وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿۳۱﴾ وَأَنْكِحُوا الْأَيَامَى مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ عِبَادِكُمْ وَإِمَائِكُمْ إِنْ يَكُونُوا فُقَرَاءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿۳۲﴾

﴾31﴿ Wa qul lilmu'minaati yaghdudna min absaarihinna wa yahfazna furoojahunna wa laa yubdeena zeenatahunna illaa maa zahara minhaa wal yadribanna bikhumurihinna 'alaa juyoobihinna wa laa yubdeena zeenatahunna illaa libu'oolatihinna aw aabaaa'i hinna aw aabaaa'i bu'oolati hinna aw abnaaa'ihinnaa aw abnaaa'i bu'oolatihinnna aw ikhwaanihinnna aw baneee ikhwaanihinna aw banee akhawaatihinna aw nisaaa'i hinna aw maa malakat aimaanuhunna awit taabi'eena ghairi ilil irbati minar rijaali awit tiflillazeena lam yazharoo 'alaa 'awraatin nisaaa'i wala yadribnna bi arjulihinna liyu'lama maa yukhfeena min zeenatihinn; wa toobooo ilallaahi jammee'an aiyuhal mu'minoona la'allakum tuflihoon
﴾32﴿ Wa ankihul ayaamaa minkum was saaliheena min 'ibaadikum wa imaa'ikum; iny-yakoonoo fuqaraaa'a yughni himul laahu min fadlih; wal laahu Waasi'un 'Aleem

﴾31﴿ And say to the believing women to lower some of their gazes and guard their chastity, and not to display their adornments except what is apparent (without intent or choice). And let them draw their veils over their chests and not display their adornments except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women (believing women), or what their right hands possess (servants/slaves), or male attendants who have no desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stomp their feet to reveal what they conceal of their adornments. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, so that you may succeed
﴾32﴿ And marry off the single women among you, as well as the righteous (monotheistic) male and female servants. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them out of His bounty. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing

