The ruling on a woman uncovering her face in places remote from men

Question:
May Allah guide you. The sister Huda Muhammad from the UAE asks: What is the ruling on wearing the niqab in places far from men, such as the desert or a long travel route, and the like? And if a husband orders his wife to wear the niqab, is she required to obey him in that?

Answer:
It is obligatory for a woman to adhere to the customary hijab in her country, provided it is a covering and modest hijab; she must adhere to it and not switch to something less. The woman whose custom is to wear a hijab that fully covers her face and to cover her face completely does not have the right to downgrade to the niqab, because the niqab is a custom of some societies. So the woman should maintain her covering hijab in the Sunnah and otherwise, as long as she is in the presence of men. However, if she is not in the presence of men, she may uncover her face or part of it, and there is no blame on her for that. The issue is when she is in the presence of non-mahram men; then she covers her face, her hands, and the rest of her body, whether traveling or otherwise. She remains with the original hijab that the women of her country wear, and does not switch from it to something less, because switching to something less leads to gradual laxity until she abandons the hijab entirely. Yes.