بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

One of the tools being used by the enemies of Islam to send the masses astray and naively being adopted by some Muslims is dismissing many established laws of Shariah and the Sunan of the Rasūl ﷺ and Ṣaḥābah, male and female رضي الله عنهم, as being simply ‘culture’. One such false claim is that black abāyahs/jilbābs or cloaks/overgarments worn by women is a Saudi culture and has no basis in Sharī^cah. Even though there is no specific colour which must be adopted when wearing the overgarments, other than the general rules of not being inciting of fitnah or attractive and not being a garment of ostentation etc.,[1] here it will be proven that black abayāhs/jilbābs or cloaks/overgarments were worn by the Ṣaḥābiyāt in the Messenger’s ﷺ era and that this is, in fact, part of the Sharī^cah.

Umm Mu’minīn, Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها said, “When the verse, ‘And they should draw their jilbāb (cloaks) over themselves,’ was revealed, the women of the Anṣār went out as if there were crows on their heads from sakīnah, and they were wearing black overgarments (akyisah).”

• Collected by Abdur Razzāq in his Tafsīr[2] and Abū Dawūd رحمه الله in his Sunan.[3]
• The muḥaddith, Shaikh Shu^caib Arnāwūt رحمه الله said, “Its chain is strong.”

All the commentators of this ḥadīth explain that their garments were likened to crows due to their black colour.[4] The expert ḥadīth lexicographer, Allāmah Ibn Qutaibah (d. 276 AH) رحمه الله said, “What is meant by ‘there were crows on their heads’ is that the overgarments (murūt) were from black hairs (of camel or sheep) so the parts which were on their heads were like crows (in blackness).”[5] In other words, the anṣāriyah women made their khimārs (head and chest coverings) from the overgarments they already possessed. Since these overgarments were already black when they placed the khimārs, which were made from them, on their heads it looked like black crows.

In his magnificent commentary on Sunan Abī Dawūd, the great muhaddith and faqīh, Ibn Raslān (d. 844 AH) رحمه الله, who died centuries before Saudi Arabia was even conceptualized, said, “The women of the Anṣār exited while the jilbābs (overgarments) were drawn all over them as though on their heads were crows (ghirbān). The black khimārs (head and chest coverings) were likened to crows because of the black cloaks which they would use as jilbābs to cover themselves. The poet said, ‘Clothed with a jilbāb of the darkness of night.’[6] This ḥadīth proves that it is from Sharī^cah for women to use black overgarments (malāḥif) to cover themselves, especially at night, because it does a better job concealing them, as opposed to white (ones).”[7]

In her narration of this incident, Umm Mu’minīn Aishah رضي الله عنها applauded the Anṣāriyah women on this action by saying, “Indeed there is virtue in the Quraishi women, however, I did not see anyone more virtuous than the women of the Anṣār and none with a stronger belief in the Book of Allah nor faith in the revelation.”[8] She went on to say that as soon as the above verse was revealed and their menfolk came home and recited it to their wives, daughters and sisters, “Every Anṣāriyah woman immediately got up and made the head and chest coverings from their (black) overgarments (of sheep or camel’s) hair out of belief and faith in what Allah revealed in His Book. Then they came out in the morning to perform the Fajr prayer behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with the head and chest coverings as if there were crows on their heads.”[9]

May Allah protect us from the onslaught of misinformation about our Sharī^cah which is being promoted externally as well as from within. May He allow us to see the Truth as Truth and grant us the ability to accept and follow it.

See here for a fatwā by Muftī Shabbīr Ahmed Qasmī on this issue.

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[1] See Fatāwā Dārul Ulūm Zakariyah Vol.7 Pg.96-98 ʿAllāmah ʿAīynī says that “Those women who walk around in the bazaars in flashy clothing” come under the ḥadīth of Saḥīḥ Muslim [#2128] which speak about sinful women who cause men to be inclined to them. [Sharh ʿAīynī on Sunan Abī Dāwūd Vol.3 Pg.54] ʿAllāmah Ālūsī said, “One of those things which would be attached to the adornment (zīnah) which is prohibited (on women) to expose is what most luxurious women of our times wear on top of their clothing and conceal themselves with it when they leave their homes, and that is a covering made from silk which has many colours, and in it are golden and silver embroidery which dazzles the eyes. I also consider their husband and guardian’s allowance of them to emerge in this manner and walk among strange men to be due to a lack of ghairah. Allah and His Rasul ﷺ did not permit any of that.” [Tafsir Rūḥul Maʿānī Vol.18 Pg.323-324]

[2] Vol.2 Pg.123 Imam Ālūsī also mentioned this narration in his Tafsīr [Vol.21 Pg.468].

[3] #4101 His wordings are: “As if there were crows on their heads, because of their overgarments (akyisah).”

[4] Sharḥ Abu Dāwūd by Ibn Raslān Vol.16 Pg.360-361, Mirqātus Ṣuʿūd by Suyutī Vol.3 Pg.1001, Fatḥul Wadūd by Sindī Vol.4 Pg.130, ʿAwnul Maʿbūd by ʿAzīmābādi Pg.1760, Bazlul Majhūd Sahāranpurī Vol.12 Pg.130, An-Nihāyah by Ibnul Athīr Pg.2995

[5] Gharībul Ḥadīth Vol.2 Pg.354

[6] The darkness of the night completely covered him, like how jilbābs completely cover the body.

[7] Sharh Ibn Raslan on Abu Dawud Vol.16 Pg.360-361

[8] Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim #14406, Fathul Bari Vol.10 Pg.446, Abu Dawud narrates a short version of Aishah’s narration #1400

[9] ibid