and also Farah for asking and seeking the best way inshallah. I also believe this point and since I made shahada I have put Abaya or jilbab and really its not only fulfilling a very clear statement from Allah swt but also,, its just so practical! Even if you have jeans underneath, throwing on a nice decent jilbab seems to make women look like women and you dont have to worry if the shirt is long enough, loose enough etc. YOU HAVE IT COVERED :-D
karim
September 23, 2010its saheeh bokhary & muslim the most authentic ,whos abu dawoud and what more can he tell us more then saheeh bokhary & muslim if they came after the prophet nearly 200 years ?
Sarah
September 23, 2010Brother, I don’t quite understand your question – could you clarify inshaAllah?
Sarah
September 23, 2010JazakiAllahu khayrn for the kind words! Ameen! Please continue to do so as that is spreading the khayr :) And keep us in your ‘adiyaa inshaAllah!
Sarah
September 23, 2010MashaAllah, Ameen! May Allah keep you steadfast upon His deen!
Sarah
September 23, 2010Sister, I’m not sure I follow where you got these specific instances from. This article was general, as the conditions of hijab are general, alhamdulillah, allowing us to fulfill them according to our means, culture, and status. A sister is still supposed to look ‘good’ (for lack of better word) in hijab – just not ‘beautified’ or ‘adorned’ for non-mahrams to see, waAllahu’alim. I hope that cleared up some things.
Also, this article is based on proofs from the Qur’an and Sunnah or else it would not have been posted.
Suzannesabah
September 23, 2010Sister this article is not general,it is called “obligatory conditions for hijab” i still insist that the information is misinterpreted, where exactly in the Quran does it say all that and Sunnah ,as Karim mentioned who is Abu Dawood? why do you take those “Ahadith” as the ones we should follow regarding Hijab ,it’s the first time as Muslim to ever hear any of this…..
No ,the information you stated says that we should not wear like kuffar which means??? who are the kuffar please clarify….and i know that if God has blessed me to wear expensive clothes and live a good life , i should show it and say its Gods mercy and blessing on me,if i pay “zakah” and do good ,i am privileged and thankful to be blessed in this life and isA the next….we should not wear things to make people feel bad about themselves but there is rich and poor,and we should be presentable of our religion,make people look up to us, how neat and peacful we look,up to date and fashionable too,so you tell me now orange is the colour of kuffar??? at those times people wore the same clothes,even kuffar ladies wore a head scarf it was Arab tradition….
and btw sister don’t get me wrong “deen” is “Religion” or “Islam” its very annoying either use correct English or correct Arabic, again and again what exactly is imitating the clothes of kuffar?? so we need to be” unfashionable ” considering that fashion comes mainly nowadays from western countries…. …ISLAM IS NOT AN ARAB RELIGION ISLAM IS THE RELIGION OF EVERY HUMAN BEING ON THIS EARTH FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE ,SO PLEASE GET OUT OF THIS BUBBLE AND START TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE….
one more thing for everyone who will reply to this post thinking they are doing Islam good, and attack me ,i am not against spreading good information ,i am against spreading false information,i read this hoping to learn more and hopefully …be a BETTER person, ….just because some unknown scholars agree on something doesn’t mean that its correct,and being extreme in everything is not being on the right track,find a middle ground, try to be peaceful,yes be modest and yes to wear the veil the correct way but NO to making our religion sound so pathetic….every girl knows what shes doing unless she didn’t learn …if you are veiled the wrong way,then you are doing it for society and tradition,if you really want to be veiled from your heart you will know what to do…
Suzannesabah
September 23, 2010sorry i cant help it the “aya” about display its about the body not the clothes ,donot display yourself ,if you are covering up you are not displaying yourself .end of discussion…has nothing to do with color.
Also it is not right to just take one”aya” out of the Quran and say what it should mean…Thank you
May God bless all of us and lead us to the right path…
~Submission~
September 23, 2010No doubt Saheeh Bukhari & Muslim are considered the most authentic books after the Quran.
Almost every student of knowledge knows that there are six authentic collections of the traditions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). And one of them is Sunan Abu Dawud, written by Abu Dawud (May Allah have mercy on him)
Like Imam Bukhari & Imam Muslim, Abu Dawud, following the practice of his time, travelled far and wide to collect Hadith. He visited Hijaz, Iraq, Khurasan, Egypt, Syria, Nishapur, Merv and Isfahan for the puropse. His proficiency in Hadith is accepted. He also had keen insight in law (fiqh). His Sunan, naturally, is replete with legal Traditions; it also indicates his point of view on various questions and his acumen in ijtihad.
