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Quran 24:31 – Hadith Regarding Parda / Hijab
There is a narration that can be found in Ibn Kathir’s writing, as well as in Ibn Hajar’s writing which says after the revelation of verse 31 of surah An Nur, women wore headscarves and they looked like there were crows sitting on their heads.
A’ishah says, ‘By God! I have never found anybody better than the women of the Ansar when it comes to honouring the Book of God and having faith in its instructions.’ When the following verse of the chapter entitled al-Nur, ‘They should put shawls over their bosoms’, was revealed, the Ansar men returned to their houses and conveyed to their wives, daughters and sisters the instructions revealed for them by God. Some untied their waist-belts while others used their covering sheets and made shawls out of them. The next morning when they offered prayers (salat) led by the Prophet Muhammad, it seemed as if crows sat on their heads (because of the scarves they wore). (Tafsir ibn Kathir, vol. III, p. 284 ).
Source: https://quran.com/en/24:31/tafsirs/tazkirul-quran-en
Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Bari: There is a report of Ibn Abi Hatim via ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Uthman ibn Khaytham from Safiyyah that explains that. This report says: We mentioned the women of Quraysh and their virtues in the presence of ‘Aishah and she said: “The women of Quraysh are good, but by Allah I have never seen any better than the women of the Ansar, or any who believed the Book of Allah more strongly or had more faith in the Revelation. When Surat al-Nur was revealed – “and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna” – their menfolk came to them and recited to them what had been revealed, and there was not one woman among them who did not go to her apron, and the following morning they prayed wrapped up as if there were crows on their heads.
Source: https://islamqa.info/en/answers/13998/verses-and-ahadith-about-hijab-in-islam#hadiths-about-hijab
Does this narration mean that covering the head with black scarf or black burqa is mandatory for women under all circumstances, hence crows? Or does it only talk about prayer? And also as far as I know, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi sahab does not believe head covering to be mandatory for women in front of non mahrams, but doesn’t this narration contradict his statement as it says presumably means that the women of that time covered their heads with black clothes?
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