Is the meaning of the verse "then ask them from behind a partition" (33:53) the existence of a physical barrier when speaking to women in general, or does "hijab" mean modest clothing, and is this ruling specific to the Mothers of the Believers or does it include all Muslim women?
Scholars have differed regarding the exact definition of the obligatory for the Mothers of the Believers: whether it was merely covering their bodies, or a complete concealment of their persons such that they could not be seen at all. The more preponderant view is that it was the covering of their bodies, evidenced by their performance of Hajj and circumambulation () after the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the Companions hearing from them while their bodies, not their persons, were covered.
As for whether the ruling of hijab was specific to the Mothers of the Believers or general for all women of the Ummah, the adopted by us is that it is obligatory for all women to cover their bodies. The proof for this is that the reason for which Allah commanded the Mothers of the Believers to wear hijab (that it is purer for the hearts of men and women) is a general reason not exclusive to them. Thus, the generality of the reason indicates the generality of the ruling.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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