❀ Islamic Rulings on the Shar‘i Hijab vs. Hypocritical Hijab ❀
By: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen رحمه الله
According to Islamic teachings, the clothing of a Muslim woman should fulfill the following requirements:
① It must cover the entire body.
② No aspect of physical beauty should be displayed in front of non-mahram men.
③ In front of mahram men, only those parts may be uncovered which are commonly accepted in the culture, such as the face, hands, and feet.
✔ The criteria for Islamic dress are:
— It must not be transparent, so that the skin tone or body shape is not visible from underneath.
— It must not be tight-fitting, in order to avoid revealing the body's contours and features.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"There are two types of people of Hell whom I have not yet seen: Women who are clothed yet naked, who deviate and make others deviate, whose heads are like the humps of camels. They will not enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance."
[Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 2131]
He said:
“Despite wearing clothes, such women are in reality naked—either because the garments are so thin that the body is visible through them, or because they are tight enough to reveal the form and structure of the body.”
The Prophet ﷺ cursed women who imitate men in their clothing.
☑ It is impermissible for women to adopt garments that are specific to men.
Allah Most High says:
﴿وَلَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا لِبُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَاىِٕهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَاءِ بُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اَبْنَاىِٕهِنَّ﴾
And they should not reveal their adornments except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands’ fathers, or their sons.
(Surah An-Nur: 31)
﴿وَاِذَا سَاَلْتُمُوْهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَسْـَٔــلُوْهُنَّ مِنْ وَّرَاءِ حِجَابٍ﴾
And when you ask them (the Prophet’s wives) for anything, ask them from behind a veil.
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 53)
Though this verse is specifically for the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, the reason behind it applies generally to all believing women, as Allah says:
﴿ذٰلِكُمْ اَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوْبِكُمْ وَقُلُوْبِهِنَّ﴾
This is purer for your hearts and their hearts.
Allah Most High says:
﴿يُدْنِيْنَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيْبِهِنَّ﴾
They should draw their cloaks (jilbāb) over themselves.
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 59)
Ibn Taymiyyah explains:
“Jilbāb is a large outer covering that envelops the woman’s head and body, allowing only the eyes to be visible.”
ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
“When the caravan would pass by us, we would hang our veils from our heads to cover our faces. Once they had passed, we would uncover our faces.”
[Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah]
Some women adopt a form of hijab that is based on social expectations rather than religious conviction:
✖ In environments where hijab is expected, they observe it.
✖ In places where hijab is not enforced, they abandon it—such as public markets or hospitals—exposing their faces and arms as if among mahrams.
➤ Some women only cover themselves when their plane is about to land at a Saudi airport, indicating that hijab is viewed as a cultural practice, not a divine command.
Hijab protects a woman from the corrupt gazes that lead to evil.
Allah Most High says:
﴿وَيُرِيْدُ الَّذِيْنَ يَتَّبِعُوْنَ الشَّهَوٰتِ اَنْ تَمِيْلُوْا مَيْلًا عَظِيْمًا﴾
Those who follow their desires wish that you would deviate greatly (from the truth).
(Surah An-Nisa: 27)
① Exit in Full Covering
ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
“Women would perform prayer with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and return home wrapped in their garments in the darkness such that they would not be recognized.”
[Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim]
② Avoid Fragrance
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from attending the mosques of Allah, but let them go without applying fragrance.”
[Ahmad, Abu Dawood]
③ Avoid Beautification and Jewelry
ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
“If the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had seen what women do today, he would have forbidden them from attending the mosque.”
[Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim]
④ Arrangement of Rows (Saff)
— Women stand behind the men.
— A lone woman should stand at the back, behind the men.
— The last row is best for women, just as the first row is best for men.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The best rows for men are the first ones, and the best rows for women are the last ones.”
[Sahih Muslim]
⑤ Correcting the Imam in Salah
Women are instructed to clap on the hand instead of saying “Subhān Allāh” if the Imam errs.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Men should say ‘Subhān Allāh’, and women should clap their hands.”
[Sahih Bukhari]
⑥ Returning from the Mosque
Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها said:
“Women would leave immediately after the prayer, and the men would remain seated so as not to encounter them.”
[Sahih Bukhari]
If gender mixing is prohibited even in the mosque, it is even more prohibited in other places.
By: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen رحمه الله
❖ The Ruling on the Shar‘i Hijab
According to Islamic teachings, the clothing of a Muslim woman should fulfill the following requirements:
① It must cover the entire body.
