Long loose garment worn by some Muslim women
The term
jilb?b
(also
jilbaab
,
jubbah
or
jilaabah
) (
Arabic
:
????????
) refers to any long and loose-fit coat or outer
garment
worn by some
Muslim
women. Wearers believe that this definition of
jilb?b
fulfills the
Quranic
choice for a
hijab
. The
jilb?b
is also known as
chador
by
Persian
speakers in
Iran
and
Afghanistan
. The modern
jilb?b
covers the entire body. Some women will also cover the hands with gloves and the face along with a
niq?b
. In recent years, a short visor is often included to protect the face from the tropical sun.
Qur'an and hadith
[
edit
]
A mention of the plural term of
jilb?b
,
jalabib
, is found in the
Qur'an
, verse 33:59 (Surah
Al-Ahzab
). A popular translation by
Yusuf Ali
of the transliterated Arabic goes:
Y? 'ay-yuha n-Nabiy-yu qul li'azw?jika waban?tika wa nis?'i l-mu'min?na yudn?na 'alayhin-na min jal?b?bihin-na; dh?lika adn? an yu'rafna fal? yu'dhayn. Wak?na l-l?hu Ghaf?ra(n) r-Rah?m?(n)
O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their [
jalabib
]
(Jilbabs)
over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
This is the following from the Quran which explains how a Muslim woman must act and dress:
Tell the believing men that they shall subdue their eyes (and not stare at the women), and to maintain their chastity. This is purer for them. God is fully Cognizant of everything they do. And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes, and maintain their chastity. They shall not reveal any parts of their bodies, except that which necessarily appears thereof. They shall cover their chests, and shall not relax this code in the presence of other than their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, the sons of their husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, the male servants or employees whose sexual drive has been nullified, or the children who have not reached puberty. They shall not strike their feet when they walk in order to shake and reveal certain details of their bodies. All of you shall repent to God, O you believers, that you may succeed.
?
Quran 24:30?31
A number of
hadith
commenting on the above verse of the Qur'an (33:59) mention the
jilb?b
.
Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin: When the verse "That they should cast their outer garments over their persons" was revealed, the women of Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads by wearing outer garments.
?
Sunan Abi Dawud, Book 33, Number #4090 (Classified as 'Sahih' by Al-Albani)
Narrated Umm Atiyya: We were ordered to bring out our menstruating women and screened women to the religious gatherings and invocation of the Muslims on the two Eid festivals. These menstruating women were to keep away from the musalla. A woman asked, "O Messenger of Allah! What about one who does not have a
jilbab
?". He said, "Let her borrow the
jilbab
of her companion".
?
Sahih Bukhari, Book 8, #347
Definition and extent
[
edit
]
Women wearing the traditional jilb?b in the
Medina quarter
in
Essaouira
,
Morocco
.
Since there are no pictures of 7th-century
jilb?b
, nor any surviving garments, it is not at all clear if the modern
jilb?b
is the same garment as that referred to in the
Qur'an
. In general terms,
jilb?b
is a garment/sheet that is worn on the head, draped around the body and that totally covers the body of the woman.
The root of the word "Jilbab" itself is [???]. According to
Mu'jam Maqayees Al-Lugha
by
Ibn Faris
, the root has two meanings:
[Two meanings]: One of them is the arrival with something from place to place, and the other is something that covers something...
[1]
The word "Jilbab" expresses both of these meanings, as the outer garment itself is used to cover from head to toe, hence the arrival with something [i.e., the cloth] from place [the head] to place [the feet]. It is also used to cover a woman, hence its secondary meaning. The etymology of the word "Jilbab" is exaggerated. The word's
Ma?dar
is "jalbeb" [??????], and there's a long vowel
alif
in the middle of the word to add emphasis to the meaning. Due to this emphasis from the vowel, the word then linguistically refers to a full-body cover, or a one-piece that covers the entire body and does not expose even a bit of it.
This is also why past scholars, such as
Ibn Hazm
, the great
Zahiri
jurist, described the Jilbab as something that covers the entire body:
...The
jilbab
, in the Arabic language, with which the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, addressed us [i.e., the same Arabic that was spoken by him and in which the Quran was revealed, namely
Classical Arabic
],
is what covers the entire body, not just some of it [or a part of it]...
