Wearing Hijab in USA Fatwa No: 82379
- Fatwa Date:1-1-2001
I live in USA in a small town; I can't go to school or work because of my Hijab. Can I remove my hair cover?
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
It is compulsory an every Muslim woman to cover her hair from alien men. She should not show her hair to anyone other than the persons Allah mentioned in the following Aayah: {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.}[24: 31].
All the Muslim Scholars are agreed that a woman should cover her head, neck and ears. It is the rule of Allah that He makes good Muslim men and women face trials and misfortunes to raise their ranks and forgive their sins. You should not give up wearing Hijab even though you may face problems or the people may laugh at you. If you give up wearing Hijab you follow the Satan, thus disobeying Allah.
How many believing women remained patient and firm ignoring all problems and strictly followed their religion and as a result people, regardless of their ages, showed them respect and followed their good example.
We advise you to stick firmly to this good act, i.e. wearing Hijab. You know that the best persons among human beings are Messengers. They faced trials and misfortunes more than any other persons.
We ask Allah to help us to follow His path and to act as pleases Him.
Allah knows best.