② No aspect of physical beauty should be displayed in front of non-mahram men.
③ In front of mahram men, only those parts may be uncovered which are commonly accepted in the culture, such as the face, hands, and feet.
✔ The criteria for Islamic dress are:
— It must not be transparent, so that the skin tone or body shape is not visible from underneath.
— It must not be tight-fitting, in order to avoid revealing the body's contours and features.
❖ Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"There are two types of people of Hell whom I have not yet seen: Women who are clothed yet naked, who deviate and make others deviate, whose heads are like the humps of camels. They will not enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance."
[Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 2131]
❖ Explanation by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله
He said:
“Despite wearing clothes, such women are in reality naked—either because the garments are so thin that the body is visible through them, or because they are tight enough to reveal the form and structure of the body.”
❖ Prohibition of Imitating Men in Dress
The Prophet ﷺ cursed women who imitate men in their clothing.
☑ It is impermissible for women to adopt garments that are specific to men.
❖ Qur’anic Rulings on the Shar‘i Hijab
Allah Most High says:
﴿وَلَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا لِبُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَاىِٕهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَاءِ بُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اَبْنَاىِٕهِنَّ﴾
And they should not reveal their adornments except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands’ fathers, or their sons.
(Surah An-Nur: 31)
﴿وَاِذَا سَاَلْتُمُوْهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَسْـَٔــلُوْهُنَّ مِنْ وَّرَاءِ حِجَابٍ﴾
And when you ask them (the Prophet’s wives) for anything, ask them from behind a veil.
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 53)
Though this verse is specifically for the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, the reason behind it applies generally to all believing women, as Allah says:
﴿ذٰلِكُمْ اَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوْبِكُمْ وَقُلُوْبِهِنَّ﴾
This is purer for your hearts and their hearts.
❖ The Command of the Jilbāb (Outer Garment)
Allah Most High says:
﴿يُدْنِيْنَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيْبِهِنَّ﴾
They should draw their cloaks (jilbāb) over themselves.
(Surah Al-Ahzab: 59)
Ibn Taymiyyah explains:
“Jilbāb is a large outer covering that envelops the woman’s head and body, allowing only the eyes to be visible.”
❖ Practice of ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها
ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
“When the caravan would pass by us, we would hang our veils from our heads to cover our faces. Once they had passed, we would uncover our faces.”
[Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah]
❖ The Hypocritical Hijab
Some women adopt a form of hijab that is based on social expectations rather than religious conviction:
✖ In environments where hijab is expected, they observe it.
✖ In places where hijab is not enforced, they abandon it—such as public markets or hospitals—exposing their faces and arms as if among mahrams.
➤ Some women only cover themselves when their plane is about to land at a Saudi airport, indicating that hijab is viewed as a cultural practice, not a divine command.
❖ Importance of Hijab
Hijab protects a woman from the corrupt gazes that lead to evil.
Allah Most High says:
﴿وَيُرِيْدُ الَّذِيْنَ يَتَّبِعُوْنَ الشَّهَوٰتِ اَنْ تَمِيْلُوْا مَيْلًا عَظِيْمًا﴾
Those who follow their desires wish that you would deviate greatly (from the truth).
(Surah An-Nisa: 27)
❖ Etiquette for Women in the Mosque
① Exit in Full Covering
ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
“Women would perform prayer with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and return home wrapped in their garments in the darkness such that they would not be recognized.”
[Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim]
② Avoid Fragrance
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from attending the mosques of Allah, but let them go without applying fragrance.”
[Ahmad, Abu Dawood]
③ Avoid Beautification and Jewelry
ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
“If the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had seen what women do today, he would have forbidden them from attending the mosque.”
[Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim]
④ Arrangement of Rows (Saff)
— Women stand behind the men.
— A lone woman should stand at the back, behind the men.
— The last row is best for women, just as the first row is best for men.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The best rows for men are the first ones, and the best rows for women are the last ones.”
[Sahih Muslim]
⑤ Correcting the Imam in Salah
Women are instructed to clap on the hand instead of saying “Subhān Allāh” if the Imam errs.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Men should say ‘Subhān Allāh’, and women should clap their hands.”
[Sahih Bukhari]
⑥ Returning from the Mosque
Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها said:
“Women would leave immediately after the prayer, and the men would remain seated so as not to encounter them.”
[Sahih Bukhari]
❖ Prohibition of Intermingling
If gender mixing is prohibited even in the mosque, it is even more prohibited in other places.
