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Is it permissible for a brother to force his sister to wear the hijab against her will, while her parents are alive?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The legal hijab is obligatory. Scholars have differed on the obligation of covering the face, but the preponderant opinion is that it is obligatory. As for covering the rest of the body, excluding the face and hands, it is obligatory by consensus. A Muslim should help his sister wear it kindly and explain the evidence for its obligation. If she refuses, it is permissible to compel her to wear it by available means, provided that it does not lead to a greater harm. This is supported by the obligation to change an evil with one's hand, then with one's tongue, then with one's heart.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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