The verses and the views
Hijab in Islam: a guide for Muslim women
Two verses, three Arabic words, and how the four schools have read them.
Two verses at the heart of it
Surah An-Nur and Surah Al-Ahzab. An-Nur tells believing women to draw their head-coverings over their chests and not to show their adornment except to their close family and to other women (Quran 24:31). Al-Ahzab tells the Prophet ﷺ to tell his wives, his daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them, so that they are known and not troubled (Quran 33:59):
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يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزۡوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يُدۡنِينَ عَلَيۡهِنَّ مِن جَلَٰبِيبِهِنَّۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدۡنَىٰٓ أَن يُعۡرَفۡنَ فَلَا يُؤۡذَيۡنَۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا ٥٩
yāayyuhā l-nabiyu qul li-azwājika wabanātika wanisāi l-mu'minīna yud'nīna ʿalayhinna min jalābībihinna dhālika adnā an yuʿ'rafna falā yu'dhayna wakāna l-lahu ghafūran raḥīman
O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allāh Forgiving and Merciful.
Hijab, khimar and jilbab
Three words for three things. In the Quran, hijab means a screen or partition (Quran 33:53). The head-covering in An-Nur is the khimar (Quran 24:31), and the outer garment in Al-Ahzab is the jilbab (Quran 33:59). Today most people say “hijab” for the headscarf, and for modest dress as a whole.
What the schools say, for Muslim women today
On the hair they agree; on the face they differ. The four schools hold that a woman covers her hair and body, apart from her face and hands, before men outside her close family, reading Quran 24:31. The Hanafi and Maliki schools do not require the face to be covered, though later Hanafi scholars advised it where there was fear of harm. The relied-upon Hanbali view, and that of many Shafi‘i scholars, is that the face is covered too. If you are unsure which to follow, ask a scholar you trust.
Wearing it with confidence
Start where you are. Some girls wear a scarf from childhood; many women begin later, and some go back and forth before it feels like theirs. Choose a fabric that breathes and a style that stays put, and give yourself time. Our guide to hijab styles covers fabrics, sizes and pins. In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 protects religion and belief at work and in education, and many schools offer a headscarf in uniform colours.
Hijab questions Muslim women ask
When does a girl start wearing hijab?
Many scholars tie it to puberty, when the other duties begin, since the pen is lifted from a child until they come of age (Sunan Abi Dawud 4398). Many families let girls try it earlier, gently and without pressure.
Who can see me without my hijab?
Your husband, your father and father-in-law, your sons and stepsons, your brothers and their sons, your sisters’ sons, other women and young children, as Quran 24:31 lists them.
Can I wear hijab for sport?
Yes. Sports hijabs in stretch fabric pull on without pins and stay put while you run or swim. Our styles guide has tips for PE and the gym.