and say to the believing women, “Lower your gaze…” (24:31). The practical implication of this verse together with the verse in al-Aḥzāb is that whenever a woman leaves her home she must wear a khimar and then place a jilbab over the khimar. As noted earlier, this affords her greater concealment and prevents the outline of her head and shoulders from being seen—an objective sought by the Lawgiver, as will be clarified under “Condition Four.” This is also how some of the early generations explained the verse of “drawing down”; for in al-Durr, 5/222, it is related:

“Ibn Abī Ḥātim transmitted from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr regarding the words, ‘let them draw down over themselves their jilbabs’ (33:59), that he said: ‘They drape part of their jilbabs over themselves; it is the qināʿ worn above the khimar, and it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to be seen by a stranger unless she is wearing the qināʿ over the khimar, having fastened it over her head and chest.’”

Be aware that most Muslim women today have neglected this combination of khimar and jilbab when going out. In practice one sees either the jilbab alone on their heads, or the khimar—which in some cases is not even ample, being the thin scarf now called an “isharb.” As a result, parts of the hidden adornment that Allah has forbidden them to expose—such as the forelock or the neck—become visible.

Among the proofs underscoring the obligation of this combination is the report from Ibn ʿAbbās concerning the verse, “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze…,” from which he exempted “the elderly women who have no hope of marriage….”

The verse continues: “There is no blame upon such women if they lay aside their garments without flaunting their adornment; yet to remain modest is better for them. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing” (24:60).