Conditions of Hijab: 8 Rules for Muslim Women's Dress in Islam

Hijab is more than a scarf on the head. In Islam the conditions of hijab are a set of specific rules, and a woman's outer clothing counts as proper hijab when it meets them. Sultan Muhammad Rashed's earlier writing listed these conditions; this article keeps that core idea and sets out the evidence for each one, what it means, and how to apply it to the clothes people wear today.

One point first: the conditions were derived by scholars from the Quran and hadith. Shaykh Nasir al-Din al-Albani arranged them under 8 headings in his book Hijab al-Mar'ah al-Muslimah, and many fatwa bodies, IslamQA among them, cite the same list. Covering the face is a matter of difference among scholars and is dealt with in a separate section.

Where the rules of hijab come from

The core commands come in two verses of the Quran.

• Surah an-Nur 24:31: believing women are told to lower their gaze, guard their chastity, not display their adornment except what ordinarily appears, and draw their head-coverings over their chests. The same verse lists the people before whom adornment may be shown, that is, the mahrams.
• Surah al-Ahzab 33:59: the Prophet ﷺ is told to ask his wives, daughters and the believing women to draw part of their outer garments (jilbab) over themselves, so they are recognised and not harassed.

In addition, 33:33 forbids displaying adornment as in the time of ignorance (tabarruj). The conditions below come from these verses read together with the related hadiths.

The 8 conditions of hijab, with evidence

1. It covers the body, apart from the exempted parts

Verse 24:31 says to conceal adornment "except what ordinarily appears", and 33:59 says to draw the outer garment over oneself. What "ordinarily appears" means is the root of the difference over the face and hands (see below). Scholars agree, however, that the hair, neck, chest, arms and legs are covered in front of non-mahram men.

2. The garment is not itself an adornment

The purpose of hijab is to reduce attention. An abaya or wrap that is so shiny, embroidered or decorated that it draws eyes defeats that purpose. The ban on tabarruj in 33:33 is the basis of this condition. Colour itself is not forbidden; plain and modest is the point.

3. The fabric is thick, not transparent

In Sahih Muslim 2128 the Prophet ﷺ described women "who are clothed yet naked" and warned of a severe outcome for them. Scholars explain that one meaning is clothing so thin that the body or skin colour shows through. Hijab fabric should therefore hide what is beneath it.

4. It is loose, not tight

Even thick fabric shows the body's shape if it clings. IslamQA cites the report of Usamah ibn Zayd: the Prophet ﷺ gave him a garment, which he gave to his wife, and the Prophet ﷺ said she should wear another garment beneath it, as it might show the shape of her body (Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi, hasan chain). This is the basis for loose clothing.

5. It is not perfumed

Abu Musa al-Ash'ari narrated that the Prophet ﷺ spoke severely about a woman who wears perfume and passes by people so that they smell it (Abu Dawud 4173, graded hasan by al-Albani). Strong perfume is therefore avoided when going out among non-mahram men. Perfume at home, for one's husband or among women is not a problem.

6. It does not resemble men's clothing

Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men (Sahih al-Bukhari 5885). A woman's clothing should not be what the local society recognises as men's dress.

7. It does not imitate the distinctive dress of other religions

"Whoever imitates a people is one of them" (Abu Dawud 4031; al-Albani graded it hasan sahih, though some hadith scholars noted weakness in one narrator). This does not ban modern clothing in general; it concerns clothing known as the symbol of a particular religion or group.

8. It is not a garment of fame or show

Ibn Umar narrated that whoever wears a garment of fame in this world, Allah will clothe him in a garment of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection (Abu Dawud 4029, graded hasan by al-Albani). Clothing is for modesty, not for showing off or standing out to be noticed. This applies to men as well.

At a glance: condition, evidence, practice

Covering the face and hands: the four schools

This is an old difference of opinion, so one view should not be forced on people who follow another.

• Hanafi: the face and hands up to the wrists are not awrah. A young woman is still told not to uncover her face before non-mahram men, because of fear of fitnah rather than because it is awrah.
• Maliki: the face and hands are not awrah, but must be covered where uncovering them would lead to fitnah.
• Shafi'i: two views; in one the face and palms are not awrah, in the other they are.
• Hanbali: two narrations; in one the face and hands are not awrah, in the other the whole body is.

Those who allow the face to be uncovered cite Abu Dawud 4104: Asma bint Abi Bakr came in thin clothing, the Prophet ﷺ turned away and said that once a woman reaches puberty nothing should be seen of her except her face and hands. Abu Dawud himself said the report is mursal (a narrator is missing in the chain), while al-Albani graded it sahih on the strength of supporting routes. Those who hold the face must be covered take the command in 33:59 to draw the outer garment over oneself as their evidence.

Practical advice: follow the view of your own school through a trusted scholar, and don't mock those who follow a different one.

Common mistakes

• Covered head, tight clothes: a headscarf with a clinging outfit does not meet the fourth condition.
• Sheer georgette abayas: they look like an abaya, but in sunlight what is underneath shows. Use a lining or thicker fabric.
• Assuming relatives don't count: cousins, a husband's brothers and a sister's husband are not mahrams. See our article "Who Is a Mahram in Islam?" for the full list.
• Thinking hijab is only clothing: 24:31 begins with lowering the gaze. Modest speech, not talking needlessly with non-mahram men (33:32) and not being alone with them are also part of hijab.
• Forgetting men's duty: before addressing women, verse 24:30 tells men to lower their gaze. Our article on hijab for men covers this.

When the rules are relaxed

Verse 24:31 itself says ordinary adornment (such as hair, hands and face) may be shown before a husband, father, father-in-law, sons, stepsons, brothers, nephews, other Muslim women and children who are not yet aware of such matters. Verse 24:60 allows elderly women who no longer expect marriage to set aside their outer garments, as long as they do not display adornment, though the verse says restraint is better for them. Scholars also allow uncovering what is necessary for medical treatment.

Final word

The conditions of hijab come down to one idea: clothing that covers the body and does not draw attention. Covering, thick and loose fabric, no perfume in public, not dressing like men or in another religion's symbolic dress, and not dressing for show—keep these in mind and almost any modest outfit from the market can be made suitable. On disputed questions such as covering the face, ask a trusted scholar of your own school.