[2]
According to
Al-Shawkani
, another famous jurist that denied
Qiyas
and had
Zahiri
leanings, he relates in his book
Fath Al-Qadeer
on his commentary of Quran 33:59 the opinions of some scholars on the extent of the Jilbab. It is obvious that some pre-modern scholars don't take the linguistic approach when defining the Jilbab:
...Al-Jawhari said: It [the Jilbab] is a Milhafa [a bed cover that is used to cover the body]. It is also said that it is a Qanna' [something that covers all or part of the face to hide it]. It is also said that
it is a garment that covers a woman's body completely, as is affirmed in an authentic Hadith from Umm Atiyyah
, that she said: "Oh, Messenger of God! One of us [from amongst the women] do not have a jilbab", so he said, "Let her sister clothe her from her Jilbab."... Al-Wahidi said: "The commentators [in defining the Jilbab] said: 'The women must cover their faces and heads except for one eye'"... Al-Hasan said: "It [the Jilbab] covers half of the face"...
[3]
What is interesting are the views of the
Zahiri
jurists, or at least those who were
Zahiri
-leaning. According to both
Al-Shawkani
and
Ibn Hazm
, the face and hands of the woman are not considered
Awrah
. However, when interpreting Quran 33:59,
Al-Shawkani
is of the view that, although a woman's face and hands aren't
Awrah
, they still have to be covered with the Jilbab.
Ibn Hazm
implies the same view with his interpretation of the jilbab, although he never fully and clearly explained if a woman's face and hands should be covered with it.
Al-Shawkani
was of the view that a woman must cover her face with a Jilbab in front of
non-Mahram
men, and he takes this from a Hadith about pilgrimage and comments about its meaning. He also provides the views of both
Ahmad ibn Hanbal
and
Al-Shafi'i
:
...[A'isha said:] "The caravan would pass by us while we were with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, in a state of consecration (i.e., during the pilgrimage). When they came close to us, one of us would lower her jilbab from her head over her face, and when they passed by us, we would uncover it."...
[Al-Shawkani comments:]
Ahmad
held on to this Hadith, and he said: "She should only let it hang down over her head", and he used this hadith as evidence that it is permissible for a woman, when she needs to cover her face from men passing closely by her, to hang her garment over her head onto her face.
Because a woman needs to cover her face
, it is not absolutely forbidden for her to cover it [during Ihram, when covering with the Niqab, or full-face veil, is forbidden for a woman], unlike the
Awrah
, but when she lets it hang down, the garment should be away from her face so that it does not touch her skin. This is what the followers of
Imam Shafi'i
and others said.
The apparent [
Zahir/literal
] meaning of the hadith contradicts this because the hanging garment is almost free from skin being touched. If avoidance was a condition, the Prophet - peace be upon him - would have clarified it...
[4]
Also, in
Nayl Al-Awtar
,
Al-Shawkani
made it clear that there was agreement between Muslims that Muslim women shouldn't go out uncovered:
The agreement of the Muslims to prevent women from going out with uncovered faces...
[5]
Elsewhere, when asked about when women should cover their faces,
Al-Shawkani
said:
As for covering the face of a woman, they used to uncover their faces when it was not obligatory to cover them,
and they would cover them when there was someone from whom it was obligatory to cover
.
[6]
Based on the Hadith provided by
Al-Shawkani
with Aisha and the oncoming caravan, it seems that the jilbab has an opening for both the hands and the face, as the women were able to bring down a portion of their jilbabs down over their faces, and their faces were exposed.
This is also what is implied in the command in verse 59 of Surah
Al-Ahzab
:
O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw close [
yudneena
] over themselves ['
alayhinna
] some [
min
] of their outer garments [
jalaabibihinna
]. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
Here is what the verse means according to the words bolded:
- "Yudneena" comes from the word "daniya", which comes from the root "d-n-y" [???]. According to
Ibn Faris
in his lexicon
Mu'jam Maqayees Al-Lugha
, the root means "the bringing close of something".
- "'Alayhinna" means "on them" or "over them". In this verse, it is implied that whatever is being brought close is being brought close from the head.
- "Min" here in this verse means "some [of]" or "portion [of]". This is linked with the next word, which is:
- "Jalaabibihinna", which is the plural of Jilbab, which is the full-body one-piece.
