QUESTION: Please sould you tell me the punishments in the hereafter and in the grave when you die for not wearing Hijab.

ANSWER: Allah Ta’ala commands the wives of the prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) in the noble Qur’aan, thus, ‘And stay within your homes.’ (Ahzaab). Allaamah Zaahid al-Kawthari mentions in his book, ‘Hijaab al-Mar-atul Muslimah’ this is an address to the wives of Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), so the women besides them will be addressed to a greater extent.’ The reason being that Allah will not choose just any evil or bad women for the marriage of Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). Allah will choose the best of women for this purpose. So, when this is the case that the most pure women of the Ummah are being addressed in this manner, then those women who are junior to them are addressed to a greater extent.

Today, the aspect of Hijaab is misunderstood greatly. The Niqaab is becoming a fashion, people haven’t understood the aspect of Hijaab. The actual object of Hijaab is concealment and to stay indoors. The object of Hijaab is not to just don the veil and parade the shopping malls and shows where there is intermingling of sexes. Wearing the veil is not a license for coming out of the house as it is misunderstood, but only under extreme necessity if a woman has to come out of her house, then she must don the Hijaab (veil) and under this context does this Aayat fit, i.e. O Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)! Instruct your wives, your daughters an the believing women to draw over them their outer garment (veils).’ Otherwise, the law for a woman is she has to remain indoors as we have quoted the Aayat previously, ‘remain indoors’.

What we have understood, thus far, is that a woman must remain indoors at all times, and only due to extreme necessity she is allowed to come out of her house, donning the veil.

What is worse is that today the women adopt al-Tabarruj (i.e. exposure) when they come out. And majority of the time when they come out of their houses, it is without necessity. In doing so, they are going against the book of Allah in many ways, a) They are coming of their houses without necessity where as the Qur’aan commands them to remain indoors (as we have mentioned earlier), b) They are exposing their faces whereas the Qur’aan has commanded them to draw their veils (as mentioned earlier) and Allah Ta’ala and says in the Qur’aan, ‘and abstain from al-Tabarruj (exposure).

Imam Qurtubi (RA) mentions the meaning of al-Tabarruj after gathering all the views of the previous commentators of the Qur’aan. He says, in short, al-Tabarruj means a woman exposing her beauties to men. (Tafseer al-Qurtubi vol.14 pg.175; Cairo)

It is a well-known fact that from all the beauties of a woman, her face is the greatest. So, Allah is commanding her not to expose her face more seriously. So, if a woman does not don the veil when she comes out of the house (even when it is extremely necessary), she will be grossly disobeying the command of Allah Ta’ala and thereby earning the displeasure of Allah. What a greater can there be in disobeying the command of Allah that earning his displeasure! Earning the displeasure of Allah is worst thing a person can ever earn as this will lead to his destruction.

May Allah Ta’ala give us all the ability to understand the reality of Hijaab and observe it according to its requisites.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai, www.ask-imam.com
FATWA DEPT.