The Shari'ah Description of the Jilbab for the Muslim Woman.
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The Shaykh : This is the problem, my brothers, so take heed, O you who possess intellect.
The jilbab is a garment, may Allah reward you, a garment that the woman places over her head, over the top of her head, and lets it hang down over her body. We call it an abaya. A garment, or anything else, a garment of thick, heavy cloth so that it does not reveal the shape of the limbs and is not transparent. So now you have brought a new philosophy, as if you imagine that in that era, with these transparent veils where the woman can see the road but her face is not seen, that was not the case. Therefore, I am drawing your attention to the fact that you must be responsive to the texts of the Book and the Sunnah, and leave the customs and traditions you are upon, and do not impose on people what Allah has not imposed. Allah has not imposed on women except[Al-Ahzab 33:59] There is the other verse [An-Nur 24:31] So, however you imagine it, as some of your shaykhs say, that it is the khimar, and this is contrary to the Book and contrary to the Sunnah, that it also covers the face. The khimar that covers the face blinds the woman to the road, my brothers, because if this khimar is transparent, if it is thin, it is not permissible for the woman to pray in it. And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said Excuse me, what is the hadith? Sunan Ibn Majah 655Sahih (Darussalam) So this khimar is not permissible to be transparent; rather, it must be thick. And this is the khimar that is on all of your heads, yes.
The questioner : It covers the woman, it darkens for the woman, she does not see if she took the khimar.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : It darkens for the woman, meaning she does not see.
The Shaykh : Yes, she does not see, of course.
The questioner : Well, since you are saying it is obligatory, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was like this.
The Shaykh : how
The questioner : You are now saying that this is obligatory for the Mothers of the Believers, and Aisha wears the khimar. How do you see Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)?
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, I say this, but do you know the hadith you are mentioning? You know she was riding. Do you know how? The hadith of Tabi' was that when she passed between the riders, she was riding on the howadaj and on the camels.
The questioner : And other such situations.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : And other such situations.
The Shaykh : Yes, the women of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not go out as the ordinary women of today go out. The important thing is that you must now stand with the verse. We have left the women of the Messenger aside and said this is a special privilege for them, and the scholars affirmed it for them. But we have no evidence except this verse, and we have the second verse[An-Nur 24:31]
The questioner : O Shaykh, Zaynab, may Allah reward you. Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) when she brought the page, it was eaten by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) while she was with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And Zaynab came to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) came, and she came to the house of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ...
The Shaykh : What is wrong with Zaynab? I did not understand you.
The questioner : Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her).
The Shaykh : Zaynab, Zaynab.
The questioner : Zaynab also.
The Shaykh : What is wrong with her?
The questioner : She came after Fatimah. I want the hadith that Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), the daughter of the Messenger, when Where did Fatimah come from?
The Shaykh : What do you want? Do you know how?
The questioner : I mean, she did not walk, and therefore she had a jilbab on.
The Shaykh : My brother, do you know how Fatimah came? Teach me what Allah has taught you. This reasoning, my brother, with riddles is not permissible, may Allah reward you.
The questioner : I mean, you are saying that this jilbab darkens for the woman, and it is obligatory on the women of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So how does it darken for them? How do the women of the Messenger see?
The Shaykh : So look, now you judge for yourself. The women of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had a ruling, and the matter ended there. How do you treat your wife if you want to stand with the Qur'anic text? How do you do it? If you say that the jilbab covers the face, you will not say it, nor will anyone else. So where did you get the idea that it is not permissible for a woman to uncover her face, and not her eyes either? Why?
The questioner : Why does the jilbab not cover the face, O Shaykh? Do you mean that it essentially darkens the face?
The Shaykh : And we are telling you, my brother, you have now exemplified "The witness sees what the absent one does not see" I am now saying this is the jilbab. Walk and see the road while your face is covered with this jilbab. This is not possible. And therefore ...
The questioner : How could the women of the Messenger be obligated to cover?
The Shaykh : Therefore, allow me, therefore, the scholars who said about covering the face found an outlet for themselves. But I see that you have been more severe than the Salaf. These scholars found that it is permissible for her to uncover one eye, and another said she uncovers both eyes, why? So that she can see the road. This is the answer.
But you are saying that the jilbab itself must be let down over her face, and in that case, you have blinded her to the road. And this is very clear, whether with the jilbab or with the khimar.