The verse implies that women were wearing jilbabs before its revelation, but they were showing parts of themselves to men. Thus, whatever was shown was to be covered, and whatever was shown was from the head down. Whatever of the jilbaab was uncovering the woman was to be drawn close to what was uncovering them, so as to conceal their bodies fully. All of this refers to the face, and it is clear that the Islamic jilbaab has a face opening so that a woman can cover herself whenever a
non-Mahram
man passes by.
Some scholars and commentators say that a woman must cover everything except for one eye so that she can see, such as
Ibn Abbas
, Al-Jalalayn, 'Ubaydah As-Salmani,
Abdullah ibn Salam
, and others. However, there is no authentic report from the Prophet Muhammad proving this, and this led to the linguistic meaning being a legitimate interpretation the jilbab.
Some modern Muslims insist that the contemporary
jilb?b
and the garment described in the Qur'an and the hadith are exactly the same, and that the Qur'an therefore requires the believer to wear these garments. Some scholars say that a veil is not compulsory in front of
blind
,
asexual
or
gay men
.
[7]
The
Encyclopedia of Islam
identifies over a hundred terms for dress parts, many of which are used for "veiling".
[8]
Some of these and related Arabic terms are
burqu, 'abayah, tarhah, bumus, jilbab, jellabah, hayik, milayah, gallabiyyah, dishdasha, gargush, gins', mungub, lithma, yashmik, habarah, izar
. A few terms refer to items used as face covers only. These are
qina, burqu, niqab, lithma
. Others refer to headcovers that are situationally held by the individual to cover part of the face. These are
khimar, sitara, abayah or inrrah
.
Difference between jilbab and other clothing
[
edit
]
It is incorrect to say that the jilbab is one particular style, and different cultures have developed their own variations and styles of the one-piece. However, in recent times, the jilbab has lost its original meaning and fewer women wear it. This has led to confusion about what popular modern styles are considered to fall under the category of jilbab. Most do not, including the following:
- Hijab
? According traditionally to Islamic jurisprudence, the word
hijab
is just a general term that means the dress code for women in the presence of non-
mahram
men. Nowadays, it is in reference to the headscarf that covers the hair and neck. This popular style has received controversy due to its lack of concealment for what is prescribed. This is not considered a jilbab, as it does not cover the body completely.
- Khimar
? Linguistically, the word
khimar
just generally referred to a cover. However, in the Islamic context, it refers to a headcover that extends to the cleavage and covers the hair, neck, sides and back of the head. It is an issue of dispute as to whether the
khimar
that is commanded should cover the face as well. Nevertheless, the khimar is exclusive to the head, and cannot be considered a jilbab.
- Niqab
? The
niqab
is a specific style head covering that covers everything on the head except the eyes. Unlike what others may claim, the Niqab is not something that is considered cultural, but has basis in Islamic sources and law. The majority of scholars from the
Hanbali school
, for example, say that it is mandatory. However, it does not fall under jilbab, as it is only a head covering.
- Chador
? The
chador
is a Persian garment that stretches from head to toe and covers everything of a woman except for the face and hands. Although this is similar to the jilbab, it does not fall under its category, as it always uncovers the face, and there is not an opening that draws it down over the face.
- The Burqa
. It is considered an issue of dispute as to whether the Burqa is actually a jilbab or not. Some have argued that the Burqa actually comes under the same heading as the Niqab,
[10]
as there isn't a face opening. Technically, it may linguistically refer to a jilbab, but it lacks the special head opening.
As an outer garment
[
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]
According to Islamic law, the jilbab is nothing more than an outer garment to be worn specifically around
non-Mahrams
. An "outer garment" refers to a piece of clothing worn outside of someone's primary clothing [e.g., a jacket over a shirt]. There is nothing wrong in taking it off when alone, or when around other women, or when around her
Mahrams
. Generally, a woman is allowed to wear whatever she wants underneath, but she cannot show anything off to
non-Mahrams
.
[11]
Sportswear
[
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]
A type of athletic
jilb?b
was developed by Nike in 2006,
[12]
allowing women to play volleyball while still respecting a traditional clothing style.
[13]
In Indonesia
[
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]
In
Indonesia
, the term
jilb?b
refers to a headscarf rather than a long and loose overgarment.
[14]
See also
[
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]
Notes
[
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]
References
[
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]
- El Guindi, Fadwa (1999).
Veil: Modesty, Privacy, and Resistance
. Berg.
- Geertz, Clifford (2000).
Available Light: Anthropological Reflections on Philosophical Topics
. Princeton University Press.
External links
[
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]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Jilbab
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