Hijab is binding even on a woman who did not observe it before

Question

Before marriage a woman never observed hijab. After marriage her husband tells her: “Observe hijab,” but she puts it off, saying: “I have not observed hijab until now — what hijab now?”, since everyone knows her; moreover, in this area there is no custom of wearing the burqa either. Should this woman observe hijab as her husband says, or not?

Answer

She should observe hijab. If someone has not prayed for a long time and says: “What prayer now, at an advanced age?”, this answer of his is wrong; in the same way, the answer of this woman is wrong.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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