Hijab is one of the important things related to the Islamic religion, and recently the topic of hijab has become a controversial and debated topic, as there are some people who see the necessity of wearing hijab while others see that it is not necessary to wear it, so many people ask this question: Is it compulsory to wear hijab in Islam?
In this article, Sheikh Saleh Academy takes on the task of answering this question: Is it compulsory to wear hijab in Islam? And we will focus on explaining this topic with evidence from the Holy Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet, and the sayings of scholars through accurate and confirmed information so that you can understand the topic correctly.
Is it compulsory to wear hijab in Islam?
If you are asking this question: Is it compulsory to wear hijab in Islam? The answer will of course be yes, as every girl who reaches puberty must wear the hijab, as it is a religious duty, as every woman must wear this hijab in front of foreign men except for mahrams such as the father, brother, husband and others as in the verse of mahrams.
Although the hijab usually means covering the head, the concept of this word in Islam indicates that a woman must cover her entire body except the face and hands according to some scholars, while others see the necessity of covering the face, also, the clothes must be loose and not tight, meaning that they do not describe her body so that the covering is complete.
“وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَتِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنَاتِ إِخْوَتِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنَاتِ أُخْتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ وَلَا تَكْتُمَنَّ زِينَتَهُنَّ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْرَفْنَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَىٰ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ”
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not to reveal their adornment except what is apparent of it. And they should place their khumur over their bosoms and not reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ daughters, their women, or those their right hands possess. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you believers, that you might succeed.”
Punishment for not wearing hijab in Quran
After answering the question Is it compulsory to wear hijab in Islam, there is no text in the Holy Quran or the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH that indicates a specific punishment for those who don’t wear the hijab, but there are verses of warning from Allah SWT that whoever violates that will be severely punished in the afterlife because she has violated the orders of Allah SWT, and her guardian, whether her father, husband or ruler, must oblige women to wear the hijab and punish them if they violate that.
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Importance of hijab in Islam
The hijab in Islam is of great importance because it is obedience to Allah SWT and expresses faith and commitment to His orders, in addition to protecting women from looks and harassment, and it is also part of the identity of the Muslim woman and indicates her chastity and modesty.
Is hijab mandatory in Islam Sunni?
All the righteous predecessors, scholars and all four schools of thought agreed that a woman must cover her entire body except for the face and hands, and thus hijab is obligatory for all schools of thought, whether Shafi’i, Hanafi, Hanbali or Maliki, and hijab is covering the body with loose, wide clothing that doesn’t describe or embody the body.
Although there is a group of opponents in the modern era who believe that hijab is not obligatory, all scholars throughout Islamic history have agreed that hijab is obligatory. Of course, those who raise doubts in the current era are nothing but people who want to distort Islam and want women to become immodest or not covered to fulfill their personal whims.
Why do some Muslims not wear hijab?
After answering the question: Is it obligatory to wear a hijab in Islam? Most Muslim women who don’t wear hijab know that it is an obligation from Allah SWT, but they don’t wear it and this is considered a sin, perhaps Allah SWT will guide them and direct them to the right path. There is another group that doesn’t know much about Islam but has heard some weak and wrong opinions that deny the obligation of hijab for Muslim women, so we advise them to listen to reliable scholars and read the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet on this topic.
There is also a group of Muslims who take off the hijab due to social pressures and the surrounding environment, such as Muslim women who live in European countries and countries where Islam is not widespread, but we advise them to adhere to the commands of Islam because Allah SWT is more deserving of being feared by man than fearing people, and this is the answer to the question Is it compulsory to wear hijab in Islam?
Read about: when can a woman take off her hijab?
What are the reasons behind wearing a hijab in Islam?
The reasons behind wearing a hijab in Islam are many, the most important of which is obeying Allah SWT and obeying His Prophet, PBUH, Secondly, the hijab is a cover for women, chastity for them, and protection for them from the eyes of onlookers, because a Muslim woman must be careful not to let anyone see her body or any part of her except her mahrams only.
The hijab is part of the Islamic identity and a symbol for the Muslim woman, confirming her belonging to Islam and her commitment to its teachings. It also gives many Muslim women psychological comfort and a sense of security, stability, and protection from the eyes of onlookers.
Can a woman choose not to wear a hijab in Islam?
After answering the question: Is it obligatory to wear a hijab in Islam? It is forbidden for a woman to choose not to wear a hijab because it is an obligation from Allah SWT. Imagine that you are afraid of violating the laws that humans have set, so why are you not afraid of the laws that the Creator of these humans has set? Allah SWT is more deserving of being feared than these humans, so you should not disobey the commands of Allah SWT.
Read about: Rules of Wearing a Hijab
Does the Quran say you have to wear a hijab?
Yes, the noble verse that we mentioned indicates the obligation of wearing a hijab in Islam and that a woman should not show anything of her body in front of foreign men except in front of mahrams such as the father, brother and husband.
Will Allah punish for not wearing hijab?
After answering the question: Is it obligatory to wear a hijab in Islam? We come to talk about the punishment that Allah SWT has prepared for the woman who does not wear the hijab, and the sins that a woman takes are not limited to her disobedience to Allah SWT, but she takes the sin of every man who looks at her body and hair that Allah SWT ordered her to cover, and thus her punishment will be great in the afterlife.
Read more: why do islam wear hijab?
How does wearing a hijab impact a Muslim woman’s identity in Islam?
A Muslim woman is distinguished from any other woman in that she is committed to covering her entire body from the sight of strangers, and therefore in all parts of the world if you find a woman committed to covering her entire body except for the face and hands, you will of course know that she is a Muslim woman, because the hijab emphasizes the values of women and their Islamic principles in distinguishing them from others.
Read more: Hijab in islam quotes
What do Islamic scholars say about the necessity of wearing a hijab in Islam?
All jurists, including the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools of thought, believe that a woman must wear the hijab and cover all of her body and hair except for the face and hands, due to the verses and hadiths of the Prophet that emphasize the obligation of women to cover themselves and warn of the punishment of Allah SWT in the afterlife for a woman who does not wear the hijab.
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