What is the ruling on covering the face with the niqab during Hajj, and how is the reconciliation between the hadith: "The woman in ihram does not wear the niqab" and the statement of A'ishah?
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The questioner : The first question asks about the ruling on covering the face with the niqab during Hajj. I had read a hadith to the effect that: "The woman in ihram does not wear the niqab or the gloves". And I read another statement from the Lady A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) while they were on Hajj, in which she said: "When men caught up with us, we would lower our veils over our faces, and when they passed us, we would uncover our faces". How do we reconcile these two statements, and which is more correct? If we apply A'ishah's statement, in these days women are constantly or frequently mixed with men during their walking in Hajj and during their prayer. Does she cover her face constantly, or what does she do? And there is a statement I heard from Imam Abu Hanifa that if a woman covers her face, she must offer a sacrificial animal. What is the correct position in this?
The Shaykh : The correct position in this is what the hadith indicates, which is the prohibition of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) against the woman wearing the niqab. The woman in ihram is prohibited from wearing the niqab absolutely, whether foreign men pass by her or not. Accordingly, it is forbidden for the woman in ihram to wear the niqab, whether she is on Hajj or 'Umrah. The niqab is well known among women. As for the hadith of A'ishah, it does not contradict the prohibition of wearing the niqab, because the hadith of A'ishah was only that the women did this when men passed by them, and this is a necessity.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If men pass by women who are in ihram, it is obligatory for them to cover their faces, because covering the face from foreign men is obligatory. Accordingly, we say to the woman that wearing the niqab is forbidden for her absolutely. As for covering her face, the best for her is to uncover her face, but if men pass by her closely, it is obligatory for her to cover it, but she covers it with something other than the niqab. Yes.
The Shaykh : The correct position in this is what the hadith indicates, which is the prohibition of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) against the woman wearing the niqab. The woman in ihram is prohibited from wearing the niqab absolutely, whether foreign men pass by her or not. Accordingly, it is forbidden for the woman in ihram to wear the niqab, whether she is on Hajj or 'Umrah. The niqab is well known among women. As for the hadith of A'ishah, it does not contradict the prohibition of wearing the niqab, because the hadith of A'ishah was only that the women did this when men passed by them, and this is a necessity.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If men pass by women who are in ihram, it is obligatory for them to cover their faces, because covering the face from foreign men is obligatory. Accordingly, we say to the woman that wearing the niqab is forbidden for her absolutely. As for covering her face, the best for her is to uncover her face, but if men pass by her closely, it is obligatory for her to cover it, but she covers it with something other than the niqab. Yes.