The Reality of Women’s Covering Clothing from Non-Mahram Men

From the Arab Republic of Egypt, a message was sent by our brother, whose name is concealed, Harun Sulayman, from the village of al-Nazilah. Our brother says: We live in the desert, and all the people are Bedouin. There, women wear clothes that cover the awrah (the part of the body that must be covered), but they are short, and sometimes tight. What do you advise these people?
Answer: 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. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: : [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. So it is obligatory for the woman to be covered, wearing hijab (the covering prescribed for women), and to be far from fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), as Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [Surat al-Ahzab:53]. So the purest thing for the hearts of men and the hearts of women is the covering and hijab on the part of the women, and not engaging in tabarruj, so that they do not cause fitnah and are not caused fitnah. And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [Surat al-Nur:31], the verse. And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [Surat al-Ahzab:59]. The jilbab (the outer garment) is something the woman places over her head or over her entire body, above her private clothes, for the sake of covering and avoiding fitnah. This is what the woman should do, whether she is Bedouin or urban, African or otherwise. 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. The best of things are the moderate ones. They should be moderate, and she should cover her face, head, and entire body in the presence of non-mahram men, when a non-mahram man is present. Likewise, in her prayer, she covers her entire body in her prayer, except for the face, and there is no harm in uncovering it in prayer. In fact, it is prescribed (mashru’) for her to uncover it in prayer if there is no non-mahram man present. As for the two hands, if she uncovers them, there is no harm, but if she covers them, that is better. As for the two feet, they are covered in prayer according to the majority of the scholars of knowledge. She covers them by letting the clothes hang down if they are long, or by wearing socks on her feet while performing the prayer. May Allah grant all of you success and guidance. Yes.