Conditions of the Jilbab/Hijab

1. It covers the whole body

Allah says: “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 except the eyes or one eye to see the way]. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Al-Ahzab, 33:59]

Al-Hafiz ibn Kathir said in his Tafsir:

This means that they should not display any part of their adornment to non-mahrams, apart from that which it is impossible to conceal. Ibn Mas’ud said: such as the cloak and robe, i.e., what the women of the Arabs used to wear, an outer garment which covered whatever the woman was wearing, except for whatever appeared from beneath the outer garment. There is no sin on a woman with regard to this because it is impossible to conceal it.

2. It is not an adornment.

Allah says: “… and not to show off their adornment…” [An-Nur, 24:31].

“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance” [Al-Ahzab, 33:33].

The Prophet  صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: “There are three, do not ask me about them: a man who leaves the jama’ah, disobeys his leader and dies disobedient; a female or male slave who runs away then dies; and a woman whose husband is absent and left her with everything she needs, and after he left she made a wanton display of herself. Do not ask about them.”

(Narrated by al-Hakim, 1/119; Ahmad, 6/19; from the hadith of Faddalah bint ‘Ubaid. Its isnad is sahih and it is in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).

3. It is thick and not transparent

The Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: “During the last days of my ummah there will be women who are clothed but naked, with something on their heads like the humps of camels. Curse them, for they are cursed.” Another hadith adds: “They will not enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance.”

[Narrated by Muslim, Book 37, Hadith 190].

4. It is loose and not tight

Usamah Ibn Zaid said: “The Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ  gave me a thick Egyptian garment that was one of the gifts given to him by Duhyat 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-Diya’ Al-Maqdisi in Al-Ahadith Al-Mukhtaarah, 1/442, and by Ahmad and Al-Baihaqi, with a hasan isnad].

5. It is not fragranced or perfumed

The Prophet  صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said, “Any woman who perfumes herself and passes amongst the people so that they may smellher scent, has (resembled) a fornicator.”

(Reported by An-Nasaa’ee, Abu Dawood, and At-Tirmidhee).

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah,  صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , said, “Any woman who adorns herself with strong fragrances should not attend the evening prayer with us.”

(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 444)

A woman passed by Abu Hurairah smelling of perfume, so he said to her, “O female slave of the Exalted! Are you going to the Mosque?” She replied,“Yes.” He said,“And you perfumed your-self for it?” She replied, “Yes.” So he said,“Then return back and take a bath, for indeed I heard Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ say, ‘Allah will not accept the prayer of a woman who leaves for the Mosque smelling of perfume up until she returns to her home and takes a bath (to remove it’s smell).’”

(Reported by Al-Bayhaqee).

The Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: “During the last days of my ummah there will be women who are clothed but naked, with something on their heads like the humps of camels. Curse them, for they are cursed.” Another hadith adds: “They will not enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance.”

[Narrated by Muslim, Book 37, Hadith 190].

6. It does not resemble the clothing of men

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ cursed the man who wears women’s clothing and the woman who wears men’s clothing.

(Narrated by Abu Dawud, 4098 Book 34, Hadith 79)

Ibn ‘Abbas said: “The Prophet  صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ cursed effeminate men and masculine women. He said, ‘Throw them out of your houses.’” He said: “The Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ expelled so and so, and ‘Umar expelled so and so.” According to another version: “The Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men.”

(  Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2784, Book 43, Hadith 56 )

7. It does not resemble the clothing of disbelieving women

Muslims have been gifted by Islam with a distinct identity that must be maintained. As a result, Islamic law prohibits believers from imitating nonbelievers in areas that are unique to them, such as worship, festivities, and attire. Due to the enormous number of Muslims who mindlessly adhere to non-Islamic cultural traditions, this crucial Islamic principle has been abandoned in modern times, to the point that much of the Islamic history is being lost as the generations pass.

There are numerous genuine accounts from the Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ in this regard, including his statement: “Differ from the people of the Scripture...”, “Differ from the Jews...”, “Differ from the unbelievers...”,“Whoever imitates a people is from them.”

(Reported by At-Tirmidhee, Ibn Hibbaan, Abu Dawood and others)

8. It is not worn for fame (to show off and to impress people) 

Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , said, “Whoever wears a garment in vanity, Allah will make him wear a garment of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, then He will set it ablaze with fire.”

( Sunan Ibn Majah 3607, Book 32, Hadith 58 )

References:

1. Sources: “Jilbaab al-Mar’atil-Muslimah fil-Kitaab was-Sunnah” by Shaikh Al-Albani