The jilbab: a wide garment that is wider than the khimar and narrower than the ridā'. The woman wraps it around her head and lets part of it fall over her chest. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: the ridā' is that which covers from above to below.

It is also said: the milḥafah and everything that one uses for covering, whether it is clothing or otherwise. Abu Zubaid said:

"Draped in the blackness of the night, a jilbab."

This is from Abu Zubaid. "And welcome" is an object that is omitted by necessity, meaning: I came to a welcoming place. "And by the guest" is related to something omitted, meaning: I welcome the guest.

It is permissible for it to be related to "welcome" because it carries the meaning of hospitality. "What" is a source, meaning: the duration of the opening of the door. The intended meaning is general, meaning: at any time one seeks to open the door. He described it as coming in the blackness of the night, exaggerating in praising generosity. It is possible that the guest is his beloved, and the night has drawn her in. He likens the concealment of his guest to the darkness of the night wearing clothing, and the metaphor in the jilbab or in the jilbab is in an explicit manner. It is also possible that "what" is negating, and on this basis, it is correct that it could be a speech directed to the Angel of Death, as he entered without seeking to open the door, even though the guest and the beloved might also do that.

The meaning of "they should draw their jilbabs over them" is that they should let it down over themselves, covering their faces and their sides. It is said: if the garment slips from the woman's face: "draw your garment over your face," because the women were in the early days of Islam, during their ignorance, appearing in a disheveled manner. The woman would appear in a dress and khimar, distinguishing between the free woman and the slave woman. Young men and the clever would expose themselves when they went out at night to fulfill their needs in the palm groves and fields for the slave women, and they might expose themselves to the free women under the pretense of the slave woman, saying: we thought she was a slave. So they were commanded to differentiate their attire from that of the slave women by wearing cloaks and coverings and veiling their heads and faces, so that they could be modest and not be sought after by those who desire them. This is the meaning of: "that is nearer to being recognized," meaning it is more appropriate and deserving to be recognized, so that no one would expose themselves to them nor would they face what they dislike. If you say: what is the meaning of "from" in "from their jilbabs"? I say: it is for partitive, but the meaning of partitive is open to two interpretations. One is that they should wear some of their jilbabs, meaning that the free woman should not appear disheveled in a dress and khimar like the slave woman, and she has two or more jilbabs in her house.

The second is that the woman lets down part of her jilbab and its excess over her face to cover herself until she distinguishes herself from the slave woman. Ibn Sirin said: I asked Ubaidah al-Salmani about that, and he said: she should place her cloak over her eyebrow and then wrap it until she places it on her nose. Al-Suddi said: that she covers one of her eyes and her forehead, and the other side except for the eye.

Al-Kisai said: they should cover themselves with their cloaks gathered around them. He intended by gathering the meaning of drawing near. And Allah is Forgiving of what has passed from them of negligence along with repentance.