Requirements of Islamic Jilbab:
Relevant
Qur'anic verses and authentic Prophetic traditions lay great
emphasis on the observance of woman's dress code .It is only by
observing the Islamic dress code, modesty may be maintained.
Hence, Islam stipulates certain conditions and requirements
of Islamic Jilbab(3)[
Hijab, literally means, a thing that prevents, debars, conceals
or hides, because it prevents seeing or beholding. But in
relation to women in Islam, it signifies women's outer
garment.] , or woman's outer garment, that the
Muslimah must observe in her
outings in particular.When the
Muslimah goes out, she must wear an outer garment
to cover the clothes she is wearing as well as any other
beauty aids. Woman's jilbab
may be considered proper and Islamic as long as it meets the
following requirements:
1. Large
enough to contain the whole body.
2. Plain, not
decorative.
3. Close in
texture and opaque.
4. Unperfumed.
5. Should not
resemble men's clothes.
6. Should not
resemble the unbelievers' clothes.
7.
Unostentatious.
It should be
borne in mind that some of the above conditions apply to men
also. If they are not met, the dress becomes unlawful to wear.
Especially 1, 6 7.
Khimar, or head cover, is
the cloth which covers all of the hair on the head, while the
word, 'juyoob' ( pl. of
jaib) means not only the bosom, as commonly thought, but it
includes the neck too. Imam al-Qurtubi, an eminent Qur'an
commentator, states:
Women in those
days used to cover their heads with the
khimar, throwing its end on
their backs, behind their ears leaving the neck, and the upper
part of the chest uncovered, just as Christian women used to
do. Allah, later on, enjoined the Muslim women to cover with
their khimar the upper
part of their chests and the neck as well.
Allah
says:
" And tell the
believing women to lower their gaze and guard their
furooj (private parts), and
disclose not their beauty aids except what is exposed thereof
unintentionally, and that they draw their
khumur over their juyoob,
and that they disclose not their beauty save to
their husbands, or to their fathers, or the fathers of their
husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or
their brothers, or the sons of their brothers, or the sons of
their sisters, or their women, or what their right hands
possess, (1)[ The possession of the right hand are the bondsmen
and bondswomen.] or such of male attendants who have no sexual
desire, or young children who have not attained knowledge of
women's private parts. And that they should not stamp their
feet lest what they hide of their ornaments be known. And turn
you to Allah all together, O believers that you may prosper.
(1) [Qur'an An-Noor ( The Light) 24:31]
Allah's words: "
And they should not stamp their feet", indicate clearly that
woman's feet must be covered by the outer garment too. Women,
in those days, used to wear anklets, and they would attract
attention by making them tinkle together when stamping their
feet."
The above
ayah quoted from
surat An-Noor, gives specific
detailed information as to what a
Muslimah must wear to cover her body in the
presence of strangers and non-mahram
relatives; whether indoors or outdoors. The verse lists also
the people with whom a woman is permitted to be less
inhibited. While the following ayah
quoted from surat al-Ahzab
commands the Muslimah to
wear jilbab, an outer
garment, be it a coat or a cloak, and draw it around her
body.
Abdullah, son of
Umar bin al-Khattab, with whom Allah is pleased, reported that
the Messenger of Allah sallalahu alahe wa salam, said:
"On the Day of
Resurrection, Allah will not look at the man who trails his
garment along boastfully". Thereupon, Umm Salamah (radi Allah
anhu) asked, 'What should women do with their garments?' The
Prophet sallalahu wa alahe wa salam, said: " They should lower
their garments a hand span', Umm Salamah (radi Allah anhu)
further said, 'Women's feet would still be uncovered'. The
Messenger of Allah sallalahu wa alahe wa salam, replied: 'Let
them lower them a forearm's length, but not longer.' (2) [At-Tirmidhi]
Allah says:
O Prophet!
Tell your wives and your daughters, and the believers' wives to
let down upon them a portion of their Khimar
(1) [a woman's veil with which she covers her head];
that is more proper that they may be distinguished (2)[The
Muslim women were commanded to cover them selves up that they
might be recognized as free women, and be distinguished from
the pagan women, and the bondswomen, and be safe from being
harassed or molested.] and not be molested. And Allah is Most
Forgiving, Merciful.(3) [ Qur'an Al-Ahzab (the Clans, the
coalition, the combined forces) 33:59]
The first ayah,
clearly
makes it incumbent on women to conceal their beauty and
adornment from strangers except that which might show
unintentionally; such as the ring, and the long hem of the
dress, and the like.
