'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' The Exalted and Majestic says: "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks [jilbab] all over themselves. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be harmed. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." Because the custom of Arab women was to be exposed in the sense of hijab, and they would uncover their faces as the maidservants do, this led to men looking at them and thinking about them. Allah, the Exalted, commanded His Messenger, blessings and peace be upon him, to instruct them to draw their cloaks closer to them so that they would be covered, thus preventing those who were lustful or young from approaching them. It has been narrated that there were people in Medina who would sit on the heights to see the women and to approach them and flirt with them, and this verse was revealed because of that. And "jilbab" is a garment larger than the khimar. It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that it is the outer garment. People have differed regarding how it should be drawn closer. Ibn Abbas and Ubaidah al-Salmani said that it means for the woman to wrap it around herself so that only one eye is visible for her to see with. Ibn Abbas also said, and Qatadah said, that it means to wrap it above the forehead and tie it, then to bring it down over the nose. Even if both her eyes are visible, it still covers the chest and most of the face. And His saying, the Exalted, "That is more suitable that they will be known," means: in general, by distinction so that they do not mix with the maidservants. When they are known, they will not be met with harm from those who oppose them, observing the status of freedom. And it does not mean that a woman is recognized until it is known who she is. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, when he saw a maidservant who had covered herself, would strike her with a stick to maintain the attire of free women. And the remainder of the verse is a reassurance, kindness, and encouragement towards repentance, and it entices them with the mercy of Allah. It also comforts the women in leaving the jilbab before this legislated command.