How Should a Woman Deal with Head Cover in Summer?

Sister sent this question: “Assalamu allaikum, I live in Chennai, a place in India. I wear hijab all the time, including covering my head with head cap and then pinning a head scarf above that. Since it is very hot these days, I am unable to wear my scarf as I’m getting bad headaches due to sweat and I am feeling suffocated. I have long hair which further makes me sweat. I’m afraid that I will get the wrath of Allah if I don’t pin my head scarf. Can I unpin head scarf? Kindly help me!”

Salam Sister,

Thank you so much for sending us your questions. We hope that we’ll be able to help you with your queries and show you the most modest and adequate route to follow, insha’Allah.

As a woman who wears the hijab also in a very hot weather, I can say that wearing proper hijab in hot weather is not at all impossible. Rather, from experience, wearing light hijab fabric (that is not transparent) have made the heat and weather more bearable since the skin and hair are not exposed directly to the damaging heat of the sun and/or the humidity.

There are also sisters in niqab, jilbab and all sorts of proper modest coverings, and they take pride in what they’re wearing, know that Allah rewards them for committing to their modesty and realize that they can cope with the weather with no problems.

However, if you do have health issues that we’re not aware of, then you need to visit a doctor. Maybe you are not hydrated properly or there may be other issues that your body is suffering from.

Having said that, it is worth mentioning that a light piece of fabric that gently flows over the head and chest in-and-of itself is not a health risk.

It is not through uncovering that you’ll beat the heat outdoors. On the contrary, in such weather, exposing your skin and hair might have negative consequences on them both. So covering modestly and wisely is a healthier route in many cases.

Now, it may be that the routine you’re following in wearing the hijab is what’s making you uncomfortable.

There are a few tips you could consider:

1- Try not to pin the hijab too tightly under the chin. Some sisters use harsh pins or tie it too closely under their chin in a way that bothers them. But there are different styles you can follow to ensure the hijab is secure in place while still breathable and comfortable.

You can skip the under chin pin, and wrap the hijab twice around the head instead, then pin it over the head with small straight pins. There are many ways to follow this style really comfortably in a way that secures the hijab in place and makes you very comfortable around the chin area.

2- You can skip the under cap altogether. It might be too thick or too tight and that’s what’s giving you the headache. If your hijab is not transparent, you will not need the under cap. This way you can remove a layer that is giving you the headache.

3- Make sure you have thin, light breathable fabrics for your hijab (which are not transparent). There are plenty of those everywhere.

4- You can wear a hijab that is sewn together and slides over the head and chest. This hijab doesn’t need pins at all. You can custom make it if it’s not available in stores around you. Choose the fabric that you want, and custom make one that is not transparent, is comfortable around the chin and neck area and flows properly over the head and chest.

5- Try wearing your hair in a bun that doesn’t make you sweat.

6- Try not to spend too much time outdoors in the heat if it’s not necessary.

There are plenty of tips on how to hold on to hijab modestly in the summer.

In any case, we advise you against unpinning your hijab in a way that compromises a part of its rules and etiquette of hijab (i.e., ending up showing the neck or ears … etc.).

We remember here Allah’s Mercy not His Wrath. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) doesn’t burden a soul with more than it can handle.

{Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity[…]} (Quran 2:286)

And it is Allah who ordained the hijab. He, The All-Knowing and All-Wise, knows that it is within our capacity. So, let not the shaitan (satan) whisper or weaken our iman (faith) or make us lose faith in Allah or the straight path.

So, find new ways, tips, and styles that make you comfortable while not compromising your hijab. There are plenty of techniques for that. Also, if there is a way you can remain in-doors when it’s too hot, or in the settings where we take off the hijab altogether, then try to be in those settings more often than outdoors if you can’t bear the heat.

Remember that in Mecca (in Hajj and Umrah) the weather is also very hot, yet women still commit to their hijab properly without unpinning or compromising it. So, you can do it too, insha’Allah.

We ask Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) to ease your affairs for you.