Is hijab obligatory?

What the scholars say

Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan is explicit that this is not a matter of scholarly opinion but of settled religion: the hijab is obligatory by the consensus of the Muslims, and sufur (uncovering) is forbidden. IslamWeb states the same in several of its fatwas — that the hijab is a legal obligation established by the Book, the Sunnah and the consensus of the Muslims across all their schools and groups. Shaykh Ibn Baz likewise holds that the woman must observe hijab from the non-mahram man and may not display her adornment to him.

The obligation is not a cultural preference or a matter left to personal choice. IslamWeb frames it as part of the servant's submission to Allah: the Muslim is a slave of Allah with no choice against His command, and the hijab is a general obligation that neither the woman, nor her husband, nor her guardian may abandon or consent to abandoning.

The evidence they rely on

Two verses carry most of the weight in the sources.

Allah commands the believing women:

"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornment except what appears thereof, and to draw their veils over their chests..."— Qur'an 24:31

And He addresses the Prophet ﷺ:

"O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks over themselves. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be harmed."— Qur'an 33:59

Shaykh al-Fawzan draws a further argument from the verse of the hijab in Surah al-Ahzab, where Allah says that asking the Prophet's wives from behind a screen is "purer for your hearts and their hearts." He points out that the reason given — purity of heart — is a reason that applies to the whole community, not to the Prophet's household alone, so the ruling extends to all Muslim women.

What the hijab covers

Here the scholars differ, and the difference is real.

So the body itself — everything besides the face and hands — is not disputed. IslamWeb states plainly that this is obligatory by consensus. What is disputed is the face and the hands.

Shaykh al-Fawzan holds the stronger view to be that the face must be covered, and gives his reasoning: the face is the greatest adornment of a woman's body, the focus of looks, and the centre of beauty and temptation. He reads "except what appears thereof" in 24:31 as referring to the adornment of clothing and jewellery — what shows unintentionally — not the adornment of the body. He notes that Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه, asked about the meaning of drawing the cloaks, drew his own garment down over his face and showed only one eye. He also reports that Ibn Mas'ud interpreted "what appears thereof" as the adornment of clothing, and that Ibn Taymiyyah held Ibn Abbas returned to Ibn Mas'ud's view in the end.

IslamWeb takes the same position, calling the obligation to cover the face the preponderant view, while noting the matter is lighter than covering the body itself.

When the obligation applies

The hijab is owed to the non-mahram man — not to other women or to a woman's mahrams. IslamWeb sets this out clearly:

• In the presence of non-mahram men: the hijab is required, whether she is at home or outside it.
• Anywhere she may be seen: IslamWeb states she must wear it in the market, in her own village, or in any place a non-mahram man could see her.
• Before mahrams and women: she may wear what she wishes, provided it covers what must be covered among them and meets the legal conditions.
• When she leaves her house: the hijab is one of her obligations, and it is not dropped for study, work or any other purpose.

IslamWeb addresses the case where wearing it conflicts with study or employment: if the two conflict, she must leave the study, and she may not obey anyone — parent or employer — in removing it, because obedience is only in what is right. The Prophet ﷺ said:

"There is no obedience to a created being in disobedience to Allah."— Musnad Ahmad, from Ali رضي الله عنه

The one exception IslamWeb allows is necessity in the strict sense — when a person reaches the point that if he does not take the forbidden thing he would perish, from hunger, thirst or illness. Short of that, the obligation stands.

A woman who does not wear it

IslamWeb is direct: a woman who does not wear the hijab is disobedient to her Lord, in her own country or any other, and must repent and cover. It also notes that the obligation is hers before anyone else's — she carries it as an act of worship for which she is rewarded, and she does not in principle need anyone to command her to it besides Allah. If she falls short, her husband or guardian is to enjoin it upon her, with wisdom and good counsel, and to help her toward it by persuasion first.

Key takeaways

• The hijab is obligatory, and the scholars present this as settled by the Qur'an, the Sunnah and consensus — not as one opinion among several.
• Covering the whole body except the face and hands is agreed upon; covering the face as well is the view IslamWeb and Shaykh al-Fawzan prefer, while other jurists permitted uncovering it.
• The obligation is owed to non-mahram men, wherever she may be seen — at home, in the street, at study or at work.
• No one may be obeyed in removing it, and it is not dropped for study or employment; only genuine necessity, in the strict sense the scholars define, changes the ruling.
• A woman who leaves it is disobedient to her Lord and should repent; those around her should encourage her toward it with wisdom and kindness.

Further reading

• Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan, The Ruling on the Hijab for the Woman
• Shaykh Ibn Baz, The Response to Those Who Claim the Hijab Contradicts Traditions

And Allah knows best.