Covering the
face and the hands was the practice of the Prophet's wives, and
other pious women during the time of the Messenger of Allah
sallalahu alahe wa salam. Asmaa' (radi Allahu anhu) said: " We
used to cover our faces from men."(4) [Al-Hakim]. Aa'ishah,
with whom Allah is pleased, said:
"May Allah grant
the women of Ansar ( the
original Muslims of Madinah), His mercy.When revealed His
words, "And that they draw their head
covers over their juyoob
," they tore a portion of
their wrapping garments and usd them as
khimar."
(5) [Sahih al-Bukhari.]
Allah says:
" And stay in
your homes, and commit not tabar-ruj
the tabar-ruj of the old
jahiliyyeh." (6) [
Jahiliyyeh, literally
means, intense ignorance, but when this term is used in the
Qur'an or Sunnah, it refers to the pre-Islamic era.]
Tabar-ruj of woman, is
displaying her beauty and ornaments to strangers, or men
distantly related to her, and wearing in public, make-up or
whatever may excite men's lust.
The purpose of
the jilbab is to conceal
the details of the woman's body and her finery, but if the
jilbab is colorful and
decorative, it becomes an ornament in itself and defeats
its own purpose.
In his renowned
book, Al-Kabaa'ir ( The Grave Sins), Imam adth-Dthahabi
asserts:
Among other
things for which a woman would be cursed, are disclosing the
fineries which she wears under her outer garment, wearing
perfume in her outings, wearing color outergarment, or a short
cloak. Tabar-ruj includes
all these things. Allah, the exalted, hates
tabar-ruj and the women who
practise it. (1)[pp.131]
Tabar-ruj is so abhorent that
the Messenger of Allah sallalahu alahe wa salam considered
it equal to shirk, or polytheism, fornication, stealing, and
other reprehensible acts. Abdullah bin Amr said:
Umaimah,
daughter of Ruqaiyyah came to the Messenger of Allah ( salalahu
wa alay he wa salam) , to give him her pledge of allegiance for
islam. He said to her, ' I accept your pledge of allegiance on
the conditions that you will not associate partners with Allah,
nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill your children, nor
commit a scandalous charge that you yourself forge, nor wail
the dead, nor commmit tabar-ruj
like that of the old Jahiliyyeh.(2)
[Imam Ahmad]
Fudhalah
bin Ubaid reported that the Messenger of Allah ( salalahu wa
alay he wa salam) ,said:
Three people
about whose evil fate you should not feel sorry:
a man who
disassociates himself from the Muslim Ummah, disobeys his Imam
( the ruler of the Muslim Ummah), and dies in that state; a
slave who runs away from his master and dies before returning
to him; a woman whose husband goes away after having provided
her with provisions but she displays her beauty, in
tabar-ruj during his absence.
So do not be concerned about them.(1) [ibid].
The
jilbab must conceal the
underclothes. Such requirements apply to the garment a Muslimah
should wear for Salah as
well.
He said:
"There will be,
in the latter days of my Ummah, women who will be dressed and
yet undressed. (They will be wearing) on their heads (things)
resembling camels' humps. Curse them. They are accursed. (2)
[At-Tabarani]
In another
tradition, the Messenger of Allah sallalahu alahe wa salam,
referred to these women saying:
" They shall not
be admitted to Jannah, nor
shall they smell its fragrance; although the fragrance of
Jannah can be smelt from such and such
distance. "
Meaning from extremely long distance.(3) [Sahih Muslim]
"Dressed
yet undressed women" are also
those who wear tight and/or transparent clothes, or clothes
that reveal more than conceal. The Prophet sallalahu wa alahe
wa salam said:
" Haya' and
iman are tied together, if one of
them departs, the other departs with it."(4) [Al-Hakim]
There are many Prophetic traditions that
forbid women from wearing perfume outside their homes.Abu Musa
Al-Ash'ari reported that the Prophet sallalahu wa alahe wa
salam said:
" Any woman who
wears perfume and passes by people who would smell her perfume,
she is a
fornicator.
" (5) [An-Nasaa'i, Abu Dawood and others.
