Sunday, February 6, 2011

Requirements of Islamic Hijaab

1) Must cover the entire body completely from head to toe. The eyes or one eye can be left uncovered or according to another opinion, the face and hands can be left uncovered - but however it is better for the Sister to cover them as well. However, during the times of fitna the niqaab is fard according to the scholarly concensus.

The Prophet said: “All of a woman is Awrah.”
[At-Tirmidhi]

2) The clothing must be thick enough, not transparent.
Al-Qurtubi reports a narration from Aisha that some women from Banu Tamim came to see her wearing transparent clothing. Aisha said to them: “If you are believing women, these are not the clothes of believing women.”

He also reports that a bride came to see her wearing a sheer, transparent khimaar, whereupon Aisha said: “A woman who wears such clothing does not believe in Surat An-Nur.”

3) The clothing must be loose enough, so that it conceals the shape and size of the body.

4) The clothing should not be an adornment itself.
Allah says in the Quran:

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ
“And do not make a display of yourselves like the displaying of the ignorance of long ago.”
[The Quran 33:33]

The Arabic word At-Tabarruj mentioned in this aya means to display oneself and also, to expose one’s charms for the purpose of exciting desire! Therefore, a Muslim woman’s clothing must not be shiny and an adornment itself, so that it will draw attention to the wearer.

What’s the difference between a woman who does not wear hijab at all, who wears miniskirts, tight clothes, low necklines and make up to outside and a woman who wears the so called “hijab” and yet spends an hour to get dressed up to look pretty, putting on make up, tight and fancy clothes in bright colors and glitter all over them, to draw attention? Both have the same mentality.

5) The clothing must not be perfumed.
The Prophet said: “A woman who wears perfume and passes by some people who can smell her fragrance, she is then considered an adulteress.”

6) A Muslim woman’s clothing must not resemble the clothing of the opposite sex.
Abdullah ibn Omar said he heard The Prophet say:
“The man who resembles a woman and the woman who resembles a man is not of us.”
[At-Tabarani]

There’s also a narration from Umm Salamah, related by Abu Dawood which shows that the Prophet forbade women from tying their headscarves in such a way that resembled the turban of a man. Also, we should remember that the neck and the ears are also to be covered, that’s another reason why a turban can not be considered proper khimar or hijab for a Muslim woman.

7) The clothing must not resemble the clothing of the unbelievers.
Abdullah ibn Omar said that the Prophet stated:
“Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”
 
[Abu Dawood]

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