The Sunan is Abu Dawud’s most important work. It has 4800 Traditions selected from a mass of 500,000. It can be called one of the fundamental works on Hadith.
And Allah knows best. Hope this was of some help insha’Allah
Suzannesabah
September 24, 2010Dear Safia you can simply check out this website sister:) http://www.islam-qa.com/ar/ref/145719/%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B3%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86 it should answer all your questions …..its not that hard to findout ….specially on a website that says those rules are “obligatory”
Tweets that mention Obligatory Conditions for Hijab -- Topsy.com
September 24, 2010[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Amieeee Macccccc, DAILY DAHWAH. DAILY DAHWAH said: http://www.igotitcovered.org/2010/02/17/obligatory-conditions-for-hijab/ http://fb.me/Fr1I2yB2 […]
Sarah
September 26, 2010In regards to ahadith, we are told to follow the Messenger, sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, so following ahadith is part of the faith. Abu Dawood’s information can be found from various sources – including the comment above by ~Submission~. Hadith sciences are very rigourous and we don’t just take any hadith from any random person – there are many requirements in this regard – which can be found by researching, speaking to a Shaykh, or taking a hadith sciences class.
No one is telling you to wear this or that, sister. Orange isn’t being said as haraam. If you look below, Bint AbdelHamid posted a good article about following the kuffaar and what is means. (By the way, following the kuffaar and wearing expensive clothes are two seperate things.) Of course we should look presentable – and no where in these requirements are we told otherwise.
Yes, everyone should learn and I would encourage you to do the same sister. If any person doesn’t understand one concept of the religion, it doesn’t mean it is wrong. That is a very dangerous area to get into. On the other hand, one should do their research, ask someone more knowledgeable, etc before jumping to conclusions. It’s the same in our studies – if we don’t understand a concept in phsyics, we ask the teacher or read the textbook before saying the whole concept is wrong. And Allah knows best.
Other than that, as the saying goes, my deen is for me and your deen is for you. I believe we should leave it at this inshaAllah. May Allah allow us to practice His relgion properly and to the best of our ability. Ameen.
guest
September 29, 2010wearing an abaya is sooooo much easier than searching for clothes in my opinion :P
Rania
December 14, 2010Assalamu alaikum Sisters.
I agree with everything this website has said, but I am not sure about the first rule. It is true that we must cover our whole body, but do we also have to cover our hands and face? I wear the hijab but without covoering my hands and face.. Plus when we do haj or umra we don’t cover our hands and face! I just would like to understan better what about cover out WHOLE body..
Jazakum Allah Khairan…. Assalamu Aliakum wa rahmatu allah
Sarah
December 14, 2010wa ‘alaykumus salaam w arahmatuAllah dear sister :)
If you read the first rule, it gives you the reason for covering the face as well as when it is okay for one not to cover the face. It all comes down to a perspective: When we have decided that we want to inshaAllah, implement every commandment we can, we may not always understand the hikmah behind it right away. Allah subhanhu wa ta’ala knows the situation best. I always think of the example of in wudu’ from Ali (ra):
It is reported that Ali ibn Abi Taalib radhiaAllahu ‘anhu said: “If religion was based upon opinion, the bottom of the sock would take preference over the top in being wiped. I saw the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, wiping over the top of his leather socks (Alkhuf).” [Abu Dawood]
InshaAllah, we’re planning to put up niqaab articles as well since we’ve gotten a lot of questions about it. Make du’aa it is of khayr!
a muslimah
January 07, 2011Making something Allah has ordained as halal into something haraam is the way of the kuffar, and I caution all of us from making this mistake.
Outer garment means exactly what it says — an outer garment. Something we wear over the clothing we wear in the privacy of our own homes, to help conceal our shape. If I wear a t-shirt and leggings at home (and I do on many occasions), I should wear something over it according to the Qur’an. What I wear over it may be an Abaya, or a Jilbab, or it may be a wide pair of pants with a modest, feminine top that covers my hips and buttocks. Do not mistake outer garment with one particular style.
Habibi
January 16, 2011Salaam,
Sister what is meant InshaAllah by not copying the Kuffaar is not to wear something specific to them. For example, both Muslims and non-Muslims wear pants so that is not copying the Kuffaar BUT if one were to wear something such as a Sikh turban it would be copying the Kuffaar because the Sikh are identified by the way they tie their turbans. I hope that makes sense.
And Allah knows best.
