What is the ruling on wearing the niqab?

Question : It is a phenomenon that has spread among women in a striking manner, known as the niqab. The strange thing about this phenomenon is not the wearing of the niqab itself, but the way women wear it. Initially, only the eyes were visible from the face. Then the niqab began to widen gradually, so that a part of the face became visible along with the eyes, which brings about fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). This is especially true since many women apply kohl when wearing it. When the women are questioned about this matter, they argue that Your Eminence has issued a fatwa (a scholarly legal ruling) stating that the default ruling is permissibility. We request that this issue be clarified in detail.

Answer : He answered: There is no doubt that the niqab was known in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and that women used to wear it, as indicated by his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding a woman in ihram (the consecrated state of pilgrimage) that she should not wear the niqab. This indicates that it was their custom to wear the niqab. However, in our time, we do not issue a fatwa permitting it; rather, we see that it should be prohibited. This is because it is a means to expanding into what is not permissible. Yes, some people understood from our statement "we do not issue a fatwa permitting it" that we are issuing a fatwa that it is not permissible. There is a difference between the two expressions. If I say "we do not issue a fatwa permitting it," that is different from saying "I issue a fatwa that it is not permissible." If I say "I issue a fatwa that it is not permissible," I would be contradicting the Prophetic Sunnah of approval, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) approved of women wearing the niqab, and no one can contradict the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). But if I say "I do not issue a fatwa permitting it," the meaning is that I do not say it is permissible. This is because if a permissible matter contains a danger and is a means to a danger, it is prohibited. Have you not seen that Allah the Exalted said: Even though cursing the gods of the polytheists is among the required matters, it was prohibited out of fear of falling into the forbidden, which is cursing Allah the Exalted. Similarly, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) refrained from rebuilding the Ka'bah on the foundations of Ibrahim out of fear of fitnah, because the Quraysh had recently embraced disbelief. And the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), prevented a man who had divorced his wife three times from taking her back, even though the triple divorce was considered a single divorce. So we say that in our time, we do not issue a fatwa permitting it; rather, we see that it should be prohibited, because it is a means to expanding into what is not permissible. What is the expansion that is not permissible? That the woman, instead of opening only for her eyes, increases the opening. It rises to the eyebrow or descends to the cheek. Also, she does not show her eye in a normal way, but applies kohl that beautifies the eye, and fitnah arises from this. For this reason, we do not permit any woman to wear it, but rather we see that it should be strictly prohibited. The woman should fear her Lord in this matter and not wear the niqab, because that opens a door of evil that cannot be closed afterwards. Thus, our statement of prohibition is blocking a means. Take it, my brother. Cover her face with something else. She covers her face with the same khimar (the head covering) as is customary among us, where the woman covers her face with the khimar.