Author:
Laila Nasheeba
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Date Posted: 09:11:06 11/28/02 Thu
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As Salaamu Alaikoum,
Hijaab in Arabic means covering or concealing. Hijaab is the name of something that is used to cover. Everything that comes between two things is hijaab.
Hijaab means everything that is used to cover something and prevent anyone from reaching it, such as curtains, door keepers and garments, etc.
Khimaar comes from the word khamr, the root meaning of which is to cover. For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Khammiru aaniyatakum (cover your vessels).” Everything that covers something else is called its khimaar.
But in common usage khimaar has come to be used as a name for the garment with which a woman covers her head; in some cases this does not go against the linguistic meaning of khimaar.
Some of the fuqahaa’ have defined it as that which covers the head, the temples and the neck.
The difference between the hijaab and the khimaar is that the hijaab is something which covers all of a woman’s body, whilst the khimaar in general is something with which a woman covers her head.
Niqaab is that with which a woman veils her face (tantaqib)…
The difference between hijaab and niqaab is that the hijaab is that which covers all the body, whilst niqaab is that which covers a woman’s face only.
The scholars have based the conditions of the hijaab (covering) which Muslim women must wear in front of non-mahram men on the evidence in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. So long as a woman adheres to these conditions, she may wear whatever she likes in public places and elsewhere, and her hijaab will be considered Islamic. These conditions may be summarized as follows:
The hijaab must cover her entire body, except face or hands
It should be thick enough to conceal what is underneath it
It should be loose-fitting, not tight
It should not be so attractive as to call men’s attention to it
It should not be perfumed
It should not be a dress of fame and vanity (i.e., it should be extravagant or excessively opulent)
It should not resemble the dress of men
It should not resemble the dress of kaafir women
It should not be adorned with any crosses or pictures of animate beings
AND ALLAH KNOWS BEST
Laila Nasheeba
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