Islam Question and Answer - He tells his wife to wear hijab even when she is in the house on her own

Tue 9/8/1434 - 18/6/2013

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Principles of Fiqh » Jurisprudence and Islamic Rulings » Customs and traditions » Clothing, adornment and images » Adornments
Principles of Fiqh » Jurisprudence and Islamic Rulings » Customs and traditions » Clothing, adornment and images » Womens clothing

He tells his wife to wear hijab even when she is in the house on her own

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I want to know your opinion on something -- may Allah reward you with good and make Paradise your abode. My husband is a very pious man, and I am trying to strengthen my commitment to Islam and I am trying to cover myself properly. We agreed that the niqaab is fard (obligatory) outside the house. My husband thinks that the highest level of faith is to wear hijab at home! He thinks that this will bring more barakah (blessing) to the home. He is suggesting (but he is not forcing me to do anything, praise be to Allah) that I have to wear hijab even when I am home alone, even when there are no mahrams or visitors in the house, and that I cannot take it off except when sleeping or taking a bath.
I do not have any reason to reject this if Islam enjoins it, but I think that in the house I have to be attractive and look beautiful, and hijab prevents me from that. From my studies I found out that there is no evidence that says that a woman has to wear hijab in the house. My husband says: I will never find any evidence for that because this is the matter of etiquette and there are a number of points of etiquette that are not mentioned in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. I thought this might be a cultural tradition and I am happy to do that to please him, but I am also keen to adhere to Islam. Can you explain whether wearing hijab in the house increases barakah? If I refuse, will I be sinning? It is important to please my husband for the sake of Allah, but I am confused about this matter.

Praise be to Allaah.

We do not know of any Islamic rulings or etiquette that enjoins the woman to wear jijab even when she is on her own in the house or with her husband.

Although your husband’s gheerah (protective jealousy) is to be appreciated, what he is demanding comes under the heading of extreme strictness which is contrary to Islam and to sound human nature (fitrah). Allah, may He be exalted, has made sound hearts love adornment and beauty, and Allah has permitted a great deal of that, including a woman’s adorning herself and beautifying herself for her husband. This is something that makes the husband love his wife and creates a good relationship between them.

Al-Manaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

As for putting on perfume and adorning oneself for one’s husband, it is required and recommended. Some of the scholars said: The wife’s adorning herself and putting on perfume for her husband are among the strongest causes of love and harmony between them and keeps dislike and resentment at bay, because the eye is the way to the heart, so if the eye sees something and likes it, it goes straight to the heart and thus love is generated. If it looks at something ugly or something that it does not like of clothing or garments, it will go to the heart and thus resentment and hatred will be generated. Hence the Arab women used to advise one another: Beware of letting your husband see you in a way that he does not like or smell something from you that he finds off-putting.

End quote from Fayd al-Qadeer, 3/190

If a woman wears hijab at home and with her husband, this will prevent her from a lot of adornment and beautification.

It should be said to the husband: Islam encourages the woman to adorn herself and beautify herself for her husband, and women are created with a natural inclination towards adornment and beauty, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“(Like they then for Allaah) a creature who is brought up in adornments (wearing silk and gold ornaments, i.e. women), and who in dispute cannot make herself clear?”

[al-Zukhrif 43:18].

So do not put restrictions on something that Allah has made broad in scope. A woman’s wearing hijab in her husband’s house is not something that is indicative of higher levels of faith, it is not one of the things that bring barakah to the home, and it is not part of the etiquette that is encouraged in Islam.

The sign of faith is adhering to the laws of Allah; barakah is attained by following the commands of Islam and keeping away from dubious matters.

Enjoy what Allah has permitted to you and to her; ask her to adorn herself and beautify herself, and you will see that goodness and barakah are to be found in this, in sha Allah.

For more information, please see the answer to question no. 126454

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A