Covering the Face and Hands and Wearing Gloves for the Woman in Ihram and the Woman Not in Ihram
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The second question of Fatwa No. ( 5168 )
Q2: What is the ruling on covering the face and hands and wearing gloves for the woman in ihram and the woman not in ihram, and how do we respond to those who disagree? With emphasis, clarification, and detail; due to the abundance of debate and argument in these matters.
A2: First: It is obligatory for the woman to cover her face and hands; this is the original ruling. We have issued a detailed answer regarding the ruling on hijab, the text of which is: What the Sharia evidence indicates is that covering the woman’s face is obligatory in the presence of non-mahrams; because it is the gathering place of adornment which the believing women were commanded not to display
to anyone other than their mahrams, in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nur 24:31] the verse. A question similar to this was sent to the Committee, and it answered with the following fatwa: There is no disagreement among scholars, as far as we know, that the woman’s head and hair are things she must cover from everyone who is not her mahram, and exposing them to non-mahrams is forbidden. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ahzab 33:59] , Umm Salama said when this verse was revealed: [Al-Ahzab 33:59] : The women of the Ansar came out as if there were crows on their heads from their composure, and they were wearing black garments which they wore. Ibn Abbas said: Allah commanded the women of the believers, when they went out of their homes for a need, to cover their faces from above their heads with their jilbabs, and to show one eye. And Muhammad ibn Sirin said: I asked Ubaydah al-Salmani about the saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: [Al-Ahzab 33:59] ,
so he covered his face and head and showed his left eye. And Allah explained the wisdom in that by His saying:[Al-Ahzab 33:59] , meaning: that covering is closer to being known for chastity and protection of honor, so that no one approaches them with a suspicious intent, hoping for them and desiring to enjoy them, or to satisfy his desire with them. The woman’s jilbab is: the sheet with which she wraps herself. And He said: [An-Nur 24:31] , the khimar: the head covering of the woman, and it is for her in the position of the turban for the man. The jayb of the garment is the opening through which a person puts his head when he wears it, and takes it out when he removes it. And striking the khimar over the jayb: is draping it over it, with securing the covering with it.
And the meaning is: and let them draw the excess of their head coverings over their necks, and veil themselves with it with a secure veil; so that they achieve thereby the perfection of covering their necks and throats along with their heads, so that nothing of them is seen. And al-Bukhari narrated from the route of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said:Sahih al-Bukhari 4758 , meaning: they covered their heads. And Ibn Abi Hatim and Abu Dawud in his (Sunan) narrated from the routes of Safiyyah bint Shaybah she said: . So these Aisha the Mother of the Believers understood from the verse the command for the woman to cover her head from non-mahrams, and she praised the emigrant women, and the women of the Ansar more for their understanding from the Quran of the obligation of the woman covering her head from non-mahrams, and their hastening to act upon it, and she praised the men of the Ansar, where they recited to their families and relatives the verses of the Quran that explain what is required of covering the private parts, and protecting honors, and blocking the means of fitnah, and all these were Arabs, to whom the Quran was revealed in their language, so they understood it with the correct understanding, and then the men were the conveyors of the message, and their women were the executors; preferring the Book of Allah and its Shari'ah, and opposing what the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance were doing of exposing
the private parts, and al-Tirmidhi narrated from the route of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and al-Tirmidhi said: Good and authentic. As for what was mentioned in the question about the khimar slipping off the head and falling on the shoulders, and every time it is put back it falls, and that this is a distraction of the mind, and attracts attention, and provokes mockery and ridicule, and leads to shame - there is no dire necessity in it that would be an excuse for the Muslim girl to be permitted to expose her head and what is like it of her adornment; because it is possible to avoid it by securing the wearing of the khimar, and veiling with it, and knowing such a thing is easy, especially for one who grew up in Islamic lands, and lived in a conservative home, the custom of whose women is hijab. Indeed, every Muslim girl who wants to control her clothing and secure her wearing, finds the way to it without hardship. And in the Arabic proverbs: (The old woman does not know the new wine). Then the environments in which corruption and moral decay have prevailed, and the circles in which mockery of the conservative and ridicule of the chaste, veiled women has become widespread, necessitate that the Muslim girl hold fast to her religion more, and that her resistance be stronger, and that she be proud of herself and her morals and her noble distance, which she inherited from her first Islamic environment, so that she becomes a higher example for her Muslim sisters who see her to follow,
and they are encouraged to adorn themselves with what protects their chastity, and cuts off the hopes in them, and preserves their existence from declining into what those have fallen into whose resolve weakened, and whose self and religion and humanity became cheap to them. May Allah protect you and your companions from stumbling, and make easy for you the path of knowledge and safety from evil. And with this it becomes clear that it is obligatory for the woman not in ihram to cover her head, face, and hands from foreign men. Second: It is obligatory for the woman in ihram to expose her face and hands; for what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 1838 , narrated by al-Bukhari. But if she sees foreign men, she covers her face and hands. The original basis for that is what Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah narrated, from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) she said: Mishkat al-Masabih 2690 . And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Q2: What is the ruling on covering the face and hands and wearing gloves for the woman in ihram and the woman not in ihram, and how do we respond to those who disagree? With emphasis, clarification, and detail; due to the abundance of debate and argument in these matters.
