Title: Must a Woman Wear a Jilbaab Question: Does a woman need to wear a jilbab [1] inside her house if non- mahrams have come to visit, or inside her place of employment? Or is the jilbab only for being outdoors? Most sisters I know wear outfits like a long loose untucked blouse and a long skirt that conceals the figure, while they are at work, but this does not seem to be the same as wearing a jilbab . Jazakallah khayrun for any information you can provide on this issue Answer: The directive regarding Jilbaab has been given in Al-Ahzaab 33: 59 in which women have been directed through the Prophet (pbuh) to wrap themselves in a sheet of cloth (i.e. Jilbaab ), when they have to go out of their houses, without the company of any male member of the household. The background of this verse, as is clear from its context (read Al-Ahzaab 33: 58 - 62), is that some hypocrites used to harass chaste Muslim women when they had to go out of their houses. Subsequently, when these hypocrites were admonished for their behavior, they would, very innocently, make an excuse that they thought that the women were actually slave girls [2] . As a result, the Qur'an, in Al-Ahzaab 33: 59, directed the free Muslim women to adhere to the practice of wearing a Jilbaab and hanging it over their heads slightly, at the time they have to go out of their houses. At the end of the referred verse, the Qur'an has also given the reason for recommending this adherence in the words: "So that they [i.e. these free Muslim women] are recognized from others and are not harassed." Seen in its complete context, the verse actually seems to be a directive for Muslim women to attire themselves in a way that apparently distinguishes them from slave girls. If this interpretation is considered correct, then the directive in this verse is not general, but is specific to the situation, which required Muslim women to adhere to the attire that would distinguish them from slave girls. On the other hand, even if the directive is considered to be general, and not specific to the particular situation, it is quite clear that it relates to a situation in which a chaste woman is in an insecure environment (out of her home or workplace), in which she can be harassed. Keeping the foregoing explanation in perspective, let us now take your specific questions. You ask: Does a woman need to wear a jilbab inside her house if non- mahrams have come to visit, or inside her place of employment? Or is the jilbab only for being outdoors? According to my understanding, the directive of the Jilbaab was actually given to prescribe for free Muslim woman an attire that would distinguish them from slave girls. Nevertheless, even if someone differs with this interpretation, it is quite clear from the context and the words of the verse ( Al-Ahzaab 33: 59), that the directive relates to a situation where the woman has to get out of her house to an insecure place (normally not her house or workplace). Thus, in my opinion, when a woman has to go out of her house or when a non- mehram visits her place or when she is at the place of her employment, she should follow the directives given in Al-Noor 24: 27 - 31 [3] , rather than those of Al-Ahzaab 33: 59. The answer to your subsequent question may be derived in the light of the foregoing explanation. 15 th July 2000 [1] A sheet of cloth to serve as a wrapping for a woman. [2] It should be kept in mind that the social position and status of the slave girls was in no way comparable to that of free women, due to which, under the social traditions of the time, the culprits could not be adequately reprimanded on their act. [3] An explanation of these directives can be seen in one of my previous responses titled: ' Regarding the Etiquette of Interaction between Men and Women '.