Q. Removing Hijab in front of Non-Muslim Women

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu,

MashaAllah what a wonderful informative website you have! I have greatly benefited from my visit and will InshaAllah pass on the link to your site to all my friends. I was just wondering if you could be so kind as to answer a question for me. I heard that you are not allowed to take off your hijaab in front of non-Muslim women, is this true? If it is, can you please give me a Hadith or Quranic verse to support it.

JazakAllahu khairaan,

Your sister in Islam.

A. Remaining concealed to non-Muslims is an important act, as a means of protection, guarding one's chastity and self-respect.

The Noble Qur'an - An-Nur 24:31

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islâm), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.

A Muslimah should not uncover that which she normally uncovers, in front of any non-Muslim female whom she fears may describe her to others. She may also choose to remain covered around any Muslim female whom she fears may describe her physical attributes to their husband or others.

Hadith - Bukhari 7:167

The Prophet (saaws) said, "A woman should not look at or touch another woman to describe her to her husband in such a way as if he was actually looking at her."

Hadith - Al-Tirmidhi #3109, narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

The Prophet

said, "A woman should be concealed, for when she goes out the devil looks at her." [Tirmidhi transmitted it.]

Generally speaking, there is no way to trust that a kaffir woman will not describe the muslimah's physical features to the kaffir woman's husband or other men, or to other women who will then describe the muslimah to men; so, she should guard herself (remain covered) for this reason. If, however, she has an unavoidable need (medical, dental, emergency, etc.) or feels she does not have to fear that a specific woman will describe her physical attributes to others, (such as when giving dawah to a female family member or person who is very receptive and has consistently sought to learn Islam)... Allahu Alim. The Muslimah should still always dress modestly around women, not wearing shorts or very low cut shirts, etc., as a continued act of modesty, also keeping in mind that there are many homosexual kaffir women.

The muslimah may choose never to unveil or relax her hijab in front of kaffir women or children, and that is her right and no-one can force her to remove one article of clothing (hijab, niqab, jilbab, etc.) in front of kaffirs. If, however, she feels safe and her husband's wisdom does not disapprove, she may modestly uncover in front of a kaffir woman if that is her choice to do so.

According to Shaikh ibn Uthaimin, "...if one fears something of that nature, such as the woman describing the Muslim women to her male relatives, then one must avoid such a cause and then the woman should not uncover her face or any part of her body in front of such a woman. This is true regardless of whether that troublesome woman is a Muslim or a non-Muslim." [Islamic Fatawa Regarding Women, p. 280]