Short answer
Two verses command it directly: 24:31 tells believing women to draw their head covers over their chests and hide their adornment, and 33:59 tells them to draw their outer garments over themselves. Sound hadith show the first Muslim women obeying at once, and warn against clothing that covers in name only. The four schools agree hijab is fard.
Covering the whole body except the face and hands before non-mahram men is fard on every woman past puberty, based on these verses and hadith (the feet are not awrah in prayer on the relied-upon view). The later Hanafi jurists add covering the face before non-mahram men because of fitnah.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
People sometimes say the word hijab in the Quran only means a curtain. That is true of the word, which appears in 33:53 about speaking to the Prophet's ﷺ wives from behind a screen. But the covering itself is commanded in other words: khimar (head cover) in 24:31 and jilbab (outer garment) in 33:59. See khimar and jilbab.
The main verses:
- 24:31: believing women should lower their gaze, not show their adornment except what normally appears, draw their head covers over their chests, and show adornment only to the close family the verse lists.
- 33:59: the Prophet's wives, daughters and the believing women should draw their outer garments over themselves, so they are known and not harmed. See Quran 33:59.
- 24:60: older women past the age of marriage may set aside their outer garments, without showing adornment, and covering is still better.
- 33:53: ask the Prophet's wives from behind a screen, which is purer for the hearts.
The main hadith:
- Aishah praised the women of the Muhajirun: when 24:31 came down, they tore their wraps and covered themselves with them (Bukhari).
- The Prophet ﷺ warned of women who are clothed yet naked (Muslim).
- He said Allah does not accept the prayer of an adult woman without a head cover (Abu Dawud).
- He told women in ihram not to wear the niqab or gloves, which shows these were known garments (Bukhari).
- He said a woman is awrah, and when she goes out Shaytan makes her the focus of looks (Tirmidhi).
Together these texts are why all four schools hold hijab to be fard from puberty. For the reasons behind it, see why Muslim women wear the hijab, and for the ruling, is hijab mandatory.
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 believing women to draw their outer garments over themselves.
Quran, Surah An-Noor 24:60
وَٱلْقَوَٰعِدُ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ٱلَّٰتِى لَا يَرْجُونَ نِكَاحًۭا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَن يَضَعْنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّ غَيْرَ مُتَبَرِّجَٰتٍۭ بِزِينَةٍۢ ۖ وَأَن يَسْتَعْفِفْنَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّهُنَّ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ ﴿٦٠﴾
And women of post-menstrual age who have no desire for marriage - there is no blame upon them for putting aside their outer garments [but] not displaying adornment. But to modestly refrain [from that] is better for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
The easing for elderly women shows the outer garment is otherwise expected.
Quran, Surah Al-Ahzaab 33:53
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَدْخُلُوا۟ بُيُوتَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَٰظِرِينَ إِنَىٰهُ وَلَٰكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَٱدْخُلُوا۟ فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ وَلَا مُسْتَـْٔنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِى ٱلنَّبِىَّ فَيَسْتَحْىِۦ مِنكُمْ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَسْتَحْىِۦ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَٰعًۭا فَسْـَٔلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَآءِ حِجَابٍۢ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُؤْذُوا۟ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَن تَنكِحُوٓا۟ أَزْوَٰجَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦٓ أَبَدًا ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمًا ﴿٥٣﴾
O you who have believed, do not enter the houses of the Prophet except when you are permitted for a meal, without awaiting its readiness. But when you are invited, then enter; and when you have eaten, disperse without seeking to remain for conversation. Indeed, that [behavior] was troubling the Prophet, and he is shy of [dismissing] you. But Allah is not shy of the truth. And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. And it is not [conceivable or lawful] for you to harm the Messenger of Allah or to marry his wives after him, ever. Indeed, that would be in the sight of Allah an enormity.
The verse in which the word hijab, a screen, appears.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4758
Sahih... شققن مروطهن فاختمرن بها ...
"Aishah said: they tore their wraps and covered their heads with them."
The first Muslim women obeyed 24:31 at once.
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.
Sunan Abi Dawud 641
Graded sahih... لا يقبل الله صلاة حائض إلا بخمار ...
"Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty except with a head cover."
The head cover is required of every adult woman in prayer.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1838
Sahih... ولا تنتقب المرأة المحرمة ولا تلبس القفازين ...
"A woman in ihram should not wear the niqab or gloves."
The face veil and gloves were known garments of Muslim women.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1173
Graded sahih... المرأة عورة فإذا خرجت استشرفها الشيطان ...
"A woman is awrah, and when she goes out, Shaytan makes her the focus of looks."
The reason for covering when going out.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on looking and touching. A free woman's body is awrah except the face and hands.
- Ahkam al-Quran (al-Jassas), Commentary on Surah al-Ahzab 33:59. A Hanafi reading that the verse tells young women to cover themselves, including the face, before strangers when going out.
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.