"Let them draw their outer garments over themselves" (yudnina 'alayhinna min jalabibihinna). The jilbab is a cloak, cloak (rida'); it means they should cover themselves with it. "That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused" (dhalika adna an yu'rafna fala yu'dhayna), meaning that it be known that they are free, Muslim, chaste women, so they are not abused; meaning they should not be subjected to harm. It was the hypocrites who used to harass women.
Al-Kalbi said: They used to seek out bondswomen, and a free woman could not be distinguished from a bondswoman at night. The believing women encountered severe harm from them, so they mentioned this to their husbands, and this was reported to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and so this verse was revealed.
Yahya narrated from Sa'id, from Qatada, from Anas ibn Malik that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab saw a bondswoman wearing a head covering (qina'), so he struck her with his whip and said: "Uncover your head and do not imitate the free women!"
