IT SHOULD NOT BE AN ADORNMENT IN ITSELF

THE SECOND CONDITION:
IT SHOULD NOT BE AN ADORNMENT IN ITSELF
 
According to The statement of The Exalted in the aforementioned verse of Suratu Noor:
وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ “…and not to reveal their adornment …”
[Suratu Noor: 31]
 
So indeed this verse in its generality [in prohibition], also includes the outer clothing (covering): if this clothing is an adornment which attracts men to look at her.
 
And this is further proven in the Statement of The Exalted:
 
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى “…And stay in your houses, and do not (tabarruj) display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance,”
[Suratul Ahzaab :33 ]
And his statement (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam): 
“Do not ask about Three people [meaning they are destroyed]: a man who disobeyed his ruler and left the muslim jam’ah (unity); and died upon this state, and a male or female slave who ran away; and died upon this state, and a woman who’s husband is away; and he left everything she needs for her -of the worldly provisions- yet even after this: she openly displays her beauty [to strangers].
So do not ask about these kinds of people [meaning they are destroyed].”
 
Narrated by al- hakim, and Imaam Ahmad; and its chain is saheeh (authentic).  And al-hakim said: “it is upon their agreed with conditions (meaning Bukhari and Muslim).  And I don’t see any defect in that,” and Ad-Dhahabee agreed with him as well.
 
 
Tabarruj: “It is when a woman displays (shows) that which will cause [or stir the] desire of the men.
It can be from her beauty, or her cosmetics, and all what she is supposed to cover.”
 
And the purpose of the commandment for wearing the Jilbaab; is to cover the beauty of a woman. So it is not sensible that the Jilbaab itself should be attractive!
 
And this as you see; is very clear and self evident.
 
Thus on this Imaam ad-Dhahabee said in ‘Kitaab al-Kabaair’ [The Book of Major sins] page 131:
 
“And from the actions which cause a woman to be cursed are : displaying her beauty, or her gold and pearls that she is wearing,  or leaving her house while having perfumed herself with perfume or musk, or her wearing of very attractive colors, and outer garments (Jilbaabs) that are shorter than the dress she is wearing inside:
All of these are actions which cause Allaah to be angry upon her, and it causes the one who do so; to incur anger and detestation in this world and the here-after.
 
And these are the actions which are prevalent and common among most of the women[1] –of which the prophet (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam) said- :
 
“I looked at the fire (jahannam), and I saw that most of its people were women.”
 
I say: it is an authentic hadeeth narrated by Bukhaaree & Muslim; reported by Imraan ibn Husayn (radhiyaAllaahu anhu) and others.
 
I say : And this act of tabarruj (wanton display) is strongly warned against in Islaam; to the point that it has been attached and mentioned together with shirk (associating partners with Allaah), and zinaa (illegal sexual intercourse), and stealing, and other than these from the actions which are all haraam.
 
And this is shown, when the group of women came to give allegiance to the prophet (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam); they gave allegiance to avoid all that.
 
Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radhiyaAllaahu anhu) said:
“Umayma bint Ruqayqa came to the prophet (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam) to take an oath of allegiance with him in Islam. 
So he (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam) said:
“I take your pledge that: you do not to associate anything with Allaah (shirk), not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to kill your children, nor to produce any lie that you have devised between your hands and feet, and not to wail [scream] when someone dies, and not to commit tabarruj like the tabarruj of jahiliyyah [not to display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance].”
 
Narrated by Imaam Ahmad with a hasan isnaad (a good chain of narration).
 
Al-Aloosee said in “rooh al-ma’anee ’’: “Then know that –according to me- from that clothing which is a prohibited adornment: is what is worn by most of the high class woman in our time; on top of their clothes [as a Jilbaab]. And they use this as a cover when they come out of their houses.
And this is a covering made of silk textile from different colors, and it has designs of gold and silver; which amaze and draw the attention of the eyes. 
I see that their husbands and their guardians; let them go out with these, and they let them walk past strange men; dressed like this!
I view this to be from the lack of jealousy, and it has become a great misfortune and a source of trials.
 
And also from what has become a great misfortune and source of trials: is how the women do not cover themselves properly, while in the presence of their brother -in –laws.
[And it is also a great misfortune and source of trials] that their husbands do not pay attention and care to this!!
 
And all of these actions are those which have not been permitted by Allaah The Exalted, and His Messenger (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam).
 
And examples of these types of actions and situations are many. Wa la hawla wala quwwata illa billaahi Al-‘Aliyy al-Adhweem.”  [And surely there is no strength or change; except by Allaah The Most High The Most Supreme].”
[I Say:] And know that it is not considered as an adornment: if the cover of a woman is of other colors, and not white or black.  
This is something that is unclear to some of the Muslim women who are sticking to and practicing the religion. [They think that wearing a cover of other colors is not permissible].
 
And to prove this, there are two main points:
 
Firstly:
 
His statement (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam) :
 
“The perfume of the women is the one which has a light scent and a strong revealing colour, while that of men is that which has a light colour and a strong scent.”
               
Narrated by Aboo Daawood and An-Nasaaee; and it is a saheeh hadeeth.
 
 
Secondly:
 
The actions of the female companions regarding this issue.
 
And on this; I will bring some established narrations on this issue. And these are those narrated by al-hafidh ibn Abee Shaybah in his book ‘al –Musannaf’:
 1. From Ibraaheem –and he is al-Nakha’ee –: 
“That he together with Alqamah and al-Aswad; used to enter upon the wives of the prophet (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam), and they used to see them dressed in red outer coverings.”
2. From Ibn Abee Mulaykah, who said:
 
“I saw Umm Salamah (radhiyaAllaahu anha) dressed in clothing, and a covering dyed with saffron.”
(Saffron produces either red or yellow).
  3. From al-Qaasim – and he is the son of Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq –  “That ‘Aisha used to wear yellow clothing; and she was in a state of Ihraam.”
 
And from a narration from al-Qaasim:
“That ‘Aisha used to wear clothing dyed with saffron; and she was in a state of Ihraam.”
 
4. From Hishaam, from Faatima bint Mundhir:
 
“That Asmaa used to dress in clothing dyed with saffron; and she was in Ihraam.”
 
 
5. From Sa’eed ibn Jubayr that he saw some of the wives of the prophet (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam), making Tawaaf in the house [Masjid al-Haram in Makkah] ; and they were dressed in (cover) clothing which were dyed with saffron.”
 
 
 
*Taken from the book [ Jilbaab ul mar-ah muslima fi Kitaab wa sunnah ] by its author , the Allamah , the Muhaddith of this era , Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee ( may Allaah have mercy on him )