Definition:
A woman is considered to be neglecting Hijab when she exposes some of her beauty or adornment that she has to cover under Sharee‘ah before non-Mahram men (i.e., marriageable). This includes exposure of the woman's beauty and adornment such as her jewelry, her arms, legs, chest, neck and face.
Shaykh Abu Al-A‘la Al-Mawdoodi said, “The word ‘Tabarruj’, when used in relation to a woman, has three meanings:
1- When she exposes the beauty of her face and body before non-Mahram men.
2- When she exposes the beauty of her clothes and jewelry before them.
3- When she exposes herself before them through the way she walks, and moves.”
The Sharee‘ah ruling on Tabarruj:
Tabarruj is prohibited by the Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as well as the Muslims' consensus. All the woman's body is ‘Awrah (parts of the body that must be covered) and it is prohibited that non-Mahram men see any part of her body, hair, adornment or inner clothes (what is underneath the loose outer garment). How most women currently do when they neglect the Hijab as well as expose their beauty and adornment of gold, and so on, features disobedience to Allah The Almighty in public, imitation of non-Muslim women and the excitement of temptation. When a woman goes out with her head, neck, chest, arms or legs uncovered, this is one of the greatest evils which violate the pure Sharee‘ah. Likewise, when she goes out with clothes that expose her body or reveal her inner clothes, all this features negligence of the Hijab and this is prohibited by Allah The Almighty and His Messenger, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. What most women are currently doing as they go out of their homes tempting and being tempted, neglecting the Hijab, exposing their adornment, wearing perfume, exposing their body and intermixing with non-Mahram men, is one of the grave major sins and the most harmful temptation which displeases Allah The Almighty and entails His wrath and punishment.
Evidence behind the prohibition of neglecting the Hijab:
There are texts in the Quran and the Sunnah - the two fundamental sources of the Islamic Sharee‘ah - which forbid neglecting the Hijab and state severe punishment for those who do so, due to the consequent harm.
1- Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance.} [Quran 33: 33] This is a command for women to stay at home and not to go out without necessity. This is likely to help her avoid temptation and safeguard her. In a Hadeeth, the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "The woman is ‘Awrah; and when she goes out, the devil entices her and uses her to entice others." [Al-Bazzaar and At-Tirmithi]
It is observed in this verse that the address is directed to the wives of the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in particular. Nevertheless, the fact is that the address is directed to the wives of the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in particular and all Muslim women in general. This is because the wives of the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, were the Mothers of the Believers and role models and good examples for all believing women in every time and place. This is indicated by the preceding and following general rulings of not being soft in speech [to non-Mahram men], speaking with appropriate speech lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, not displaying beauty like the display of the former times of ignorance, establishing prayer, giving Zakah (obligatory charity) and obeying Allah The Almighty and His Messenger, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. These commands were general rulings for the wives of the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as well as all other Muslim women.
Commenting on the abovementioned verse, Al-Qurtubi said, "The verse implies a command for women to stay in their homes. Even if the address was directed to the wives of the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, other women are implicitly included. This is said when there are no other proofs to include all women in the ruling. Moreover, the Sharee‘ah is replete with orders for women to abide in their homes and to refrain from going out unless there was a necessity".
It is related that it was said to Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, "Why do you not perform Hajj and ‘Umrah like other women?" She replied, "I have already performed Hajj and ‘Umrah and Allah has commanded me to abide in my house." The narrator of this added, "By Allah, she did not leave her room until her funeral."
{And do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance}: This part of the verse forbids women to frequently go out beautified or perfumed as was the habit of the people of the pre-Islamic era who were ignorant and had no religion to follow.
2- Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {….And not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof ….} [Quran 24: 31]
The Arabic equivalent of the word ‘adornment’ has three meanings:
a- Beautiful clothes,
b- Jewelry,
c- What women generally use of adornment on their heads, faces as well as other parts of the body, which is known nowadays as "cosmetics".
Women are forbidden from exposing any of these three things before non-Mahram men, because Mahram men are excluded. Another exception is made for parts of the adornment which necessarily appear. This includes the apparent parts which are impossible to hide, such as the outer garments, the cloak as well as those parts which appear unintentionally. The verse also indicates that women are prohibited to deliberately expose such adornment.
Commenting on the verse, Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "There are two types of adornment: natural and acquired. The natural adornment is the woman's face as it is the origin of adornment and beauty. The acquired adornment is that which a woman tries to apply to her body in order to beautify herself, such as clothing, and jewelry." All this is included in the verse in which Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {….And not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof ….}
3- Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And women of post-menstrual age who have no desire for marriage - there is no blame upon them for putting aside their (outer) garments [but] not displaying adornment.} [Quran 24: 60]
The verse refers to those women who have attained the age of menopause and no longer produce children and therefore they do not desire to marry and men no longer desire them.
Putting aside all clothing so that the woman becomes naked is, of course, not what is intended here. The scholars of Fiqh (jurisprudence) and Tafseer (Quranic exegesis) unanimously agree that it is the outer garments that are meant here, as in the other verse in which Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments.} [Quran 33: 59]
{[But] not displaying adornment}: This part of the verse implies a command for such women not to display their adornment and neglect the Hijab. The essence of neglecting the Hijab is to reveal things that must be covered. Women are forbidden to display themselves before non-Mahram men by exposing their adornment and beauty.
The verse implies permission to put aside the outer garments and veils only for women who no longer desire beautification, who have lost their sexual desire and whom men no longer desire. Still, it is better for them to maintain their modesty and wear their outer garments.
When this is the Sharee‘ah ruling concerning old women, then what about young women who entice men and men are tempted by them. In some Hadeeths, the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:
• "The ever harmful temptation that will afflict men after me is (the temptation of) women." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
• "Avoid (the pleasures of) this worldly life and avoid (the temptation of) women; for the first temptation of the Children of Israel was in women." [Muslim]