Al-Haithami
asserted:
When a woman goes
out wearing make-up and perfume, she commits a grave sin even
if her husband permits her to do so.(1) [Aa-Zawajir ,
Vol.2, p.37. ]
Abdullah bin Umar
reported that the Messenger of Allah sallalahu alahe wa salam,
said:
Three people
Allah will debar from Jannah: an
alcoholic, a person who is not dutiful to his parents, and ad-daiyouth
, who approves perverted
beahvior of his wife. (2) [Imam Ahmad, al-Musnad ,
Vol.2,p.69.]
The epithet 'daiyouth
literally signifies a wittol, or a man who knows and tolerates
his wife's infidelity, or one who does not feel jealous when
his wife goes out wearing perfume and make-up, exciting men's
lust conscientiously or unconsciently.
Abu Hurairah (radi
Allahu anhu) reported:
The Messenger of
Allah sallalahu wa alahe wa salam, cursed the man who wears
women's clothes, and the woman who wears men's clothes. (3)
[Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah and others]
Abdullah
bin Amr said:
I heard the
Messenger of Allah sallalahu wa alahe wa salam,
saying:
He is not of us
who imitates women, nor is she who
imitates men. (4) [Imam Ahmad.]
When a women wears men's clothes such as
pants or jeans, and other men's outfits, she incurs upon
herself the curse of Allah, and the curse of His Messanger
sallalahu alahe wa salam. The curse will affect her husband or
her male guardian too, if he allows her to wear such outfits,
because it is his responsibility to make sure she observes the
islamic dress code. Allah, the exalted, says:
" O you who believe, protect
yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel are men and
stones." (5) [Qur'an At-Tahrim(Banning, Prohibition) 66:6]
And the Prophet sallalahu alahe wa salam,
said:
" Everyone of you is a guardian, and everyone of you is
responisble for his subordinates. The man is a guardian of his
family, and he is responsible. " (1) [ Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih
Muslim and others.]
Some may argue that there is no harm in
wearing men's clothes by women living in the West because this
is prototypical of the Western women. This argument is
groundless, because Allah has decreed that Muhammad sallalahu
alahe wa salam, is the last of the Prophets and Messengers to
whom He revealed the Qur'an, the last of His Books, and He has
chosen Islam as the only deen (religion) accepted by Him.
Islam, praise be to Allah, is not subject to men's whims or
opinions. Allah knows that Muslims will be living in
non-Islamic societies, yet He has decred that men should look
different from women, and vice versa. Allah says:
" Then We have made you follow a set
of laws, so adhere to it, and do not follow the inclinations of
those who do not know.(2) [Qur'an Al-Jathiya (crouching)
45:18]
The clause, 'who do not know', refers to
all those who oppose the Deen of Muhammad sallalahu alahe wa
salam. While 'their inclinations', signify all the false hood
and whims the unbelievers hold as part of their religion.
Hence, when the Muslims follow the unbelievers' whims, they
infact approve indirectly of their religion.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
" Is it not high
time that the believers should humble their hearts to the
remembrance of Allah and the truth which He has revealed and
that they should be unlike those to whom the Book was given
before, and to whom the term seemed overprotracted so that
their hearts hardened, and many of them are impious." (1) [57
Al-Hadid (the iron) : 16]
The Messenger of Allah (sallalahu
alahe wa salam), was very particular about commanding his
followers to differ from the unbelievers, not only in social
life, but also in acts of worship. We must, therefore heed to
the words of Allah, and be mindful of his prohibitions. If we
adopt the unbelievers' way of life, we would actually partake
also of the quality of their hearts.
Abdullah bin Umar
reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallalahu alahe wa
salam), said:
" Whoso wears a dress for pretentious show in this world, Allah
will give him to wear a dress of humiliation on the Day of
Resurrection, then it will be set on fire. (2) [Abu Dawood}
Conspicuous or ostentatious is that
which a person wears to be distinguished from others either
because the garment is expensive, or simply to show it off. A
person may also wear rags just to show his or her renunciation
of worldly things, or out of hypocrisy.
Taken from the book " The Islamic Digest
of Aqeedah and Fiqh " by Mahmoud R. Murad by Darussalam
Publishers (pages 147 to 155)
In
the Name of Allah, Most
Gracious, Most Merciful