What is a Khimaar ?
The term Khimaar is used in Surah An-Nur ayat 31, the word used is “khumur” which is the plural of “khimaar”.
« And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils over their chests, and not reveal their ˹hidden˺ adornments except to their husbands, their fathers, their fathers-in-law, their sons, their stepsons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, their fellow women, those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, male attendants with no desire, or children who are still unaware of women’s nakedness. Let them not stomp their feet, drawing attention to their hidden adornments. Turn to Allah in repentance all together, O believers, so that you may be successful.»
Surah An-Nur Ayat 31
It also appears in a hadith :
Narrated by Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said: Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a veil ( khimaar ).
Sunan Abi Dawud 641.
Narrated by Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said:
"The Salat of a women who has reached the age of menstruation is not accepted without a Khimaar".
Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Vol. 1, Book of Salat, Hadith 377.
Let’s look at the definitions :
First linguistically, the root word ‘Kha-Miim-Ra’ which primarily means to ‘conceal or to cover’, if you look in any arabic dictionary it will be defined as something or a piece of cloth that conceals or covers the head of a woman.
From a religious background, a few insights have been given :
Imam ibn Kathir said regarding the verse, “Draw their khumur to cover their juyub means that they should wear the khimar in such a way that they also cover their chests so that they will be different from the women of the jahiliyyah who did not do that but would pass in front of men with their chests uncovered and with their necks, forelocks, hair and earrings uncovered.”
Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin Albani: "The word khimaar linguistically means only a head covering. Whenever it is mentioned in general terms, this is what is intended."
From everything read above we understand the main purpose of a khimaar is to cover the upper part of the body, often it is associated with the abaya to form an outfit which allows the entire body to be covered as a muslim women should.
Contemporarily, it can be considered as a top, and can have many different styles no sleeves, open neck, closed neck, with or without a head band etc.