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The Obligatory Conditions for an Islamic Hijab
(1) covering all of the body
this respected author is in agreement with the position that
the face and hands of the woman must be covered as he has
detailed this in discussions of the hijab issues in his book:
"the return of the hijab, part 3". some scholars say it is
permissible to uncover the face and the hands of the woman as
long as there is no fitna (infatuation) caused by her or inflicted
upon her. they see that if: a) she is beautiful and beautifies
her face and hands with external substances, and b) the
society around her is corrupt where men do not lower their
gaze, then it is prohibited for her to uncover her face and hands.
(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 show off. he (the almighty)
says:
} وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا { الآية [النور،31]
"and not to show of their adornment
except only that which is apparent."
(qur'an 24: 31)
} وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى { [الأحزاب،33]
"and stay in your houses and do not
display yourselves like that of the times
of ignorance." (qur'an 33:33)
it is not logical that the hijab itself be a source of display.( 1)
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(1) some women put on attractive covers on their heads. this is against
the purity of the hijab and its essence.
(3) the hijab must not be transparent
the purpose 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 (pbuh) said:
"سيَكُونُ في آخِر أُمَّتي نساءٌ كاسِياتٌ عارياتٌ، على رُؤوسِهِنَّ كأسنِمَةِ البُختِ،
إلعَنوهُنّ فإنَّهُنَّ ملعُونات"
"in the latest part of my
shall be women who would be naked in spite of being dressed,
they have hair high like the humps of the bukht camel, curse
them, for they are cursed"(2). he (pbuh ) added in another
hadeeth:
" لا يَدْخُلْنَ الجنَّةَ، ولا يَجِدْنَ ريحَها، وإنَّ ريحَها لَيُوجَدُ من مَسيرةِ كَذا وكَذا"
"they will not enter aj-jannah and would not perceive its
odor, although its fragrance can be perceived from such and
such distance.
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.
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(2) at-tabarani reported it and al-albani in his book "al-hijab" said it is
authentic.
(4)hijab must be roomy, flowing and not tight
the hijab is a safeguard against fitna. if tight, it will be
descriptive of the woman's body and this violates the purpose
of hijab. usamma bin zaid (may allah be pleased with him) said:
"كَساني رسولً الله- صلى الله عليه وسلَّم- قُبطِيَّة كَثيفة مما أهداهَا له دِحية
الكَلبي، فكَسَوتُها امرأتي، فقال "مالكَ لم تَلبِس القُبطيَّة؟" قلت: كَسَوتُها امرأتي،
فقال: "مُرها فلَتجعَل تَحتَها غُلالة وهي شِعارٌ يُلبِس تحتَ الثوب فإني أخاف أن
تَصِفَ حجمَ عِظامها"
"the messenger of allah (pbuh) dressed me with a thick
qubtyeeyah (cotton dress from egypt) which was a gift that
he received from duhia al-kalbi. so i gave it to my wife to
wear. he (pbuh) said : "what made you not to wear the
qubtyeeyah?" i said: "i dressed my wife with it. " he (pbuh)
said: " order her to put an undergarment (or gown) under it,
because i am afraid it may describe the size of her bones.(3)
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(3) reported by ad'diya' al-maqdissi, imam ahmed, at-tabarani, al-
baihaqi, and ibin sa'd. it is also reported that al-haithami said:
"amongst the chain of narrators is abdullah ibin aqeel whose narrations
are good; yet according to some scholars there is da'ff (weakness)
associated with him, and that the rest of narrators are thuqat (men of
confidence regarding reporting). ad-dahabi said: " the level of abdullah
ibin aqeel's narration is not below the rating of "good" (in meezan al-
i'tidal: measure of balanced (verifications); arabic).
(5)the hijab must not be perfumed with incense
the messenger of allah (pbuh) said:
"إيما امرأةٌ استَعطَرَت، فَمرَّت على قَومٍ لِيَجِدوا ريحها، فهي زانية"
"any woman who perfumes herself and passes by some people
that they smell her scent, then she is a zaniyah
(prostitute).(4)
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(4) narrated by imam ahmed, an-nissa'ee, and al-hakim who said: "it has
an authentic chain of narration" and ad-dahabi agreed.
(6)the hijab should not resemble men's
dress
the messenger of allah (pbuh) said:
"ليسَ مِنَّا من تَشَبَّهَ بالرَّجالِ منَ النَّساءِ، ولا مَن تَشَبَّهَ بالنَّساءِ من الرَّجالِ"
"women who assume the manners of men are not from us and
also those of men who assume the manners of women.(5)
abu-huraira (may allah be pleased with him) narrated that:
"لَعَنَ رسولً الله-صلى الله عليهِ وسلَّم-الرجل يلبس لبسة المرأة والمرأة تَلبَسُ لبسَة
الرجل..."
"the prophet (pbuh) cursed the man who wears the dress of
a woman and the woman who wears the dress of a man."(6)
knowingly condones and facilitates the zina for his wife."(7)
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(5) reported by imam ahmed and abu na'eem. al-albani authenticated
it in his book "al-hijab" (pp 66-67).
(6) narrated by abu dawoud, ibin majah, al-hakim, and imam ahmed.
al-hakim said:" it is an authentic hadeeth in accordance with the
conditions of (imam) muslim," and ad-dahabi agreed. it was also
authenticated by imam al-nawawee.
(7) narrated by an-nissa'ee, imam ahmed, ibin khuzayemah, ibin
hab'ban and authenticated by the scholar ahmed shakir.
(7) the hijab must not resemble
the garments of the kuffar
the messenger of allah (pbuh) said:
"من تَشَبَّه بِقَومٍ فَهُوَ مِنهُم"
"the one who takes the similitude (manner) of a certain
people becomes one of them.(8)
abdullah bin ummar (may allah be pleased with him) said:
"وعن عبد الله بن عمرو- رضي الله عنهما قال: "رأى رسول الله- صلى الله عليه
وسلم- عَليَّ ثوبيَّنِ مُعَصفَرَيْن، فقال: "إنَّ هذه من ثياب الكُفار، فلا تلبسها"
"the prophet (pbuh) saw me wearing two clothes dyed in
saffron, whereupon he said: these are the clothes (usually
worn) by the kuffar, so do not wear them."(9)
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(8) narrated by abu dawoud, ahmed (as part of a another hadeeth), ibin
taymeeyah said that the hadeeth has a good chain of narration (i.e. that
reported by abu dawoud) and that it is a "good hadeeth"; as-siyouti
said :"it is "hassan: good" and ibin hag'er reported it in "fath al-bari"
and supported it with another evidence (a murssal) with a good chain of
narration.
(9) saheeh muslim, v. 3, hadeeth # 5173
(8) the hijab is not for fame!
the messenger (pbuh) said:
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