Short answer
A correct hijab covers the whole body except the face and hands, with a head cover that also covers the neck and chest. It must be thick enough not to show skin or hair, loose enough not to show the body's shape, and not worn as an attraction in itself. It should not be perfumed for men or copy men's clothing.
Covering the awrah before non-mahram men is fard, and clothing that is see-through or so tight that it shows the body's shape does not fulfil it. Showing the neck, ears, hair or arms is not allowed. The later Hanafi jurists also bar a young woman from uncovering her face before non-mahram men because of fitnah. Clothing worn to draw men's attention defeats the purpose of hijab and is sinful.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Hijab is not one garment but a standard. The Quran gives its core: draw the head cover over the chest, do not show your adornment, and draw your outer garment over yourself when you go out. The hadith then show what does not meet the standard, most famously the warning about women who are clothed yet naked.
The conditions scholars draw from these texts:
- Covers the awrah: the whole body except the face and hands. Hair, ears, neck, arms and legs are covered. The feet are not awrah in prayer on the relied-upon Hanafi view, and covering them outside prayer is safer. The later Hanafi jurists add the face before non-mahram men: see is niqab compulsory. See awrah for men and women.
- Covers the chest: the head cover comes down over the chest, not tucked behind the neck.
- Not see-through: skin colour and hair must not show through.
- Loose: it does not show the shape of the body. Skinny jeans with a short top fail this even if no skin shows.
- Not an attraction in itself: flashy clothing worn to be looked at goes against the purpose.
- No perfume that men around you can smell. See perfume for women.
- Not men's clothing, and not a garment worn to show off fame or status.
Common incorrect styles: a scarf showing the front of the hair or the neck, a scarf thrown over the shoulders leaving the chest shape visible, leggings worn as trousers, and sheer sleeves. None of these makes a woman less of a Muslim, but each is a gap worth closing. See hair showing from your hijab and turban and bandana styles.
Colour is not a condition: see does hijab have to be black. Nor is one particular garment. An abaya, a long coat, or a loose top over loose trousers can all meet the conditions. See the hijab guide.
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Noor 24:31
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١﴾
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
Commands believing women to draw their head covers over their chests and not to show their adornment except to close family.
Quran, Surah Al-Ahzaab 33:59
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَٰبِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا ﴿٥٩﴾
O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
Commands an outer garment over the body when going out.
Quran, Surah Al-Ahzaab 33:33
وَقَرْنَ فِى بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ ٱلْجَٰهِلِيَّةِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتِينَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَطِعْنَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ ٱلرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًۭا ﴿٣٣﴾
And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance. And establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification.
Forbids making a display of oneself.
Sahih Muslim 2128
Sahih... نساء كاسيات عاريات مميلات مائلات ...
"Women who are clothed yet naked, who sway and make others sway."
Clothing that covers in name only is condemned, so hijab has conditions beyond simply wearing something.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5885
Sahih... والمتشبهات من النساء بالرجال ...
"The Messenger of Allah cursed women who imitate men."
Women's dress should not copy men's.
Sunan Abi Dawud 4029
Graded hasan... من لبس ثوب شهرة ألبسه الله يوم القيامة ثوبا مثله ...
"Whoever wears a garment of fame, Allah will dress him in a garment like it on the Day of Resurrection."
Clothing worn to stand out and show off is blameworthy.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the conditions of prayer, covering the awrah. Thin clothing that shows the colour of the skin does not count as covering.
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on looking and touching. A free woman's body is awrah except the face and hands.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.