Shaikh Al-Albaanee stated:
The Sixth Condition: That it [the Jilbaab] should not be an adornment in and of itself.
And know that it is not adornment in any sense if the clothing with which a woman covers herself is coloured with a colour other than white or black, contrary to what some of the firmly practising women wrongly suppose. This is based upon the following:
Firstly:
His sallallaahu‘alaihiwasallam’s statement:
“The perfume of women is that whose colour is apparent and whose scent is hidden…” and this is taken from “Mukhtasar Ash-Shamaa’il” (188).
Secondly:
The course of action of the female Companions upon that, and I cite here some of the established narrations in this regard from that which Al-Haafiz Ibn Abee Shaybah narrates in “Al-Musannaf” (8/371-372):
From Ibraheem – and he is An-Nakha‘ee:
That he would enter along with ‘Alqamah and Al-’Aswad upon the wives of the Prophet sallallaahu‘alaihiwasallam; so he saw them in red coverings.
From Ibn Abee Mulaikah who said:
I saw upon Umm Salamah a garment and a covering coloured with safflower [i.e. yellow/red].
From Al-Qaasim – and he is Muhammad ibn Abee Bakr As-Siddeeq:
That ‘Aa’ishah used to wear clothing dyed with safflower while she was in a state of Ihraam.
And in a narration from Al-Qaasim:
That ‘Aa’ishah used to wear clothing dyed red with safflower while she was in a state of Ihraam.
From Hishaam from Faatimah bint Al-Mundhir:
That Asmaa used to wear [clothing] dyed with safflower while she was in a state of Ihraam.
From Sa‘eed ibn Jubair:
That he saw some of the wives of the Prophet sallallaahu‘alaihi wa ’aalihi wa sallam performing Tawaaf of the House while they were wearing clothing dyed with safflower.
The Eighth Condition: That it [the Jilbaab] should not be clothing worn for Shuhrah (seeking to stand out)[1]
Due to the Hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar radiyallaahu‘anhu who said that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu‘alaihiwasallam said:
“Whoever wears clothing seeking to stand out and be famous in the life of this world, Allaah will dress him with clothing of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, then it will be set ablaze.”[2]
[Taken from Jilbaab ul-Mar’at-il-Muslimah p121-123 and p 213]
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[1] And it is every clothing which is worn intending to stand out amongst the people, whether it be clothing which is expensive which one may wear to show off and boast regarding this world and its adornment, or clothing which is very simple which one may wear to manifest ascetism and for riyaa (performing righteous actions with the intention of impressing others). And Ash-Shawkaanee said in, ‘Nayl-ul-Awtaar’ (2/94):
“Ibn-ul-Atheer said, ‘Ash-Shuhrah is making something manifest, and the intent here is that his clothing is such that it makes him stand out from the people due to its colour being different to the colour of their clothing, so that it catches their eye such that it causes amazement and pride.’”
[2] Aboo Daawood (2/182) and Ibn Maajah (2/278-279) from the way of Aboo ‘Awaanah from ‘Uthmaan ibn-ul-Mugheerah from Al-Muhaajir from him.
And this chain of narration is Hasan as al-Mundhiree said in “At-Targheeb” (3/112), and the people of his chain of narration are reliable as Ash-Shawkaanee said.
I say … [detailed takhreej (analysis) of this and other variant narrations of the same hadeeth omitted].
Al-Lajnat-ud-Daa’imah (Permanent Committee of Scholars)
Question:
The Jilbaab of the Muslim woman – must it be specifically be black or can it be of other colours?
Answer:
The clothing of the Muslim woman is not restricted to being black, and it is permissible for her to wear any colour of clothing so long as it covers her ‘awrah (that part of the body which should be covered according to the sharee‘ah), does not cause resemblance of men, is not close-fitting such that it delineates the shape of her body, is not thin and transparent such that is reveals what is underneath it, and does not provoke fitnah (temptation).
‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullaah ibn Baaz
‘Abdurrazzaaq ‘Afeefee
‘Abdullaah ibn Ghudayaan
‘Abdullaah ibn Qu‘ood
[1/5089 p181 vol 18 - ‘The Hijaab and clothing of women’ from Fataawaa Al-Lajnat-id-Daa’imati lil-Buhooth-il-‘Ilmiyyati wal-Iftaa]
Shaikh ‘Ubayd al-Jaabiree
Question
I have read some narrations concerning the Mothers of the Believers that they used to wear hijaabs and jilbaabs that were coloured red and yellow, so is it permissible for me to wear those colours?
Answer
O my daughter, these colours that were worn by those women at that time were colours that were known and that they were acquainted with during that time, and the intent behind that which is mentioned in these narrations is not colours that turn one’s attention, but indeed it is the likes of red or black, or for example a mixture or combination of red, black and green. So do not envision that the Mothers of the Believers and their sisters from amongst the Companions or the Taabi‘iyaat used to wear Jilbaabs or Khimars so as to turn the attention of unrelated men towards them.
[Answered by Sh ‘Ubayd in Madeenat-ul-Munawwarah on 14th May 2007. Based on translation by Aboo Hakeem]
Colourful Hijaabs?.. Not if they cause you to stand out.