A2: First: It is obligatory for the woman to cover her face and hands; this is the original ruling. We have issued a detailed answer regarding the ruling on hijab, the text of which is: What the Sharia evidence indicates is that covering the woman’s face is obligatory in the presence of non-mahrams; because it is the gathering place of adornment which the believing women were commanded not to display
to anyone other than their mahrams, in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
not expose their adornment except to their husbands
وَلاَ يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّO Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلابِيبِهِنَّto bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments
يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلابِيبِهِنَّto bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments
يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلابِيبِهِنَّso he covered his face and head and showed his left eye. And Allah explained the wisdom in that by His saying:
That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused
ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلا يُؤْذَيْنَto wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests
وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّAnd the meaning is: and let them draw the excess of their head coverings over their necks, and veil themselves with it with a secure veil; so that they achieve thereby the perfection of covering their necks and throats along with their heads, so that nothing of them is seen. And al-Bukhari narrated from the route of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said:
May Allah bestow His Mercy on the early emigrant women. When Allah revealed: "... and to draw their veils all over their Juyubihinna (i.e., their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)..." (V.24:31) they tore their Murat (woolen dresses or waist-binding clothes or aprons etc.) and covered their heads and faces with those torn Muruts.
يرحم الله النساء المهاجرات الأول، لما أنزل الله: وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ شققن مروطهن فاختمرن بهاWhile we were with Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she said: We mentioned the women of Quraysh and their excellence, so Aisha said: The women of Quraysh certainly have an excellence, and by Allah, I have not seen better than the women of the Ansar in their stronger belief in the Book of Allah, and their faith in the revelation. Indeed, when Surat al-Nur was revealed: And let them strike their khumurs over their jaybs, their men turned to them reciting to them what Allah had revealed to them therein, and the man would recite to his wife, daughter, sister, and every relative. So there was no woman among them but she stood up to her garment and veiled herself with it, in belief and faith in what Allah revealed from His Book. So they became behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), veiled, and it was as if there were crows on their heads
بينما نحن عند عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: فذكرنا نساء قريش وفضلهن، فقالت عائشة : إن لنساء قريش لفضلاً، وإني والله ما رأيت أفضل من نساء الأنصار أشد تصديقًا لكتاب الله، ولا إيمانًا بالتنزيل، لقد أنزلت سورة النور: وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ انقلب رجالهن إليهن يتلون عليهن ما أنزل الله إليهم فيها، ويتلو الرجل على امرأته وابنته وأخته وعلى كل ذي قرابته، فما منهن امرأة إلا قامت إلى مرطها المرحل فاعتجرت به تصديقًا وإيمانًا بما أنزل الله من كتابه، فأصبحن وراء رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، معتجرات، وكأن على رؤرسهن الغربانthe private parts, and al-Tirmidhi narrated from the route of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
A woman is an awrah
المرأة عورةand they are encouraged to adorn themselves with what protects their chastity, and cuts off the hopes in them, and preserves their existence from declining into what those have fallen into whose resolve weakened, and whose self and religion and humanity became cheap to them. May Allah protect you and your companions from stumbling, and make easy for you the path of knowledge and safety from evil. And with this it becomes clear that it is obligatory for the woman not in ihram to cover her head, face, and hands from foreign men. Second: It is obligatory for the woman in ihram to expose her face and hands; for what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
and the Muhrima (a woman in the state of Ihram) should not cover her face, or wear gloves.
ولا تنتقب المرأة المحرمة، ولا تلبس القفازينRiders would pass us when we were performing the rites of pilgrimage along with God’s messenger, and when they came by us one of us would let down her outer garment from her head over her face, and when they had passed on we would uncover our faces
كان الركبان يمرون بنا ونحن مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم محرمات، فإذا حاذونا سدلت إحدانا جلبابها من رأسها على وجهها، فإذا جاوزونا كشفناه
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.