Ruling on a Woman Removing Her Clothes Outside Her Husband's Home

Source: This ruling is derived from the Fatwas of the Scholars of Haramain, compiled in the book "500 Questions and Answers for Women", translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.

Question:​

Some narrations cause confusion in my mind, such as the Hadith:

"Whoever removes her clothes outside her husband's house..."
What is the meaning and interpretation of this Hadith?

Answer:​

The meaning of this Hadith, as explained in "Fayd al-Qadir Sharh al-Jami' al-Saghir", is as follows:

Hadith Narration:
The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Whoever removes her clothes, or any woman who removes her clothing outside her husband's house, has torn apart the veil between herself and Allah."
(Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 3750)

Context of the Hadith
A similar narration is reported from Aisha (رضي الله عنها), in which she told Abu al-Malih bin Usama:

"Indeed, women among you go to public bathhouses."
Then she narrated the above-mentioned Hadith.

Hadith Authentication and Explanation
Ibn al-Jawzi (رحمه الله) classified this Hadith as weak (ma'lul), but upon further verification, its defect (‘illah) was found to be non-damaging (ghayr qadihah).

The issue was that Jarir bin Abdul Hamid narrated this from Mansur, who narrated from Salim bin Abi al-Ja’d, and Salim narrating from Aisha (رضي الله عنها) is not established (sama’ is not proven), making it mursal (disconnected).

However, Sufyan al-Thawri and Shu’bah narrated it from Mansur in a connected (muttasil) form, and Sufyan and Shu’bah are more reliable than Jarir bin Abdul Hamid.

The Purpose of the Hadith
The Hadith serves as a warning against displaying adornments (zina) in front of non-mahram men.

However, if a woman is wearing modest, Islamic attire and visits another woman’s house or a gathering where only women are present, and she removes an outer garment (like a coat or abaya) to feel lighter, there is no harm in doing so.

Key Takeaway:
The prohibition in the Hadith refers only to exposing one's beauty or adornment (zina) in an impermissible manner, not to the simple act of changing clothes in a private or modest setting.

Reference: [Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani (رحمه الله)]