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Hijab and modesty in Islam

Hijab in Islam is a Muslim woman’s covering of her body and hair in the presence of unrelated men with loose, non-transparent clothing, based on God’s command: “and to draw their head-coverings (khimars) over their chests.” It goes together with modesty of the gaze, speech and conduct for men and women alike. Muslim jurists agreed that this covering is obligatory; they differ only on covering the face and hands. Hijab is worship, dignity and privacy — it does not stop a woman from studying, working or taking part in public life.

Evidence from the Quran and Sunnah

The Quran first commanded believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, then addressed believing women with the same command, then mentioned the khimar and jilbab. Modesty is a shared duty of men and women before it is a dress rule for women.

Quran
قُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يَغُضُّواْ مِنۡ أَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ وَيَحۡفَظُواْ فُرُوجَهُمۡۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزۡكَىٰ لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا يَصۡنَعُونَ

Dis aux croyants de baisser leur regard, de préserver leur chasteté et de dissimuler leurs parties intimes. Voilà qui rendra leurs cœurs plus purs. Allah est parfaitement informé de ce qu’ils font.

Surah An-Nur 24:30
Quran
وَقُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ يَغۡضُضۡنَ مِنۡ أَبۡصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحۡفَظۡنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَاۖ وَلۡيَضۡرِبۡنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّۖ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِيٓ إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِيٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوۡ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيۡرِ أُوْلِي ٱلۡإِرۡبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفۡلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَظۡهَرُواْ عَلَىٰ عَوۡرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِۖ وَلَا يَضۡرِبۡنَ بِأَرۡجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعۡلَمَ مَا يُخۡفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّۚ وَتُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ

Dis de même aux croyantes de baisser leur regard, de préserver leur chasteté et de ne montrer de leurs charmes que ce qui en paraît. Qu’elles rabattent leur voile sur leur poitrine et qu’elles veillent à ne dévoiler leurs charmes qu’à leurs époux, leurs pères, les pères de leurs époux, leurs fils, les fils de leurs époux, leurs frères, leurs neveux, les autres femmes, leurs esclaves, leurs serviteurs sans désirs pour les femmes et les enfants qui ignorent encore tout de l’intimité des femmes. Et qu’elles se gardent de frapper le sol de leurs pieds, voulant ainsi dévoiler leurs parures cachées. Revenez tous à Allah, ô croyants, dans l’espoir de faire votre bonheur et votre salut.

Surah An-Nur 24:31
Quran
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزۡوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يُدۡنِينَ عَلَيۡهِنَّ مِن جَلَٰبِيبِهِنَّۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدۡنَىٰٓ أَن يُعۡرَفۡنَ فَلَا يُؤۡذَيۡنَۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا

Prophète ! Dis à tes épouses, à tes filles et aux croyantes de rabattre sur elles une partie de leur grand voile. Voilà le plus sûr moyen de se différencier des autres femmes et d’éviter d’être offensées. Allah est Très Clément et Très Miséricordieux.

Surah Al-Ahzab 33:59
Hadith
قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا: لَقَدْ رَحِمَ اللهُ نِسَاءَ الْمُهَاجِرَاتِ، لَمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ {وَيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ} شَقَّقْنَ مُرُطَهُنَّ فَاتَّخَذْنَ مِنْهَا خُمُرًا

Aisha (may God be pleased with her) said: “May God have mercy on the women of the Muhajirun: when God revealed ‘and to draw their head-coverings over their chests,’ they tore their waist-wraps and made head-coverings from them.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 4758

Modesty before clothing

Hijab is not clothing only; it is a system of modesty that starts in the heart: a chaste gaze, dignified speech, no flaunting or immodest imitation, and guarding chastity in men and women alike. That is why the Quran gives the verse of lowering the gaze to men before the verses of the khimar to women.

Quran
يَٰبَنِيٓ ءَادَمَ قَدۡ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ لِبَاسٗا يُوَٰرِي سَوۡءَٰتِكُمۡ وَرِيشٗاۖ وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيۡرٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

Fils d’Adam ! Nous vous avons pourvus de vêtements qui couvrent votre nudité et d’autres qui vous servent de parures. Mais rien ne vaut le vêtement de la piété. Ce sont là certains signes d’Allah qu’ils sauront peut-être méditer.

Surah Al-Araf 7:26
Hadith
الْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ

“Modesty is a branch of faith.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 8; Sahih Muslim 35
Hadith
إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ عَوْرَةٌ، فَإِذَا خَرَجَتِ اسْتَشْرَفَهَا الشَّيْطَانُ

“The woman is an ‘awrah (to be covered); when she goes out, Satan seeks to embellish her.”

Jami at-Tirmidhi 1173

Where scholars differ: covering the face

  1. All schools agree that covering the body and hair in the presence of unrelated men is obligatory.
  2. The majority of Hanafis, Malikis and Shafi’is: the face and hands need not be covered, yet may not be made an object of immodest attention.
  3. Most Hanbalis and some early scholars: covering the face (niqab) is required in the presence of unrelated men.
  4. All agree that the required covering is loose and non-transparent, free of deliberate beautification — sheer garments, revealing cuts or striking make-up.

This guide is for learning, not a fatwa. Where scholars differ we present the positions of the schools as recorded in fiqh books; for your own situation ask a trusted scholar or Islamic centre in your country.

Hijab in daily life

Hijab does not prevent study, work or public service; the women of the Companions went out for Friday prayer and to the markets and conducted business. What is intended is a covering, modest dress suited to each country and time.

  • What hijab is NOT: isolation from society, abandoning education or work, or neglecting cleanliness and good appearance.
  • A new Muslim woman learns and grows gradually; modesty is worship that grows through knowledge and love, not compulsion.

Questions fréquentes

What is the difference between hijab, niqab and jilbab?

Hijab is the head-covering for hair and chest; the jilbab is a wide outer garment (God said: “to draw their jilbabs over themselves”); the niqab is the face veil, required only by some scholars. For the majority, hijab and jilbab are obligatory; niqab is the preference of those who require face-covering.

Is hijab obligatory by scholarly consensus?

Yes in principle: they agreed that covering the body and hair before unrelated men is obligatory; the only difference concerns the face and hands, not hijab itself.

May a woman show her face and hands?

The majority of Hanafis, Malikis and Shafi’is allow it; most Hanbalis and some early scholars require covering. Both are mainstream positions, a recognised secondary difference in which neither side is dismissed.

How do I start wearing hijab?

Start with intention and learning, choose loose modest clothing with a head-covering for hair and chest, and build steadily. If you face difficulty, consult experienced Muslim women or a nearby Islamic centre.

Coran : QuranEnc. Traductions des hadiths : HadeethEnc. La source est indiquée pour chaque élément. Une erreur ? Signalez-la-nous.