All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Islamic law has urged covering and modesty, and has commanded every adult, sane Muslim woman to wear the hijab in the presence of non-Mahram men (men whom a woman is permitted to marry), due to the Saying of Allah The Exalted (Which means): "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And God is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Al-Ahzab/59]. Moreover, He, The Almighty, also Says (What means): "And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards God, that ye may attain Bliss." [An-Nur/31].
Moreover, a woman covering her head is something upon which the scholars have reached a consensus. It is among the adornments that women are commanded to cover, because it falls under the meaning of 'awrah' (parts of the body that should be concealed). It is stated in [Mughni Al-Muhtaj/Vol. 4/P.209] from the books of the Shafi'i scholars: "It is forbidden for a mature, sane, and consenting man to look... at the 'Awrah of a free, adult woman, which is [any part of her body] once she has reached an age where she is desired... due to the saying of Allah The Exalted (What means): "Tell the believing men to lower their gaze" [An-Nur/30]. The intended meaning of 'Awrah' is what was mentioned previously regarding prayer, which is everything except the face and the hands.' This is also the case according to the other schools of thought."
It is obligatory upon the Muslim woman to be diligent in fully covering her hair, and it is not permissible for her to be lenient in exposing any part of it. Rather, the Khimar (headscarf) must be drawn tightly over the forehead so that no hair shows, as Al-Imam Al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his interpretation of the verse: "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments." [Al-Ahzab/59]. He said: "They were commanded to draw their outer garments tightly over their foreheads." [Jami' Al-Bayan/Vol. 20/P.325]
In conclusion, the hijab is an obligation among the obligations enjoined by Islamic religion. It is not permissible for a Muslim woman to uncover any part of her hair due to the great evils that result from it. Custom and environment have no bearing on its being obligatory upon people throughout the ages despite differing customs and traditions. Rather, custom and environment determine the form and type of clothing while adhering to the Islamic guidelines. We advise the Muslim woman to fear Allah The Almighty, to adhere to the Islamic code of hijab, and to abide by its conditions. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
