Presently I hear about a statement that "Pardah is not compulsory for Muslim females and that was only compulsory for the Ummul Mo'mineen as the Tahajjad was compulsory for Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) and non-compulsory for other Muslims". So I would like to discuss some facts to reveal the importance of Pardah before you.

Pardah in Islam:

The verse of Surah Noor, says: " And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss." [Al-Qur'an 24:31]

Hadith of Sahih Bukhari:


Volume 1, Book 10, Number 552: Narrated 'Aisha R.A:
The believing women covered with their veiling sheets used to attend the Fajr prayer with Allah's Apostle, and after finishing the prayer they would return to their home and nobody could recognize them because of darkness.

Three Grades of Pardah:

The first is that the woman covers every part of her body except her face, her hands and her feet.
2. The second is that the woman covers her face, her hands and her feet also.
3. The third is that the woman keeps herself indoor or keeps herself hidden in such a veil that no one can ever see her clothes.

This stage is the greatest of all the three. All three grades exist in the Holy Qur'aan. The first grade of Purdah is stated in the Qur'aan as:

"That they should not display their beauty and ornaments." (Surah Noor Chapter 18 Verse 31.)

The commentary of this verse of the Qur'aan is the saying of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa'alihi Wasallam that: "O! Asma when a woman reaches puberty then it is not permissible for her to open any part of her body except this and this, indicating towards his face and his hands." (Abu Dawood)

The second grade is stated in the Qur'aan as:
"That they should cast their outer garments over their persons." (Chapter 22 Verse 59)

In a Hadeeth of Bukhaari and Muslim, it is stated that a woman asked,
"O Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa'alihi Wasallam! If one of us does not have a garment (to cover herself up with) then how shall we go to perform Eid prayer. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa'alihi Wasallam replied that: "the woman with her should cast her garment over her."

The third grade is stated in the Qur'aan as: "And stay quietly in your house." (Chapter 22 Verse 33).

In another verse: "And when you ask (the wives of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa'alihi Wasallam) for anything, ask them from behind a screen." It is stated in a Hadeeth that the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa'alihi Wasallam ordered Hadhrat Umme Salma radhiyallahu anha and Hadhrat Maimoona radhiyallahu anha that: "Draw your veil in front of him," meaning Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Umme Maktoom radhiyallahu anhu.
On this Hadhrat Umme Salma inquired that: "Is he not blind? "The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa'alihi Wasallam answered: "Are you too blind? Can you not see him?" (Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi) In another Hadeeth it is stated: "The woman is a thing of concealment, when she comes out, Shaitaan lies in wait for her". From the Qur'aanic verses and Ahaadeeth these grades have been proven compulsory and that the law of Islaam has ordered that these be acted upon.

The difference between these three grades is that the first grade is stated compulsory in itself though she be young or old. The last two grades are stated compulsory because of occurring causes. From them, is fear of corruption. This is why the last two grades are not compulsory on a woman who doesn't have any hope of marrying (who is old). But even for these women the Qur'aan states: "But it is best for them to be modest," (meaning Purdah).

In Tafseer Ibn katheer in the explanation of "Jalaabeebihinna" (Chapter 22 Verse 59) the greatest of the commentators, Hadhrat Ibn Abbas radhiyallahu anhuma states that when this verse was revealed, the women used to come out fully covered except for one eye from which they could see from.

At the time of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa'alihi Wasallam, the women were allowed to go to the mosque of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa'alihi Wasallam even though near to his last age he said: "A woman's Salaat in her house is superior than her Salaat in the courtyard and a woman's Salaat in the remotest corner of her room is superior than her Salaat elsewhere in the room." ( Tabraani.)
At the time of Hadhrat Umar radhiyallahu anhu the women were prohibited to enter the mosque of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa'alihi Wasallam.

Hadhrat Aa'isha radhiyallahu anha was asked her opinion, she replied that if the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa'alihi Wasallam saw the state of the women of this time surely he would have stopped them from entering the mosques. All this, Islam has ordered so that the dignity of the woman can stay safe and that the woman can enter Paradise easily without any punishment. Surely Pardah is a barrier from Hell and a way to Heaven.
Aftermaths of the discussion:

Allah Ta'ala has covered every soft object of the Nature and the World with Veil like all the soft fruits you can see are wrapped in a cover such as banana, orange and water-melon and many more. Similarly the soft and fragile system of our body is covered by our skin to protect it. Veil has been declared compulsory to protect the modesty of the souls of Muslim Women and to protect them from the lustful sights of the people. We can never say that the Pardah was compulsory only for Ummul Mo'mineen and not for the other Muslim women. The above discussion proves that Pardah is compulsory for all the Muslim women.

Volume 8, Book 73, Number 177: Narrated 'Aisha:

Allah, the brother of Abu Al-Qu'ais asked my permission to enter after the verses of Al-Hijab (veiling the ladies) was revealed, and I said, "By Allah, I will not admit him unless I take permission of Allah's Apostle for it was not the brother of Al-Qu'ais who had suckled me, but it was the wife of Al-Qu'ais, who had suckled me." Then Allah's Apostle entered upon me, and I said, "O Allah's Apostle! The man has not nursed me but his wife has nursed me." He said, "Admit him because he is your uncle (not from blood relation, but because you have been nursed by his wife), Taribat Yaminuki." 'Urwa said, "Because of this reason, ' Aisha used to say: Foster suckling relations render all those things (marriages etc.) illegal which are illegal because of the corresponding blood relations." (See Hadith No. 36, Vol. 7)

Volume 8, Book 74, Number 257: Narrated 'Aisha:

(the wife of the Prophet) 'Umar bin Al-Khattab used to say to Allah's Apostle "Let your wives be veiled" But he did not do so. The wives of the Prophet used to go out to answer the call of nature at night only at Al-Manasi.' Once Sauda, the daughter of Zam'a went out and she was a tall woman. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab saw her while he was in a gathering, and said, "I have recognized you, O Sauda!" He ('Umar) said so as he was anxious for some Divine orders regarding the veil (the veiling of women.) So Allah revealed the Verse of veiling. (Al-Hijab; a complete body cover excluding the eyes). (See Hadith No. 148, Vol. 1)

Volume 9, Book 93, Number 517: Narrated Anas bin Malik:

The Verse of Al-Hijab (veiling of women) was revealed in connection with Zainab bint Jahsh. (On the day of her marriage with him) the Prophet gave a wedding banquet with bread and meat; and she used to boast before other wives of the Prophet and used to say, "Allah married me (to the Prophet in the Heavens."