[31] In this verse, five etiquettes are mentioned for believing women.
The first etiquette is lowering the gaze—its explanation was previously mentioned.
Just as men are forbidden to look at non-mahram women, similarly, women are forbidden to look at non-mahram men.
The second is guarding the private parts—this too was discussed earlier.
The third etiquette is (وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ)—“and they should not display their adornment.”
Adornment (zīnat) is of two types: natural and acquired; and again, each is of two kinds: apparent and hidden.
Natural adornment refers to the face and body, and acquired adornment includes wearing jewelry, applying color, kohl, etc.
(إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا)—what is meant by “what appears of it” is that which becomes exposed out of necessity.
So this is an inqat‘i (disconnected) exception, meaning that a woman should not intentionally display her adornment; however, if it becomes exposed unintentionally or out of necessity, there is no sin in that.
The adornments that are exposed out of necessity include the outer garments like the cloak (chādor), veil, or shawl, because it is not possible to cover them with anything else.
Also, revealing one eye may be necessary in order to see the way.
Likewise, the fingers of one hand may be exposed when she holds her garment, or if a strong wind blows and causes the garment to lift—this kind of exposure is considered forced and unintentional.
Note: Some commentators have interpreted “mā ẓahara minhā” (what appears thereof) as referring to the face and the palms of the hands.
However, they have placed a condition: this looking is only permissible if there is no lust involved, nor any possibility of lust.
Their first proof is based on the statements of ʿAlī and Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them) in the interpretation of mā ẓahara minhā.
Their second proof is the hadith of Asmāʾ (may Allah be pleased with her), in which it is narrated: when a woman reaches puberty, it is not permissible for anything to be visible from her except this—and she pointed to her face and hands.
The reply to the first proof is what Ibn Hammām stated in Fatḥ al-Qadīr (p. 97) in his commentary on al-Hidāyah—that there are also other interpretations from the noble Companions regarding mā ẓahara minhā, and they do not clearly support the claimed position.
Even the statements of ʿAlī and Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them) are not definitively clear, because what is narrated from them is al-kuḥl (kohl) and al-khātam (ring).
Therefore, it is apparent that by kuḥl they meant the place of kuḥl, i.e., the eye, and by khātam they meant the place of the ring, i.e., the fingers.
Thus, this proof does not definitively establish the intended claim.
The answer to the second proof is mentioned in the Tafsīr of Ibn Kathīr, where Abū Dāwūd and Abū Ḥātim stated that the hadith is mursal (disconnected), because Khālid ibn Darīk did not hear it directly from ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
Another response is given by Qudāmah al-Ḥanbalī in al-Mughnī (vol. 9, p. 500), where he said that even if the hadith of Asmāʾ is authentic, it is possible that it occurred before the revelation of the command of ḥijāb.
And the other marfūʿ (elevated) hadiths that allow looking at the face provide no evidence for anything beyond that.
In the Tafsīr of Samarqandī, a Ḥanafī scholar (vol. 2, p. 437), it is narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he was asked about mā ẓahara minhā, he placed a cloak over his head, covered his face, and revealed only one eye.
Similarly, in the tafsīr of (يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ) (as will come in the commentary on Sūrat al-Aḥzāb, in shāʾ Allāh), the same is mentioned.
Note: Due to differing narrations regarding the face and palms, there is some leniency in the ruling on covering them compared to other parts of the body.
For example, the author of al-Hidāyah has mentioned a difference in rulings for the knee, thigh, and the private area (‘awrah ghalīẓah), based on the variation in narrations.
The fourth etiquette is (وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ)—that is, women should wear their veils in such a way that both the head and chest are covered.
This is a refutation of the practice of pre-Islamic ignorance (jāhiliyyah), in which women did not cover their chests with their veils but rather hung their veils from behind over their shoulders.
Khumurihinna is the plural of khimār, which means a covering.
A veil that is thin and does not properly conceal the hair, head, or chest is forbidden to use.
Note: This verse is evidence that in shirts (qamīṣ), the opening (juyūb) should be made at the chest.
This interpretation is mentioned in Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī.
Imām Bukhārī also titled a chapter as “The collar of the shirt at the chest” (Bāb Juyūb al-Qamīṣ ‘Inda al-Ṣadr).
Therefore, making the shirt opening at the shoulder or back—as done by some mystics or women—is against the Sunnah-based practice.
(وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ)—After mentioning the forced (involuntary) exception earlier, now the verse refers to a voluntary exception.
The adornment (zīnah) here means the body parts where adornments are usually worn—like the head, face, ears, neck, arms, hands, feet, and calves—because these are the parts where jewelry is mostly used.
Or, zīnah could be referring directly to the jewelry itself, as in Sūrah Ṭā Hā (20:86).
The better interpretation is that the head is not included in this category.
There are twelve categories mentioned, and among them, the rulings vary.
However, in general, displaying adornment is restricted except to those mentioned.
(أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ)—This proves that covering adornment from non-Muslim and polytheist women is obligatory.
(أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ)—There is a difference of opinion among the Companions and Followers whether a woman’s male slave is included in this or not.
The better opinion is that he is not included, though even then, there is some leniency in the ruling for him.
(غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ)—This refers to men who have no sexual desire, and who also cannot recognize the beauty or attractiveness of women, such as house servants.
However, this does not include mukhannath (effeminate men who display lust or recognize female beauty).
Note: Aside from the mentioned categories, it is forbidden to display adornment to others—such as paternal uncles, their sons, maternal uncles, their sons, and brothers-in-law.
Some scholars have allowed showing adornment to paternal and maternal uncles, but this is not a unanimous view.
The fifth etiquette is (وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ)—meaning, women should not walk or step in a manner that causes the sound of their jewelry to be heard.
This is because such movement can stir desires in the hearts.
[32] In this verse, the eighth etiquette is mentioned.
Its summary is that neither men nor women should be left unmarried, and similarly, marriage should be arranged for male and female slaves as well.
The reason is that if marriage is not arranged, indecency and immorality spread in society, and reputations are more easily tarnished.
(يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ)—This means that if a poor person marries with the intention of attaining chastity and purity, Allah will grant him sufficiency—both in wealth and in contentment of the heart.
This is supported by the hadith in Ibn Mājah, where the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and give him peace) said: There are three types of people whom Allah surely helps:
(1) The one who strives in the path of Allah.
(2) The one who marries with the intention of protecting his chastity.
(3) The slave who seeks to pay off his contract of emancipation.
This is evidence that wealth alone is not a necessary condition for marriage.