Imposing Hijaab on family members

Answer

Walaikum salaam wa rahmatullah wa barakaatuh

It is compulsory upon a woman to adhere to the laws of Hijab in front of their non mahram men. Non-Mahram refers to those men with whom marriage is permissible. The obligation of Hijab is clearly understood from the following verse:

{يَاأَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ} [الأحزاب: 59]
Translation:
O Nabi (ﷺ)! Tell your wives, your daughters and the women of the Mu’mineen that [when they have to leave their homes for some necessity] they should draw down their ‘jalaabeeb’ over themselves. (Suratul Ahzaab: 59)

It is a major sin for a woman to discard and violate the laws of Hijab.

Likewise, Shariah has made the husband the guardian of his wife. It is reported in a Hadith that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam has said:

عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما ، قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: «كلكم رَاعٍ، وكلكم مسؤول عن رَعِيَّتِهِ: والأمير رَاعٍ، والرجل رَاعٍ على أهل بيته
Translation:
Ibn Omar (r.a) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) saying: “All of you are shepherds, and each of you is responsible for his flock: the king/ruler is a shepherd, the man is the shepherd of the people of his household

The same has been stressed upon in the following ayah:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ. التحريم
عن قتادة ( قوا أنفسكم وأهليكم نارا وقودها الناس والحجارة ) قال : قال : يقيهم أن يأمرهم بطاعة الله ، وينهاهم عن معصيته ، وأن يقوم عليه بأمر الله ، يأمرهم به ويساعدهم عليه ، فإذا رأيت لله معصية ردعتهم عنها ، وزجرتهم عنها

Translation:
O believers! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, overseen by formidable and severe angels, who never disobey whatever Allah orders, always doing as commanded.

In the tafseer of it:
On the authority of Qatada (Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones) He said: It protects them by ordering them to obey Allah, and forbidding them to disobey Him, and to uphold it by Allah’s command, commanding them to do it and helping them with it.
When this verse was revealed, Sayyidna ` Umar (r.a) inquired: "O Messenger of Allah, we understand how to save ourselves from Hell, that is, we guard ourselves against sins and carry out the Divine injunctions, but how do we safeguard our families from Hell?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: "Instruct them to refrain from deeds that Allah has prohibited, and ask them to carry out deeds that Allah has enjoined. This will rescue them from the Hell-Fire." [ Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani]

Henceforth, a husband is under the obligation to ensure that his wife, daughters adhere to the laws of Hijaab as well as those who are under him. If he does not do that, he will be sinful.

However, the husband should adopt wisdom, diplomacy and be kind in advising his wife and children. He should use effective measures in order to make them understand. This is the methodology of Shariah as illustrated clearly in this Hadith:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضى الله عنه قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم اسْتَوْصُوا بِالنِّسَاءِ فَإِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ خُلِقَتْ مِنْ ضِلَعٍ وَإِنَّ أَعْوَجَ شَىْءٍ فِي الضِّلَعِ أَعْلاَهُ فَإِنْ ذَهَبْتَ تُقِيمُهُ كَسَرْتَهُ وَإِنْ تَرَكْتَهُ لَمْ يَزَلْ أَعْوَجَ فَاسْتَوْصُوا بِالنِّسَاءِ خَيْرًا
صحيح البخاري 3153
Translation:
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I enjoin you to treat women well, for the woman was created from a rib and the most curved part of the rib is its highest point. If you try to straighten it, you will break it. If you leave it as it is, it will remain bent. Thus, I enjoin you to be good to women.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3153, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1468

Answered by:
(Mf) Bilal
For the Jamiatul Ulama of Mauritius