In Africa, Women Wear Headscarfs as Part of the Fashion Culture. Is There Anything Wrong If They Did Not Cut Their Hair but Wear the Headscarfs as a?
1) Direct Answer
No. If a woman keeps her hair uncut, there is nothing wrong with wearing a headscarf as part of cultural fashion—so long as it is modest and not used to replace the biblical sign God gave, which is her long hair.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says a woman’s long hair is her covering: “For her hair is given her for a covering” (1 Corinthians 11:15). That is the God-given sign on her head.
- Paul warns that being shorn or shaven is a shame (1 Corinthians 11:5–6), so the issue God marks is cutting the hair—not whether a cloth is on the head.
- Modesty guides adornment: “Women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety” (1 Timothy 2:9), and the emphasis is the hidden heart over outward show (1 Peter 3:3–4).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Now notice: the Scripture itself identifies the woman’s long, uncut hair as the covering. A scarf can be worn, but it is optional and cultural. It does not add to, or substitute for, what God already gave.
- If a woman cuts her hair, wearing a scarf cannot fix the spiritual sign she has set aside. But if she keeps her hair uncut, she is covered before God whether she wears a scarf or not.
- The only caution is modesty. If the scarf serves modesty and cultural respect, fine. If it becomes vanity or display, that misses the spirit of the Word.
4) Reinforcing Statement
You see, keep the God-given covering—your uncut hair—and walk in modesty. A headscarf is permissible as fashion or modesty, but your hair is the biblical covering.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever
52-0810E §56
Now, lady, you come here near. Now, I just want to ask you some questions. Can you hear me out there all right? Where's Brother Baxter? If you... You watch Brother Baxter, I don't know, I believe it's going to the anointing (You see?), and if it does why, you watch this microphone, if they don't get it. I never know how far it is away (You see?), when it gets a few, after a few. The anointing gets so deep, till the whole crowd of people becomes a mass, and I don't know what I'm saying. You see? And you before this...
Questions and Answers, Part 3
64-0830M §115
QUESTION: Brother Branham, please explain I Corinthians---I Corinthians 11 and verse 4 through 6. Does not this mean a separate covering from the hair, or is the long hair the only covering we need? (Get me I Corinthians 11. Let's see, I Corinthians 11:4.) It says when praying ... (Oh, yeah. They got it here. They say,) In praying or prophesying can we take our hair---can we ... (Let's see, they got a line drawed through something here.) When prophesying can we take our hair when we ... (You say,) Can we take our h...
Hebrews, Chapters 5 and 6, part 1
57-0908M §71
And, Dear God, if there be some sitting here this morning, maybe who's put this off for years and years, but constantly, there's a little knocking at the heart. Maybe they joined church, thinking, "Well, it'll be all right." Father, surely the Scriptures has explained it this morning: that you cannot hide behind a church, and be righteous; neither can you be good, not lie and steal and do anything bad, and still be righteous. There's only one righteousness we have, not of our own, but His righteousness. He has perf...
Fellowship by redemption
55-0403 §61
Now, just a moment. Now, how did they come now? They come up, and if they had done anything wrong... This waters of separation must be kept in a clean place. Oh, wish we could deal on it a little while: a clean place. The waters of separation is the Word. Paul said, over in Ephesians over here, said, "For he has washed us with the water of the word." See, the waters of the separation, the Word, preaching the Word, separates you. You hear the Word, say, "I'm wrong. I'd better quit this. I'm playing church. I better...
God commissioning Moses
53-0508 §74
Now, if Jesus is the same tonight as He was then, and I declare that He promised, "These things that I do, shall you, also." "I will be with you, even in you, plumb to the end of the world." Now, that's either the truth or it's an error. And it's the truth. God knows it's the truth. Now, these are gifts and things that are set in the church. You being a Christian woman, then you've come to me for help. The only thing that I could do would be pray for you, or do something to arouse your faith. Isn't that right? Now,...