Why The Command In Surah Al-Ahzab If Veiling Already Existed?
The Qur’an (33:59)یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّبِیُّ قُلۡ لِّاَزۡوَاجِکَ وَ بَنٰتِکَ وَ نِسَآءِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ یُدۡنِیۡنَ عَلَیۡہِنَّ مِنۡ جَلَابِیۡبِہِنَّ ؕ ذٰلِکَ اَدۡنٰۤی اَنۡ یُّعۡرَفۡنَ فَلَا یُؤۡذَیۡنَ ؕ وَ کَانَ اللّٰہُ غَفُوۡرًا رَّحِیۡمًا ﴿۵۹﴾ The actual words are: يُدۡنِيۡنَ عَلَيۡهِنَّ مِنۡ جَلَابِيۡبِهِنَّ. The مِنۡ here denotes fraction (tab‘īḍ). Hence what is implied is مِنۡ جَلَابِيۡبِهِنَّ جِلْبَابٌ. This means any shawl that is present in their homes which is worn as a covering. It is evident from these words and from their context also that they do not contain any directive related to ḥijāb, as has been generally understood. It was a temporary measure adopted to distinguish the identity of Muslim women in order to protect them from the evil of lecherous people and from those who indulge in unfounded slander. The purpose of this directive was that if they go to places of danger, they are distinguished from other women and are not teased on the pretext of being outwardly similar to such women. It is reported in various narratives that when Muslim women in the dark of night or in the dim light of dawn would go out to relieve themselves, the miscreants would get after them and when they would be called to account, they would say that they actually wanted to talk to such and such a woman thinking that she was a slave-woman. (See: Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-Aẓīm, vol. 3, 518)