Why Do Muslim Women Wear the Hijab and Cover Their Hair?

Short answer: Muslim women wear the hijab because Allah commands it in the Quran (24:31 and 33:59). It means covering the hair, neck and body, except the face and hands, in front of men who are not close family, as an act of worship. It is not a sign of a lower status: most women who wear it describe it as their own choice of faith, and the Quran first asks men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty (24:30).

"Hijab" means covering or screen. In everyday English it means the headscarf, but in Islam it is a whole way of dressing and behaving modestly. "Why do Muslims cover their hair?" is the same question, so this page answers both.

What the Quran says

Two verses set out the hijab. In 24:31 Allah tells believing women "to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment" except to close family. The women of Madinah already wore a headcover (khimar); the verse told them to draw it down over the neck and chest. The second verse speaks of the outer garment:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَٰبِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا ﴿٥٩﴾

Yaaa aiyuhan Nabiyyu qul li azwaajika wa banaatika wa nisaaa'il mu'mineena yudneena 'alaihinna min jalaabee bihinn; zaalika adnaaa ai yu'rafna falaa yu'zain; wa kaanal laahu Ghafoorar Raheemaa

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.

Quran 33:59 · Sahih International · Read Surah Al-Ahzab

What the first Muslim women did

When this verse was revealed, "and to wrap their headcovers over their chests", they took their waist wraps, tore them at the edges and covered themselves with them.

Sahih al-Bukhari 4759 · Aishah, describing the women of Madinah · sahih

The face and hands are usually explained from a hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ told Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr, that once a girl reaches puberty only "this and this" should be seen, pointing to his face and hands (Sunan Abi Dawud 4104). Abu Dawud himself noted a gap in its chain; al-Albani graded it sahih through supporting narrations, while others graded it weak. The Hanafi school also relies on Ibn Abbas, who explained "except that which appears" in 24:31 as the face and hands.

The wisdom scholars mention

To be known and not harmed. The Quran gives this reason itself in 33:59: "that they will be known and not be abused".
Modesty for both sexes. The command to women comes right after the command to men to lower their gaze (24:30). Both are asked to keep attraction for marriage, not public display.
Being seen for who you are. Many women say the hijab lets people deal with their mind and character first, not their looks.
Identity. The hijab shows openly that a woman belongs to the Muslim community.

Wisdom, not the reason. These are benefits scholars have reflected on. Muslims follow this because Allah and His Messenger ﷺ commanded it, and would follow it even if none of these benefits were known.

The ruling, Hanafi first

Hanafi position

From puberty, a woman covers her whole body except the face, hands and feet in front of men who are not her mahram. This is fard. The face is not awrah, but later Hanafi scholars such as Ibn Abidin say a young woman should cover it in front of non-mahram men where there is fear of fitnah, and many Hanafi scholars in South Asia hold that covering the face is necessary today.

Other madhhabs

Maliki: The face and hands are not awrah. Covering them is recommended, and required where there is fear of fitnah.
Shafi'i: In the relied-upon view, covering the face and hands in front of non-mahram men is obligatory, because of the rule on looking, though they are not awrah in salah.
Hanbali: In the relied-upon view, the face and hands are awrah in front of non-mahram men, so the face veil (niqab) is obligatory.

The full hijab guide

Both verses in Arabic, the conditions of modest dress, and four ways to wear a hijab, step by step.

Open the hijab guide

More "why do Muslims" questions

All questions

FAQ

Do Muslim women have to wear the hijab at home?

Not in front of her husband, her mahram men (such as her father, brothers and sons) or other women. The hijab is for when men outside that close family are present.

At what age do girls start wearing the hijab?

It becomes obligatory at puberty. Many families let girls try it earlier so it feels natural, but there is no duty before puberty.

Do all Muslim women wear the hijab?

No. The four schools agree it is obligatory, but some Muslim women do not wear it, for many personal reasons. It is a matter between a woman and Allah, and others should not mock or shame her.

Is the face veil (niqab) required?

The Hanafi and Maliki schools say the face is not awrah, though covering it is advised where there is fitnah. The relied-upon Shafi'i and Hanbali views require covering it in front of non-mahram men.

Is the hijab only a headscarf?

No. It also means loose, thick clothing that does not show the body's shape, and modest behaviour. See the conditions in the hijab guide.

The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.

Sources

Quran 24:30-31 and 33:59, translation by Sahih International.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4759, from Aishah.
Sunan Abi Dawud 4104, from Aishah (Abu Dawud: mursal; graded sahih by al-Albani through supporting chains, weak by others).
The report from Ibn Abbas on "except that which appears", in al-Tabari's tafsir of 24:31.
Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, Kitab al-Salah (satr al-awrah) and Kitab al-Hazr wa al-Ibahah, for the Hanafi position.
The Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali positions are summarised from their standard manuals, as on our hijab guide.

Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, English translation by Sahih International. Hadith gradings are those of the hadith scholars named. AmalKit cites the scholars; it does not issue fatwas.

Why do Muslim women wear the hijab?