Is Hijaab a Matter of Personal Choice?

I have been speaking with other Muslim sisters who don’t wear hijaab and they told me that, “Hijaab does not mean: to cover the head,” and “It’s a personal choice whether a person wants to wear a headscarf or not”. I’m a bit confused because there are so many schools of thought and I fear that I may be misled.

Answer:

The sisters you spoke to are in gross error. Hijaab is not a matter of individual choice. It is a Divine Command emphatically stated in the Qur’aan. Concealing the hair is absolutely necessary for a woman when she has to leave the confines of her sacred home and in the presence of ghair mahrams. There is unanimity on this issue.