Please go ahead.
The jilbab is a garment, may Allah reward you, a garment that the woman places over her head, over the top of her head, and lets it hang down over her body. We call it an abaya. A garment, or anything else, a garment of thick, heavy cloth so that it does not reveal the shape of the limbs and is not transparent. So now you have brought a new philosophy, as if you imagine that in that era, with these transparent veils where the woman can see the road but her face is not seen, that was not the case. Therefore, I am drawing your attention to the fact that you must be responsive to the texts of the Book and the Sunnah, and leave the customs and traditions you are upon, and do not impose on people what Allah has not imposed. Allah has not imposed on women except
to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments
يدنين عليهن من جلابيبهنto wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests
وليضربن بخمرهن على جيوبهنWhen a woman reaches the age of menstruation
إذا بلغت المرأة المحيضAllah does not accept the prayer of a woman who menstruates (i.e., an adult woman) except with a head cover.
لا يقبل الله صلاة حائض إلا بخمارThe questioner : It covers the woman, it darkens for the woman, she does not see if she took the khimar.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : It darkens for the woman, meaning she does not see.
The Shaykh : Yes, she does not see, of course.
The questioner : Well, since you are saying it is obligatory, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was like this.
The Shaykh : how
The questioner : You are now saying that this is obligatory for the Mothers of the Believers, and Aisha wears the khimar. How do you see Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)?
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, I say this, but do you know the hadith you are mentioning? You know she was riding. Do you know how? The hadith of Tabi' was that when she passed between the riders, she was riding on the howadaj and on the camels.
The questioner : And other such situations.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : And other such situations.
The Shaykh : Yes, the women of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not go out as the ordinary women of today go out. The important thing is that you must now stand with the verse. We have left the women of the Messenger aside and said this is a special privilege for them, and the scholars affirmed it for them. But we have no evidence except this verse, and we have the second verse
to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests
وليضربن بخمرهن على جيوبهنThe questioner : O Shaykh, Zaynab, may Allah reward you. Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) when she brought the page, it was eaten by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) while she was with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And Zaynab came to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) came, and she came to the house of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ...
The Shaykh : What is wrong with Zaynab? I did not understand you.
The questioner : Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her).
The Shaykh : Zaynab, Zaynab.
The questioner : Zaynab also.
The Shaykh : What is wrong with her?
The questioner : She came after Fatimah. I want the hadith that Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), the daughter of the Messenger, when
She came to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, O Messenger of Allah, your women say that you should be just with the daughter of Abu Bakr.
جاءت إلى الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم وقالت يا رسول الله إن نساءك يقولون أن تعدل مع بنت أبي قحافةThe Shaykh : What do you want? Do you know how?
The questioner : I mean, she did not walk, and therefore she had a jilbab on.
The Shaykh : My brother, do you know how Fatimah came? Teach me what Allah has taught you. This reasoning, my brother, with riddles is not permissible, may Allah reward you.
The questioner : I mean, you are saying that this jilbab darkens for the woman, and it is obligatory on the women of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So how does it darken for them? How do the women of the Messenger see?
The Shaykh : So look, now you judge for yourself. The women of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had a ruling, and the matter ended there. How do you treat your wife if you want to stand with the Qur'anic text? How do you do it? If you say that the jilbab covers the face, you will not say it, nor will anyone else. So where did you get the idea that it is not permissible for a woman to uncover her face, and not her eyes either? Why?
The questioner : Why does the jilbab not cover the face, O Shaykh? Do you mean that it essentially darkens the face?
The Shaykh : And we are telling you, my brother, you have now exemplified "The witness sees what the absent one does not see" I am now saying this is the jilbab. Walk and see the road while your face is covered with this jilbab. This is not possible. And therefore ...
The questioner : How could the women of the Messenger be obligated to cover?
The Shaykh : Therefore, allow me, therefore, the scholars who said about covering the face found an outlet for themselves. But I see that you have been more severe than the Salaf. These scholars found that it is permissible for her to uncover one eye, and another said she uncovers both eyes, why? So that she can see the road. This is the answer.
But you are saying that the jilbab itself must be let down over her face, and in that case, you have blinded her to the road. And this is very clear, whether with the jilbab or with the khimar.
Please go ahead.