Hijab is not a choice at all | Hijab in Islam | Imran Saifi

Islamic dress code for women.

OBLIGATION OF HEADSCARF FOR WOMAN:

Qur'an 24:31

وَقُلْ لِّلْمُؤْمِنٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ اَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوْجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلٰي جُيُوْبِهِنَّ ۪ وَلَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا لِبُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَآئِهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَآءِ بُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اَبْنَآئِهِنَّ اَوْ اَبْنَآءِ بُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ اَوْ بَنِيْۤ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ اَوْ بَنِيْۤ اَخَوٰتِهِنَّ اَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُنَّ اَوِ التّٰبِعِيْنَ غَيْرِ اُولِي الْاِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ اَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِيْنَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوْا عَلٰي عَوْرٰتِ النِّسَآءِ ۪ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِاَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِيْنَ مِنْ زِيْنَتِهِنَّ ؕ وَتُوْبُوْۤا اِلَي اللّٰهِ جَمِيْعًا اَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُوْنَ

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent and to draw their KHIMAR over their bosom....

In the above verse the word "KHIMAR" is used which is a head-cover and Allah has commanded the believing women to cover their bosom also with the "KHIMAR"

KHIMAR word has also been used in Ahadith which also prove that KHIMAR means head-cover.

Hadith: Sunan Tirmidhi: 101

"حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ عُجْرَةَ، عَنْ بِلاَلٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَسَحَ عَلَى الْخُفَّيْنِ وَالْخِمَارِ ‏.‏"
BilaI narrated:
"The Prophet (ﷺ) wiped over the Khuff and the Khimar."

Above hadith says Prophet (ﷺ) wiped over his head-cover and the word used is KHIMAR.

Hadith: Sunan Tirmidhi: 377

"حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَبِيصَةُ، عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ، عَنْ صَفِيَّةَ ابْنَةِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لاَ تُقْبَلُ صَلاَةُ الْحَائِضِ إِلاَّ بِخِمَارٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Aishah narrated that:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The Salat of a women who has reached the age of menstruation is not accepted without a Khimar"

In above hadith also the word used for head-cover is KHIMAR.

So both the above ahadith clearly explain the meaning of the word KHIMAR used in the Qur'an 24:31.

OBLIGATION OF COVERING FROM HEAD TO TOE EXCEPT FACE AND THE HANDS UPTO THE WRISTS.

Qur'an 33:59

يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِّاَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنٰتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ يُدْنِيْنَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيْبِهِنَّ ؕ ذٰلِكَ اَدْنٰۤي اَنْ يُّعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ؕ وَكَانَ اللّٰهُ غَفُوْرًا رَّحِيْمًا

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their JILBAB over themselves. That will be better, that they should be known so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever OftForgiving, Most Merciful.

The arabic word used in this verse is JILBAB which is a long outer garment that covers a woman.

Hadith: Sunan Abu Dawud

حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ كَعْبٍ الأَنْطَاكِيُّ، وَمُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الْحَرَّانِيُّ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ، - قَالَ يَعْقُوبُ ابْنُ دُرَيْكٍ - عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، رضى الله عنها أَنَّ أَسْمَاءَ بِنْتَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، دَخَلَتْ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعَلَيْهَا ثِيَابٌ رِقَاقٌ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَالَ ‏"‏ يَا أَسْمَاءُ إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْمَحِيضَ لَمْ تَصْلُحْ أَنْ يُرَى مِنْهَا إِلاَّ هَذَا وَهَذَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَأَشَارَ إِلَى وَجْهِهِ وَكَفَّيْهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ هَذَا مُرْسَلٌ خَالِدُ بْنُ دُرَيْكٍ لَمْ يُدْرِكْ عَائِشَةَ رضى الله عنها ‏.‏

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
Asma, daughter of AbuBakr, entered upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wearing thin clothes. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned his attention from her. He said: O Asma', when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it does not suit her that she displays her parts of body except this and this, and he pointed to his face and hands.

This hadith clearly proves that believing woman is obliged to cover herself from head to toe except the face and the hands upto the wrists.

NOTE: All the Ahadith quoted are authentic. Authenticated by Shaykh Albani and others.

In brief, a khimar covers less that a jilbab while a jilbab has a more ample range in terms of the parts that it covers. Also, a jilbaab is specific for only women. They were the ones who were ordered to wear it and not men. But as for the khimar, then that is a garment that both men and women share in wearing. Even though a man is not obligated to wear it, regardless, it is a garment that both men and women partake in wearing.

SUMMARY:
It is compulsory for a believing woman to cover her entire body except face and hands upto the wrists.


Allah knows best.

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