Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:59

After clarifying the wretched state of those who cause harm, as a deterrent against them, He commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him) to instruct some of those who were being harmed to do that which would, in general, repel the harm—namely, covering themselves and distinguishing themselves from the locations of harm. The Exalted said: "Tell your wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments."

It is narrated from more than one source that free women and slave women used to go out to relieve themselves in the fields and among the palm groves without any distinction between them. There were libertines in Medina who would accost the slave women, and sometimes they would accost free women. When challenged, they would say, "We thought they were slave women." Thus, the free women were commanded to distinguish themselves from the slave women in attire and covering so that they would be respected and held in awe, and no one would covet them.

Al-Jalabib (the outer garments) is the plural of Jilbab. According to what is narrated from Ibn Abbas, it is that which covers from the top down to the bottom. Ibn Jubayr said: It is the head-covering (al-miqna'ah). Others said: The cloak (al-milhafah). It is also said: Every garment a woman wears over her clothing. And it is said: Everything used for covering, whether a cloak or otherwise. They cited the verse: "She wrapped herself in a garment of the blackness of night." It is also said to be a garment wider than the headscarf (khimar) but smaller than the outer cloak (rida').

Al-Idna' means bringing near—it is said "he brought me near" (adnaani), i.e., "he drew me close." It implies the meaning of letting down or veiling. For this reason, it is connected with the particle 'ala (upon), as is apparent to me. Perhaps the point of this implication is to signal that the required covering is one that allows for seeing the path when walking; so contemplate this.

Abu Hayyan quotes al-Kisa'i as saying: "Meaning they should cover themselves with their cloaks, wrapping them upon themselves." Then he said: "He intended by 'wrapping' the meaning of 'bringing near'." In al-Kashshaf, the meaning of "bring down over themselves" (yudnina 'alayhinna) is "let down over themselves." It is said that when a garment slips from a woman's face: "Bring your garment down over your face." Said ibn Jubayr interpreted this as "they should drape them over themselves." In my view, all of this is an explanation of the intended outcome. The apparent meaning of "over them" ('alayhinna) is over their entire bodies. It is also said: over their heads, or over their faces, because that which used to be exposed of them in the Age of Ignorance was the face.

There is disagreement regarding the method of this covering. Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, and others narrated from Muhammad ibn Sirin, who said: I asked Ubaydah al-Salmani about this verse: "To bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments," and he lifted a cloak he was wearing, covered himself with it, and covered his entire head until he reached his eyebrows, and covered his face, exposing his left eye from the left side of his face. Al-Suddi said: She covers one of her eyes, her forehead, and the other side, except for one eye. Ibn Abbas and Qatadah said: She wraps the jilbab over her forehead, ties it, and then turns it over her nose, even if her eyes appear, provided she covers the chest and most of the face. In another narration from the learned scholar [Ibn Abbas], reported by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and Ibn Mardawayh: She covers her face from above her head with the jilbab and reveals one eye.

Abd al-Razzaq and a group narrated from Umm Salamah, who said: "When this verse was revealed—'Bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments'—the women of the Ansar went out as if they had crows upon their heads due to the solemnity, wearing black cloaks."

Ibn Mardawayh narrated from Aisha, who said: "May Allah have mercy on the women of the Ansar. When 'O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters...' was revealed, they tore their wrappers (murut) and veiled themselves with them, so they prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) as if they had crows upon their heads."

The word "part" (min) is for tab'id (partitioning). This allows for two interpretations according to what is in al-Kashshaf:

1. That the meaning of "part" is one of the jalabib, and the "bringing down" means they wear it over the entire body.
2. That the meaning of "part" is a portion of it, and the "bringing down" means they veil themselves, covering the head and face with a portion of the jilbab while letting the rest hang over the remainder of the body.

"Women" is restricted by custom to free women, and the occasion of revelation requires this, as does the context that follows; therefore, the slave women of the believers are not included in the ruling of the verse.

Regarding Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), it is reported that a non-free woman should not veil herself. Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated from Qatadah: "Umar ibn al-Khattab would not allow a slave woman to veil herself during his caliphate and would say: 'The veil is for free women so that they are not harmed.'" He and Abd ibn Humayd narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Umar saw a young slave woman veiled, so he struck her with his whip and said: "Take off the veil, do not imitate the free women." It is mentioned in some narrations that he said to a slave woman he saw veiled: "You wretch, are you imitating the free women?"

Abu Hayyan said: "The women of the believers includes free women and slave women, and the temptation regarding slave women is greater due to their frequent movement, unlike free women. Thus, excluding them from the generality of 'women' requires clear evidence." End quote. You know that, according to us, the face of a free woman is not 'awrah (nakedness), so covering it is not mandatory, and a stranger may look at it if he is safe from desire; otherwise, it is forbidden. Al-Quhistani said: "In our time, looking at a young woman is forbidden even without desire." As for the ruling on the slave woman of another—even if she is mudabbarah or umm walad—it is like the ruling on a mahram (unmarriageable kin); it is permissible to look at her head, face, lower leg, chest, and upper arm if he is safe from his desire and her desire. The apparent meaning of the verse does not support what was mentioned regarding free women, so perhaps it is interpreted as seeking a covering by which free women are distinguished from slave women, or the chaste are distinguished from others; so contemplate this.

Yudnina (bring down) could be the content of the "Tell" command, functioning as a statement in the sense of a command, or it could be a response to the command, similar to: "Tell My servants who have believed to establish prayer." The verse contains a refutation of those among the Shia who claim that he (peace and blessings be upon him) had no daughters other than Fatimah (may Allah bless her father and her, and grant them peace), whereas Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum were his stepdaughters.

"That" (dhalika)—meaning what was mentioned of letting down and covering—"is more suitable that they be known" (adna an yu'rafna), meaning distinguished from the slave women who are the locations of their being accosted and harmed. It is permissible to keep "being known" in its literal sense, meaning: it is more suitable that they be known as free women so they are not harmed by those of suspicion by being accosted on the basis that they are slave women.

Abu Hayyan said: It means that is more fitting so that they may be known for their covering and chastity, and thus they will not be accosted nor encounter what they dislike. For when a woman is at the peak of covering and modesty, no one dares approach her, unlike the one who displays her beauty (mutabarrijah), for she is a target for greed. This is an interpretation based on his view of women. In any case, al-Subki said in his Tabaqat: "Ahmad ibn Isa, one of the Shafi'i jurists, inferred from this verse that what scholars and notables do by changing their clothing and turbans is a good thing, even if the predecessors did not do it, because it involves a distinction for them so that they are known and their statements are followed." This is a subtle deduction.

"And Allah is ever Forgiving" (Ghafur), having abundant forgiveness, so He forgives what might occur of failure in covering. It is also said: He forgives their past shortcomings. This is countered by the argument that if it refers to shortcomings in the matter of covering before the verse was revealed, there is no sin before it entered into the Law; and if it refers to other than that, so that the statement "Allah is ever Forgiving" means He forgives their past sins and their committing of what was forbidden in general, it is not appropriate for the context. It is possible that it refers to the shortcomings in covering, with the order to do so being known from the verse of the Hijab as a necessity—and it is as you see. "And Merciful" (Rahim), having abundant mercy, so He rewards those among them who complied with His command with what He, the Exalted, is worthy of. It is also said: Merciful to them after repentance for failing to cover after the verse was revealed. And it is said: Merciful to His servants, as He, the Exalted, has considered in their interests the likes of these specific details.