The ruling on the exclusivity of hijab for free Muslim women as opposed to slave women
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Question:
Is hijab specifically revealed for free Muslim women and not imposed on slave women, given that slave women are subject to the same temptation? And is it true that our master 'Umar ibn al-Khattab forbade one of the slave women from wearing hijab and imitating the free women?
Answer:
The original ruling is that hijab is for free women; this is the default. Slave women are employed for service, and generally, they do not pose a danger in terms of being uncovered or in terms of beauty. Therefore, free women must cover themselves and wear hijab. Many scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have stated that if a slave woman possesses beauty and poses a danger, she must also veil herself, because the operative cause is the same. If she is unattractive, she is like an old woman, and hijab is not obligatory for her. The old woman who does not desire marriage, does not adorn herself, and is among the post-menopausal women, about whom Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Surat al-Nur: 60].
The old woman who is not desired, does not adorn herself, and does not do anything that would encourage marriage, and the slave woman who poses no danger, are not required to wear hijab.
Is hijab specifically revealed for free Muslim women and not imposed on slave women, given that slave women are subject to the same temptation? And is it true that our master 'Umar ibn al-Khattab forbade one of the slave women from wearing hijab and imitating the free women?
Answer:
The original ruling is that hijab is for free women; this is the default. Slave women are employed for service, and generally, they do not pose a danger in terms of being uncovered or in terms of beauty. Therefore, free women must cover themselves and wear hijab. Many scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have stated that if a slave woman possesses beauty and poses a danger, she must also veil herself, because the operative cause is the same. If she is unattractive, she is like an old woman, and hijab is not obligatory for her. The old woman who does not desire marriage, does not adorn herself, and is among the post-menopausal women, about whom Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:
And women of post-menstrual age who have no desire for marriage - there is no blame upon them for putting aside their outer garments
وَالْقَوَاعِدُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ اللَّاتِي لَا يَرْجُونَ نِكَاحًا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ يَضَعْنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّThe old woman who is not desired, does not adorn herself, and does not do anything that would encourage marriage, and the slave woman who poses no danger, are not required to wear hijab.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.