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Are the three forms of hijab mentioned legitimate, and is it permissible to alternate between them, especially when wearing the third form?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A woman must wear the religiously prescribed attire that conceals her from non-mahram men. It should be wide and loose, neither describing her form nor being transparent, and it should not be an adornment in itself. The term "Zaynabi abaya" has no basis. All types of clothing mentioned, whether they cover a woman from head to toe, or cover the head, neck, and chest and extend to below the abdomen or knee, are permissible and lawful as long as they are concealing and do not describe the size of a woman's body parts. The criterion for hijab is that it be concealing, and it does not matter whether it is made of one piece or two, as long as it achieves the required concealment. A woman is permitted to wear any type of abaya unless doing so goes against the custom of the people of her country, because لباس الشهرة (clothing worn for fame or notoriety) is forbidden due to its attracting attention, and a severe warning has been issued concerning it.

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

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