The Ruling on Forbidding What Is Wrong in Matters of Disagreement and Covering a Woman’s Face
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
I say: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, are matters of disagreement generally not subject to forbidding what is wrong? For example, if a woman reveals her face while following a school of jurisprudence that permits it, is it forbidden to point out her error when one sees her doing so?
Answer:
In matters of disagreement, there is no forbidding what is wrong if the evidence has not become clear, and both opinions are equally plausible, with neither being stronger by evidence. However, if the evidence becomes clear for one of the opinions, it is obligatory to act upon it and to forbid what is wrong from whoever contradicts it. The evidence is clear for those who make it obligatory for a woman to cover her face from men; it is clear evidence from the Book and the Sunnah. Therefore, one should not pay attention to the disagreement of those who say the face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), because it contradicts the evidence. We were not commanded to follow the opinions of jurists, but rather we were commanded to follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah.[An-Nisa 4:59] If we return to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, we find that they clearly indicate the obligation of a woman covering her face from men. Therefore, we must adopt this and forbid what is wrong from whoever contradicts it. This is from one aspect.
The second aspect is if the opinions are balanced, meaning no evidence has become clear for either, but the practice in the country follows one of the opinions, then it is obligatory to act according to the opinion followed by the country in order to unite the word and avoid discord. As they say, the judge’s ruling resolves the disagreement. It is not permissible to deviate or contradict, saying there is disagreement in this and so-and-so said such-and-such.
No, we follow what is practiced in the country, the Muslim country. If it acts according to one of the opinions, we do not deviate from what the people of the country are upon, and what the fatwa (scholarly legal ruling) in that country is. Yes.
I say: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, are matters of disagreement generally not subject to forbidding what is wrong? For example, if a woman reveals her face while following a school of jurisprudence that permits it, is it forbidden to point out her error when one sees her doing so?
Answer:
In matters of disagreement, there is no forbidding what is wrong if the evidence has not become clear, and both opinions are equally plausible, with neither being stronger by evidence. However, if the evidence becomes clear for one of the opinions, it is obligatory to act upon it and to forbid what is wrong from whoever contradicts it. The evidence is clear for those who make it obligatory for a woman to cover her face from men; it is clear evidence from the Book and the Sunnah. Therefore, one should not pay attention to the disagreement of those who say the face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), because it contradicts the evidence. We were not commanded to follow the opinions of jurists, but rather we were commanded to follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.
فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًاThe second aspect is if the opinions are balanced, meaning no evidence has become clear for either, but the practice in the country follows one of the opinions, then it is obligatory to act according to the opinion followed by the country in order to unite the word and avoid discord. As they say, the judge’s ruling resolves the disagreement. It is not permissible to deviate or contradict, saying there is disagreement in this and so-and-so said such-and-such.
No, we follow what is practiced in the country, the Muslim country. If it acts according to one of the opinions, we do not deviate from what the people of the country are upon, and what the fatwa (scholarly legal ruling) in that country is. Yes.
Source
75-اللقاء الأسبوعي مع الشيخ صالح الفوزان - 28 — archive.org (1:06:33)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.