What is the ruling if a woman uncovers her face while reading the Noble Qur'an? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
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The questioner : What is the ruling if a woman uncovers her face while reading the Noble Qur'an? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with a woman uncovering her face if she is reading the Qur'an, and she has done nothing wrong in that, except if there are men around her who are not her mahram (a relative one may not marry). In that case, it is obligatory for her to cover her face. This is because it is not permissible for a woman to uncover her face except to her husband and to those who are her mahram. The mahram are those whose marriage to her is forbidden by lineage or a permissible cause. So everyone who is forbidden to her permanently by lineage or a permissible cause—indeed, we say this by way of exclusivity: they are her fathers, however high up the lineage, whether from the father's side or the mother's side; her sons, however low down the lineage, whether they are sons of her sons or sons of her daughters; her brothers and their sons, however low down the lineage, whether they are brothers from the mother's side, brothers from the father's side, or full brothers; and whether the sons who branched off from them are their sons, their grandsons, or their granddaughters; her paternal uncles, but not their sons; her maternal uncles, but not their sons; and also her husband's father by lineage and his fathers, however high up the lineage, whether they are his fathers from the father's side or the mother's side; and also her husband's sons, however low down the lineage, whether they are sons of his daughters or sons of his sons. These are the mahram for the wife.
As for the sons of the paternal uncle, the sons of the maternal uncle, the husband's brother, and his relatives other than his fathers and sons, they are not mahram for the wife, so it is obligatory for her to cover her face from them.
In summary, the answer is: it is permissible for a woman to read the Qur'an while her face is uncovered, and she has done nothing wrong in that, except if there are men around her who are not her mahram, in which case it is obligatory for her to cover her face.
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with a woman uncovering her face if she is reading the Qur'an, and she has done nothing wrong in that, except if there are men around her who are not her mahram (a relative one may not marry). In that case, it is obligatory for her to cover her face. This is because it is not permissible for a woman to uncover her face except to her husband and to those who are her mahram. The mahram are those whose marriage to her is forbidden by lineage or a permissible cause. So everyone who is forbidden to her permanently by lineage or a permissible cause—indeed, we say this by way of exclusivity: they are her fathers, however high up the lineage, whether from the father's side or the mother's side; her sons, however low down the lineage, whether they are sons of her sons or sons of her daughters; her brothers and their sons, however low down the lineage, whether they are brothers from the mother's side, brothers from the father's side, or full brothers; and whether the sons who branched off from them are their sons, their grandsons, or their granddaughters; her paternal uncles, but not their sons; her maternal uncles, but not their sons; and also her husband's father by lineage and his fathers, however high up the lineage, whether they are his fathers from the father's side or the mother's side; and also her husband's sons, however low down the lineage, whether they are sons of his daughters or sons of his sons. These are the mahram for the wife.
As for the sons of the paternal uncle, the sons of the maternal uncle, the husband's brother, and his relatives other than his fathers and sons, they are not mahram for the wife, so it is obligatory for her to cover her face from them.
In summary, the answer is: it is permissible for a woman to read the Qur'an while her face is uncovered, and she has done nothing wrong in that, except if there are men around her who are not her mahram, in which case it is obligatory for her to cover her face.