Is It Permissible for a Woman to Wear a Backpack?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Is wearing a backpack haram for women? People may say it shows the shape of the shoulders, but does this make it haram for women to use them?

Answer

Thank you for your question. Wearing a backpack is permissible, as showing the shape of the shoulders is not haram. I would encourage one to draw their veil over their bosom to ensure modesty while wearing one.

Shaykh Farid Dingle says: “A proper hijab means that the main shape of the woman’s body is not showing. One does not have to go to ridiculous measures to hide things like height, width of shoulders or the like of which cannot normally be concealed by a good-sized hijab and loose clothes.”

Please see more details here:
– What Are the Requirements of Hijab?
– Is It Permissible to Wear a Jacket over an Abaya or Must It Be under the Khimar?
– Reader on Modesty in Islam

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.