Habibi
January 16, 2011Salaam,
We are told to cover our jilbabihinna and usually a jilbaab does the job! But if you can find something that follows that condition than InshaAllah there’s no problem as far as I know. I asked an Alim about this issue. Imagine: You are wearing a black skirt and a jacket…no one will be able to tell whether what you are wearing is an abaya or just a skirt.
And Allah knows best.
Ayisha
February 03, 2011Sister, it’s not permissible for us to wear clothes that RESEMBLE tat of the kuffar…. eg. nuns are in hijab but our hijab shud not rememble theirs.this is just to differentiate us from them..in some religion they wear saffron r orange coloured ones…Allah has given us so many colours, why r we thinking so much to leave 1 which our beloved Prophet (SAL) disliked!!! And Allah knows best.
Junaida Hadir
February 06, 2011assalamualaykum,
thks for the article & your inspiration, talking about hejab is good to put it on as a muslemah. as a moderrn muslemah we have to be presentable but do’t overdo it. insyaAllah we are trying to be a good muslemah with your guidance. thks to you sam.
Hussain
February 07, 2011about hijab
fatima
February 13, 2011Assalamualaykum ,
This article is very inspiring and thank you very much for it ! It teaches a lot !
May allah guide us through the right path amen !
Toxic_caba
March 08, 2011You’re truly blessed sister…
Farrah
March 08, 2011MashAllah it’s a very well written article however I believe this last line:
Examining the various conditions about the hijab one can clearly recognize that many of the young Muslim women are not fulfilling these conditions. Many just take “half-way” measures, which not only mocks the community in which she lives, but also mocks the commands of Allah sunbhanahu wa ta’ala
may come off too harshly for some as this is only commentary on the author’s part. Some young women may not feel fully ready for hijab so they begin the “half-way” approach as to slowly prepare themselves. Everyone has different intentions therefore I believe it’s not up to us to decide what is “mocking” Allah’s commands and the community in which a sister lives. Such a line could open room for much unnecessary judgement. Otherwise, I enjoyed reading this article. MashAllah, the sisters on this blog are always terrific writers!
Farrah
March 08, 2011Plus, many scholars also believe that the hands and face don’t have to be covered. Thought I’d add that in as well.
Fareenazad
March 09, 2011a very inspirational fact about the conditions of wearing hijab…..it is true many of our muslim sisters wear thin hijab,half the hair showing and also showing their adornments to the gair mahram….maybe this is their ignorance about the proper hijab….also wearing branded perfumes ….i pray to Allah (SWT) to give all the sisters hidayah on proper hijab so that all of us are saved from hell-fire.
Guest
March 09, 2011Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuhu…
Jazakallah Khairan for sharing this b’ful article.. i really loved this one.. i normally don’t comment even if i like.. but this time.. i really liked it.. cuz i have been telling ppl the same thing about hijaab… though seldom ppl accept it… well… once again… Jazakallah Khairan.. keep up your good deeds… may Allah bless all of us with HIS Guidance & Mercy… Ameen Summa Ameen…
Allah Hafiz…
Abdullah Abdurrahman
March 09, 2011Masha Allah I liked this conditions..it is not only for women as well for men..masha Allah jazakallahu kheiran.
Elmarzuqamina
April 22, 2011MashaAllahu alaiki,ya ukhtee. May Allah allow us to strive & b steadfast in complying to HIS orders.
Elmarzuqamina
April 22, 2011Jazakumullahu khair,for this piece. Its a gud reminder
Rohila
April 23, 2011As-Salam ‘Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu.
To all the sisters who are wondering what imitating the kuffars’ clothing means (although it is pretty clear from the ahadith mentioned above), here is an explanation from a Shaikh.
http://islamqa.com/en/ref/2322/
Insha Allah it’ll help to clear your misunderstanding and answer you’re questions.
Noor E Hijaab
April 24, 2011mashALLAH v lovely and informative…………jazakALLAH khairan 4 this link…..MA’salama
Nashria_mohammad
April 24, 2011thank you very much for this page u’ve shared, INSHAALLAH it will be fulfilled by every Muslimah.
QurratulUyoon
May 02, 2011If you’re gonna do it, do it right :)
Zaa111
May 15, 2011Assalaamualaikum
all the person must read the condition before wearing it. because if they don’t know the condition well. they are committing sins.
Zaa111
May 15, 2011alhamdullilah, I’m so happy for you.my Allah guide you into the right paths.
Zaa111
May 15, 2011may Allah guide you…