What is the ruling on a Muslim woman of legal age uncovering her face?
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Question:
The questioner asks: What is the ruling on a Muslim woman of legal age uncovering her face?
Answer:
It is not permissible for a Muslim woman of legal age to uncover her face before men who are not her mahram (a relative one may not marry), because the face is the greatest source of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and people’s gazes are directed toward a woman’s face more than any other part, as it is the center of beauty in a woman. It is the center of beauty in a woman, and it is the most intense source of fitnah. Therefore, she must cover it. Regarding the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) — or rather, the statement of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nur 24:31] The khimar (the head covering) is the covering of the head. Allah commanded her to let it hang down over the openings. Over the opening of the chest, the opening of the garment. If she is commanded to cover her neck,
and she is commanded to cover her neck, then the face is a greater source of fitnah than the neck. If a woman is not permitted to show her hands before men, or to show her feet before men, then the face is a greater source of fitnah than the hands and a greater source of fitnah than the feet. So the Muslim woman should fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and she should observe the complete hijab (the covering prescribed for women) so that she is safe from fitnah and others are safe as well; she should not be tempted, nor should she tempt others.
The questioner asks: What is the ruling on a Muslim woman of legal age uncovering her face?
Answer:
It is not permissible for a Muslim woman of legal age to uncover her face before men who are not her mahram (a relative one may not marry), because the face is the greatest source of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and people’s gazes are directed toward a woman’s face more than any other part, as it is the center of beauty in a woman. It is the center of beauty in a woman, and it is the most intense source of fitnah. Therefore, she must cover it. Regarding the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) — or rather, the statement of Allah the Exalted:
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّand she is commanded to cover her neck, then the face is a greater source of fitnah than the neck. If a woman is not permitted to show her hands before men, or to show her feet before men, then the face is a greater source of fitnah than the hands and a greater source of fitnah than the feet. So the Muslim woman should fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and she should observe the complete hijab (the covering prescribed for women) so that she is safe from fitnah and others are safe as well; she should not be tempted, nor should she tempt others.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم كشف الوجه للمرأة المسلمة البالغة؟ للشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.