Short answer
Yes. Covering the hair and body in front of men who are not her mahram is fard (obligatory) for every Muslim woman who has reached puberty. All four schools agree on this. Leaving it is a sin, but it does not take a woman out of Islam.
Fard. A woman who has reached puberty must cover her whole body except the face and hands in front of non-mahram men, and later Hanafi jurists also bar a young woman from uncovering her face before them because of fitnah. Leaving hijab is a major sin; denying that it is obligatory is far more serious.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Hijab in Islamic law means covering the awrah (the parts of the body that must be covered) in front of men who are not your mahram. For a woman this includes the hair, the neck, the arms, the legs and the shape of the body. The Quran tells believing women to draw their head covers over their chests and not to show their adornment except to close family. It also tells them to draw their outer garments over themselves when they go out.
The four Sunni schools agree that this covering is fard. They differ only on the edges: whether the face, hands and feet must also be covered. See is niqab compulsory for that question, and the full guide at awrah for men and women.
Proper hijab has a few conditions. The clothing should be loose, not tight enough to show the figure, and thick enough that skin and hair do not show through. It should not be worn to attract attention. In one hadith the Prophet ﷺ warned of women who are dressed yet naked, meaning clothes that cover in name only.
- Hijab starts at puberty. Girls are taught it gently before then.
- It is required in front of non-mahram men, not at home with your husband, father, brothers and other mahrams.
- It is also part of the conditions of prayer, even when you pray alone. See do you need hijab to pray at home.
If you find hijab hard, you are not alone. A woman who does not wear it is still a Muslim, and every step towards it is rewarded. Start where you are, make dua, and keep the intention to please Allah. Our hijab guide covers styles and practical tips.
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Noor 24:31
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١﴾
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
Commands believing women to cover their chests with their head covers and not to show their adornment except to listed close relatives.
Quran, Surah Al-Ahzaab 33:59
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَٰبِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا ﴿٥٩﴾
O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
Commands the women of the believers to draw their outer garments over themselves.
Sahih Muslim 2128
Sahih... نساء كاسيات عاريات مميلات مائلات ...
"Women who are clothed yet naked, who lead others astray and are led astray."
Shows that clothing which does not truly cover is blameworthy.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1173
Graded sahih... المرأة عورة فإذا خرجت استشرفها الشيطان ...
"A woman is awrah, and when she goes out, Shaytan makes her the focus of looks."
Shows that a woman's body is to be covered in front of strangers.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on looking and touching. A free woman's whole body is awrah except the face and hands.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the conditions of prayer, covering the awrah. Defines the awrah of a woman and the feet on the relied-upon view.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.