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Is it permissible for a woman to wear the hijab in countries where the custom of wearing the niqab prevails, given that this exposes her to temptation and to the gazes of young men?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A Muslim woman must cover her entire body with what is considered a lawful covering, based on Allah's saying: "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments." If full covering is not achieved with a khimar alone, then it is not permissible to limit oneself to it, even if that is the common attire in the country. Justifying not wearing the full hijab by fearing being looked at is a beautification from Satan, and one must not yield to his whispers, as Allah says: "O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan."

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

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