Head Covering During Adhan and Quran Recitation: What Does Islam Say?

Is Head Covering Required During Adhan or Quran Recitation?

Question: Is there any mention in the Quran or Hadith that one must cover their head during the adhan (call to prayer) or while reciting the Quran?

Answer: Covering the head has no connection to the adhan or Quranic recitation. It is related to the concept of hijab. If covering the head during the adhan or recitation of the Quran were necessary, it would have been commanded in the Shariah. Like men, women may find themselves in various situations—such as bathing, relieving themselves, or during marital relations. Is it necessary for a woman to cover her head in such situations when the adhan is called? Clearly, there is no basis for this in the Shariah. The command of the adhan is to listen and respond, whether man or woman. However, if a woman is in a place where non-mahram men can see her, she must cover her entire body, including her head, whether she is reciting the Quran or the adhan is being called.

Respondent: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah 

Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia  

Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail