Quran on Head Covering
Question
How precise is the Quran in prescribing these rules? Does it say specifically that a woman needs to cover her head?
I understand the general trends of modesty, but I am trying to figure out where these rules are prescribed. Can you please give more Quranic references to the effect?
Response
The following verse entails the directive for women to cover their heads:
وَقُل
لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ
يَغْضُضْنَ
مِنْ
أَبْصَارِهِنَّ
وَيَحْفَظْنَ
فُرُوجَهُنَّ
وَلَا
يُبْدِينَ
زِينَتَهُنَّ
إِلَّا مَا
ظَهَرَ
مِنْهَا
وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ
بِخُمُرِهِنَّ
عَلَى
جُيُوبِهِنَّ
...
And tell the believing women to lower their gazes and guard
their modesty. And hide their beauty except what may ordinarily appear
thereof, and that they should draw their head-covering over their chests,
... (Quran 24:31)
It must be kept in mind, that while endorsing the act of head-covering, Quran has further required that the same cloth that is used to cover the head also be used to cover the chests. This also suggests that a cloth that can be used to cover both the head and the chest of a woman should be a part of a woman's dress.