In our last article we touched on the obligation of Hijab. Here, we will look at the requirements necessary to meet that obligation.

Hijab has become a fashion accessory; the final piece that sets it all off. But this is not what it was intended for.

It was intended to protect the muslim woman, to preserve her modesty, to cover her. Today’s modern hijab exposes the woman, adorns her attire or on the other extreme makes her look a right frump. Few are those who have struck the right balance between elegance and full coverage. This should be our aim, to be presentable without being attractive, to be beautiful for who you are, whilst being fully garbed.

So here are some guidelines to help you along the way:

• Cleanliness: Whatever you choose to cover yourself with, my dear sisters, ensure it is clean. I have seen sisters with food stains decorating their clothes, and kitchen smells to accentuate it. Not the best combination! Our Prophet taught us that cleanliness is half of faith (collected by Muslim) As such if we truly believe in Allah, and His Messenger we should follow their orders and ensure we and our clothes are clean both in the house and outside of it.

• Ironing: we no longer live in an age where ironing is a luxury, rather it is now a necessity. Please, ensure your clothes have not just been pulled out from under the mattress!

• Full coverage: Not medium, nor sheer. Ensure everything that is supposed to be covered is fully covered. As a muslimah, that is your whole body, with the exclusion of the hands and face, at most. So my sisters, pull your hijabs forward to cover your hair, unroll your sleeves to cover your forearms, and roll down your trousers to cover your ankles. As women, our awrah is precious, let’s make the effort to cover it all. Your feet should be covered, for Umm Salamah directly asked the prophet regarding covering the feet,

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever lets his garment drag out of pride, Allah will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection.” Umm Salamah said: What should women do with their hems? He said: “They should let them down a hand span.” She said: “Then their feet will show.” He said: “Then let it down a cubit, but no more than that.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi 1731and An-Nasaa’i (5336). The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1864)

“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allaah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Ahzab 33:59)

• Not Transparent: The garments you choose to cover yourself with should not be transparent or see-through. They should be opaque, so as not to reveal your skin or the shape of your body beneath. Our Prophet warned us about this when he said,

“During the last days of my ummah there will be women who are clothed yet naked, with something on their heads like the humps of camels, curse them, for they are cursed” and in another narration he added, ‘they will not enter paradise though its fragrance can be detected from such-and such a distance,” (Collected by Muslim) 

Ibn Abdil Barr said about ‘women who are clothed yet naked’ that what the Prophet meant was women who wear clothes made of light fabric which describes and does not cover. They are clothed in name but naked in reality. (Transmitted by al-Suyooti in Tanweer al-Hawaalik)

• Avoid Camel Humps: Sadly this has evolved into a hijab fashion, where girls tie their hair up high, or add a volumous accessory to give the appearance of large amount of hair under the hijab. I’ve heard many excuses for using this style, such as, ‘it holds my hijab in place,’ and ‘my hair will show otherwise,’ but my sisters, fear Allah, do not lose your jannah! The sahabiyyat were women too, and they managed to cover their hair in appropriate manner without resembling the humps of camels.

• It should be loose fitting: The clothes you choose sisters, should be loose, not fitted or sitting on your figure. This has become a big issue especially with the uprising of the jersey abayas…Reason being; jersey is naturally a fabric that sits and sticks, and so as a person moves the full shape of their body is seen. My dear sisters, I advise you to refrain from jersey abayas or narrow cut abayas and the like. The purpose of clothing is to prevent fitnah (temptation), and this can only be achieved if clothes are wide and loose. Tight clothes, even if they conceal the colour of the skin, still describe the size and shape of the body or part of it, and create a vivid image in the minds of men. Protect your modesty to earn the pleasure of Allah.

Usaamah ibn Zayd said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave me a thick Egyptian garment that was one of the gifts given to him by Dihya al-Kalbi, and I gave it to my wife to wear. He said, ‘Why do I not see you wearing that Egyptian garment?’ I said, ‘I gave it to my wife to wear.’ He said, ‘Tell her to wear a gown underneath it, for I am afraid that it may describe the size of her bones.’” (Narrated by al-Diyaa’ al-Maqdisi in al-Ahaadeeth al-Mukhtaarah, 1/442, and by Ahmad and Al-Bayhaqi)

• Perfumery: As women our clothes are not allowed to be perfumed before we leave the house, or appear before non-mahram men.

Abu Musa al-Ash’ari said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Any woman who puts on perfume then passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.”

• Attractive colours: Many sisters choose their hijab colour because it accentuates their eye colour or brings out the colour in their cheeks. My sisters, your hijab should not be dreary or dull, but neither should it be attractive, remember the purpose of the hijab it to protect you and the men from fitna.

• Your clothes should not resemble the clothing of men, whether in your home or outside:

Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed the man who wears women’s clothes, and the woman who wears men’s clothes.”

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘They are not part of us, the women who imitate men and the men who imitate women.’”

• It should not resemble the dressing of the disbelievers: Our Prophet said,

“Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood (4031) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani) 

• It should not be a garment of fame or vanity or to express pride:

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever wears a garment of fame and vanity in this world, Allah will clothe him in a garment of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, then He will cause Fire to flame up around him.’” (Hijaab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, p. 54-67).

Choose your outfit wisely my sisters, it represents you before the people, and before Allah. It is a symbol of your virtue, a token of your devotion and a means of protection.

May Allah strengthen us all to come closer to Him, by dressing in the manner most pleasing to Him.