And tabarruj is when a woman exposes part of her adornment, her beauty, or anything she is obliged to cover, thereby arousing a man’s desire.¹

The very purpose behind the command to wear the jilbab is to conceal a woman’s adornment; it is therefore inconceivable that the jilbab itself should be ornamental, as is perfectly plain. For this reason Imam al-Dhahabi states in his Major Sins (p. 131):

“Among the deeds for which a woman is cursed are: displaying her adornment; showing gold or pearls beneath the face-veil; perfuming herself with musk, ambergris, or other fragrances when she goes out; wearing brightly dyed garments, silk wraps, or short cloaks while lengthening the hem of her dress, widening and lengthening the sleeves—all of this is tabarruj, which Allah detests, and He detests the one who practices it in this world and the next. Because of these practices, which have become prevalent among most women, the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘I looked into the Fire and saw that the majority of its inhabitants are women.’”

I say: This ḥadith is sound; it was recorded by the two Shaykhs and others from ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn and others. Aḥmad and others added, through the narration of Ibn ʿAmr, in a marfūʿ form: “and the rich.” This addition is objectionable, as I have demonstrated in Silsilat al-Ahādīth al-Ḍaʿīfah.