Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalaam alaikum,

although i do know that it is necessary to wear hijab and cover your body but i still do wear jeans. Now i would like to change my ways. Is wearing shalwar kameez equal to covering urself completely without wearing the abaya?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Salwar Kameez without Abaya Hijab(Veil)

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 59:

O Prophet, enjoin your wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons. It is expected that they will thus be recognized, and not molested. Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Nur verse 31:

(O Prophet) enjoin the believing woman to restrain their gaze and guard their modesty, and not to display their adornment except that which is displayed of itself, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to display their adornments except before their husbands, their fathers, …….and also forbid them to stamp their feet on the ground lest their hidden ornaments should be displayed.

Beloved Sister in Islam, may Allah Subhanah reward you generously for amending your conduct and give you the wisdom and the courage to be proud to adorn yourself in the form which would be Pleasing to Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Allah Subhanah has commanded the believing woman that they should cast an additional outer garment over their complete self, when in the presence or company of non-mehrams. A typical ‘Shalwaar-Kameez’ would not completely fulfill the criteria of the above commands of Allah Subhanah; but if the believing woman draws a full ‘chador’, or a full ‘dupatta’, or an ‘abaya’, or any outer garment which completely covers her from head to feet whereby all her hair, all her curves, and all her adornments are completely concealed, she would be in obedience to the above commands of her Lord.

Although the ‘abaya’ is an outer garment which when worn appropriately would completely cover the beauty of a woman, the wearing of an ‘abaya’ is not obligatory. If one covers oneself completely with any outer garment, whereby her whole body is covered and concealed from head to feet in the presence of non-mehrams, she would be in accordance with the command of her Lord.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother and sincere well wisher in Islam,

Burhan