Is the niqab currently obligatory in Islamic law for Muslim women, especially with the disappearance of the reasons for which the verse of hijab was revealed, the absence of slave women, and what was mentioned in Ibn Kathir's Tafsir?
The wisdom behind the hijab is not limited to distinguishing between free women and slave women; it also includes distinguishing between immodestly adorned women (mutabarrijat) and chaste women. Al-Sa'di mentioned that the hijab prevents harm, because if a woman does not cover herself, she might be presumed to be unchaste. Furthermore, the reason for the obligation of the hijab is that a woman is a mature female, not to differentiate between a free woman and a slave woman. As for the verse about asking from behind a screen (min wara'i hijab), it came to preserve the sanctity of homes and purify the hearts of men and women, as stated by Al-Tabari and Al-Sa'di. Finally, the obligation for a woman to cover her face is a matter of scholarly disagreement among the people of knowledge, and a mirṭ is a garment worn by a woman to cover her body.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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