If a woman does not wear the Hijaab because of an external influence (i.e. society or authority), will that be a form of Shirk (polytheism)?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Wearing the Hijab is an obligation that Allaah Almighty has imposed on the Muslim woman. Allaah Almighty says (what means): {And to wrap [a portion of] their head covers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands.} [Quran 24: 31]

The Ummah (Islamic community) has unanimously agreed that the Hijab is obligatory. Accordingly, failing to wear the Hijab constitutes a huge sin and a grave act of disobedience. It was narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:

(There are) two types of the people of Hell that I have not yet seen: men holding whips like the tails of cattle with which they strike people, and women who are dressed but appear to be naked. They will not enter Paradise and they will not smell its fragrance, although it could be smelled from such-and-such a distance. [Muslim]

Accordingly, if a Muslim woman does not wear the Hijab for fear of society or the environment or to go along with them, then this is in conflict with the completeness of Thauheed (monotheism); Allaah Almighty says (what means):

•        {... So do not fear the people but fear Me...} [Quran 5: 44]

•        {So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are [indeed] believers.} [Quran 3: 175]

If a Muslim woman believes that whatever society imposes is obligatory, whatever it prohibits is forbidden, and whatever it permits is permissible, then she has associated others with Allaah in obedience, which is exclusively due to Him. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to ‘Adiyy ibn Hatim when he recited: {They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allaah...} [Quran 9: 31] He said: "They were not worshipping them, but if they made something lawful to them, they regarded it as lawful, and if they forbade them something, they regarded it as forbidden.” [At-Tirmithi; Al-Albani: good]

This indicates that obeying anyone other than Allaah Almighty in something that involves disobedience to Allaah Almighty, whether the party obeyed is a person, system or society, implies shirk of obedience. The Shirk of this Ummah is more subtle than the footsteps of an ant. We do not mean by what we have stated that that woman who neglects wearing the Hijab under the influence of society becomes a polytheist who has committed major shirk that takes her out of the pale of Islam. What we mean is that she is committing a huge sin that is at conflict with the completeness of Thauheed and obedience because if Allaah Almighty and His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, enjoined something, then the believer has no choice except to obey. Allaah Almighty says (what means): {It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.} [Quran 33: 36]

Allaah Knows best.