What is the guidance regarding the statement of some scholars that it is permissible for a woman to travel without a mahram on an airplane and to uncover her face?
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Question:
Some writers and others are calling for the liberation of women and their free mixing with foreign men. This is not surprising, but unfortunately, we hear from some scholars who say it is permissible for a woman to travel without a mahram on an airplane, and they also say it is permissible to uncover the face in front of foreign men. They claim that the issue is a matter of scholarly disagreement. What is the guidance regarding this?
Answer:
We have told you more than once that the criterion is not the opinions and the disagreement; the criterion is the evidence. The evidence is with those who say that hijab and covering the woman's face is obligatory. That is the one who has the evidence, and that is the one whose opinion is to be followed: the one who has the evidence. As for the one who does not have evidence, we reject his opinion. But the one who follows his desires turns around to whatever agrees with his desires, even if it contradicts the evidence. He does not care about this because he is a follower of desires, not a seeker of the truth. He seeks what agrees with his desires. As for the one who seeks the truth, when the evidence becomes clear to him, he is convinced.[Al-Ahzab 33:36] But these people have little fear of Allah in their hearts, and they have desires, so they look for and look for differences and opinions. If only their evil were limited to themselves! But they mislead others and confuse others. [An-Nahl 16:25] Yes.
Some writers and others are calling for the liberation of women and their free mixing with foreign men. This is not surprising, but unfortunately, we hear from some scholars who say it is permissible for a woman to travel without a mahram on an airplane, and they also say it is permissible to uncover the face in front of foreign men. They claim that the issue is a matter of scholarly disagreement. What is the guidance regarding this?
Answer:
We have told you more than once that the criterion is not the opinions and the disagreement; the criterion is the evidence. The evidence is with those who say that hijab and covering the woman's face is obligatory. That is the one who has the evidence, and that is the one whose opinion is to be followed: the one who has the evidence. As for the one who does not have evidence, we reject his opinion. But the one who follows his desires turns around to whatever agrees with his desires, even if it contradicts the evidence. He does not care about this because he is a follower of desires, not a seeker of the truth. He seeks what agrees with his desires. As for the one who seeks the truth, when the evidence becomes clear to him, he is convinced.
It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْThat they may bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection and some of the burdens of those whom they misguide without knowledge. Unquestionably, evil is that which they bear.
لِيَحْمِلُوا أَوْزَارَهُمْ كَامِلَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَمِنْ أَوْزَارِ الَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما التوجيه حيال قول بعض أهل العلم بجواز سفر المرأة دون محرم في الطائرة وجواز كشف وجهها؟ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.