Text copied Link copied

Al-Fatawa – home

﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

Scholar
Search mode

Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And let them strike their khimar over their chests”

Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The noble verse states, as Allah the Exalted said:
to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chestsوَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ
[An-Nur 24:31]
So what is the description of drawing the head coverings over the chests? Does this include covering the face of the woman? And if so, how do we reconcile this with what is mentioned in the same noble verse:
not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereofوَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا
[An-Nur 24:31]
where the exegesis states that what is apparent of them is the face and the hands.

Answer:
Yes, and let them draw their head coverings over their chests, with the head covering hanging over the openings of their garments at the chest. From this, it is established that the face must be covered, because if the head covering on her head hangs down to her neck, it is established that it passes over the face and covers it. As the Mother of the Believers, Aisha, said: We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the state of ihram, and when men passed by us, one of us would draw her head covering from her head over her face, and when they had passed, we would uncover it.
As for His saying, the Exalted,
except that which [necessarily] appears thereofإِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا
[An-Nur 24:31]
, the scholars have two opinions regarding its interpretation. The first opinion is what the questioner mentioned, that it refers to the face and the hands. The second opinion, which is the interpretation of Ibn Mas'ud, is that what is intended is the garments; that what is apparent of them should be adorned in the garments, not what is apparent of them, which is the face and the palms. This is the correct view; this is the correct view, that what is intended is what is apparent of them, meaning it is to be adorned in the garments, not the face and the palms. This is because the evidence indicates that the face and palms are to be covered from other hadiths and from the other verse
to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garmentsيُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ
[Al-Ahzab 33:59]
. Likewise, in His saying, the Exalted,
ask them from behind a partitionفَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ
[Al-Ahzab 33:53]
, it is a complete covering that conceals, with no exception made for the face; a covering behind a covering, meaning it conceals her entirely. When Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the meaning of "their garments are over their bodies," he said: The lowest part of her garment is over her face, and she exposes one eye. He is interpreting the verse.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and a group of scholars held that the exegesis of the face and palms is to be understood as referring to what was the case at the beginning. In the early days of Islam, uncovering the face and palms was permissible. Then, when the verse of the hijab was revealed, it was commanded to cover the face and palms. So what was transmitted of its exegesis as the face and palms is to be understood as referring to what was the case at the beginning. Then, when the hijab was revealed, this was abrogated. Refer to the fatwas of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and you will find this statement. Yes.
Source صفة ضرب الخمر على الجيوب الوارد في الآية — alfawzan.live

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

Flag this fatwa