The Ruling on a Woman Wearing Short or Tight Clothing
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Q: We live in the desert, and everyone is Bedouin. There are women who wear clothes that cover the 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered), but they are short, and sometimes tight. What do you advise these women?
A: There is no doubt that it is obligatory for women to cover themselves and to avoid tabarruj (a woman's display of her adornment) and showing off their beauty, due to the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [Surat al-Ahzab: 33]. The scholars of tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis) said that the meaning of tabarruj is showing off one's beauty and charms.
It is obligatory for a woman to be covered and wear the hijab when she is in the presence of one or more men who are not her mahram (a relative one may not marry), and to stay away from fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in Surat al-Ahzab as well: [al-Ahzab: 53]. So, the purest thing for the hearts of men and women is for women to be covered and wear the hijab, and not to display their adornment, so that they do not cause fitnah and are not themselves exposed to it.
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [al-Nur: 31]. And Allah the Exalted said in Surat al-Ahzab: [al-Ahzab: 59].
The jilbab (the outer garment) is a garment that a woman places over her head and over her entire body, above her regular clothes, for the sake of more covering and distance from fitnah. This is what a woman should do, whether she is Bedouin or urban. It is obligatory for her to adhere to the ruling of Islam and to strive to cover her 'awrah. Her clothes should be moderate, not tight so as to reveal the size of the 'awrah, nor loose so as to reveal the 'awrah, but moderate between the two, with covering of the head, face, and hands in the presence of a non-mahram man. If it is her cousin, her maternal uncle, her sister's husband, or her husband's brother, and so on. In her prayer, she covers her entire body except for the face. The sunnah (recommended practice) is to uncover it in prayer if there is no man around her who is not a mahram.
As for the two hands, if she uncovers them, there is nothing wrong with it, but if she covers them, that is better. As for the two feet, it is obligatory to cover them in prayer according to the majority of the scholars of knowledge, and it is not permissible to uncover them. Their covering is done by letting the shirt hang down or by wearing socks or the like when performing the prayer.
A: There is no doubt that it is obligatory for women to cover themselves and to avoid tabarruj (a woman's display of her adornment) and showing off their beauty, due to the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) :
And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىIt is obligatory for a woman to be covered and wear the hijab when she is in the presence of one or more men who are not her mahram (a relative one may not marry), and to stay away from fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in Surat al-Ahzab as well:
And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.
وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّAnd he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers
وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّO 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 Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًاThe jilbab (the outer garment) is a garment that a woman places over her head and over her entire body, above her regular clothes, for the sake of more covering and distance from fitnah. This is what a woman should do, whether she is Bedouin or urban. It is obligatory for her to adhere to the ruling of Islam and to strive to cover her 'awrah. Her clothes should be moderate, not tight so as to reveal the size of the 'awrah, nor loose so as to reveal the 'awrah, but moderate between the two, with covering of the head, face, and hands in the presence of a non-mahram man. If it is her cousin, her maternal uncle, her sister's husband, or her husband's brother, and so on. In her prayer, she covers her entire body except for the face. The sunnah (recommended practice) is to uncover it in prayer if there is no man around her who is not a mahram.
As for the two hands, if she uncovers them, there is nothing wrong with it, but if she covers them, that is better. As for the two feet, it is obligatory to cover them in prayer according to the majority of the scholars of knowledge, and it is not permissible to uncover them. Their covering is done by letting the shirt hang down or by wearing socks or the like when performing the prayer.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.