The Shaykh's answer regarding the interpretation of the *jayb* in the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And let them draw their *khimars* over their *jayubs*.”
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Well, a question on this topic: Some scholars, may Allah reward them with good, made the covering of the face obligatory and interpreted the verse accordingly. What is known to us is that the *jayb* is the chest; the opening of the *jayb* is well known to us.
The Shaykh : Okay.
The questioner : So if it is said: “Let it hang down to the *jayb*,” that means the face is included in the covering, and that is how they interpreted it. But it did not say “let it hang down over your face”; it said “let it hang down over your *jayubs*,” and the *jayubs* are behind the face. So how is the covering turned, like... is the covering turned and placed over the chest, or is it lowered passing over the face? Since the face is an *awrah* (part of the body that must be covered), that is how they explained the statement, and may Allah reward them.
The Shaykh : May Allah reward them with good. Did they err or did they hit the mark?
The questioner : Allah knows best. We say: we have heard.
The Shaykh : Did they err or did they hit the mark? What is it that comes over the chest? What is it?
The questioner : The *jilbab*.
The Shaykh : No, the *jilbab*—we have recited the text of the verse to your ears just now, and it is:[Al-Ahzab 33:59]. And the *jilbab* is not mentioned as being drawn over the chest, even though we do not deny this. But the point is that you must know the truth. It is the *khimar* that Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nur 24:31]. Is that clear? Good.
Now, is the *khimar* specific to women, or is it a garment shared by both women and men?
The questioner : Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : Well, this is a big problem: the Arabs no longer know their own language.
What is the name of this *ghutrah* in the Arabic language?
The questioner : *Ghutrah*.
The Shaykh : *Ghutrah*! It is not known in Arabic, but this is the *khimar*. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to wipe over the *khimar* and over the leather socks. So the *khimar* is a head covering, not a face covering. The evidence for this is: if we set language aside, there is no way to turn away from it, because the Qur'an was revealed in clear Arabic. But the Sunnah, as we said regarding the verse prohibiting carrion, clarifies this. Also, there is a hadith from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in which he said:Sunan Ibn Majah 655Sahih (Darussalam). Bring it so I can see how you understand it, or how the scholars who taught you understand it. The *khimar* that covers the chest and the *jayb*, as you said exactly, that is the *jayb*.
Now bring this *imamah* (turban) on your head and show me how it covers your face and your chest.
The questioner : Show me now in reality.
The Shaykh : Bring it and show me, please. Hehe.
The questioner : I will show you in reality. This is the *ihram* (consecrated state of pilgrimage); we move it over the face and the chest.
The Shaykh : This is not permissible.
The questioner : This is what you are saying: how is this? How? But we need the correct thing.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. You must follow me. Why is it not permissible? Because it is transparent, is it not?
The questioner : It is light, meaning, yes.
The Shaykh : Is it not? And for some reason, you made the two layers into one layer. Do you understand me?
The questioner : You are covering with something transparent, meaning you ward off some of the exposure once, a little bit, not completely.
The Shaykh : Why did you separate the layer from the layer?
The questioner : So that it covers. I matched it layer upon layer.
The Shaykh : Now cover your face. Can you see the road?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Well, how do you and the scholars say that the *khimar* covers the face, and that is one thing. But let us stick to the hadith:Sunan Ibn Majah 655Sahih (Darussalam). Just now I asked you: is it obligatory for a woman to cover her face when she prays? You said no, and your statement is the truth. But now, is it obligatory for a woman to cover her head in prayer?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 655Sahih (Darussalam), it means that the *khimar* covers the head, not the face.
This is the truth. There are many truths that people often overlook because they took the issue with heat, enthusiasm, and uncontrolled emotions, which made them forget the correct meaning of the verse and the hadiths.
[An-Nur 24:31]. Look now, take the end of the *khimar* and wrap it like this, and the other end—this is the drawing (over the chest).
The questioner : Is the matter finished or not?
The Shaykh : It appears that the honorable father is still insisting, without realizing it, on contradicting the authentic hadith.
The questioner : Regarding Hajj and 'Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage)?
The Shaykh : Yes. And for some reason, we see the women of this country contradicting the hadith. Because if the men, the husbands, who are in charge of the women, are not convinced of the permissibility, let alone the obligation, of the *muharramah* (woman in the state of ihram) uncovering her face, then she must cover her face to respond to her husband's desire. So, slowly, this deviation in contradicting the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) through emotions.
We believe that the word of the scholars who say:Sunan an-Nasa'i 1578Sahih (Darussalam) in response to those who prefer certain matters that were not known in the early era, is a word of truth: “If it had been good, the righteous predecessors would have preceded us to it.” If this strictness had been the case, the righteous predecessors would have preceded us. But the righteous predecessors, as we said generally, had women among them who covered their faces, and that is better, and among them were those who uncovered their faces, and that is permissible. But in Hajj, it is necessary to uncover the face.
The questioner : As for in Hajj, it is obligatory.
The Shaykh : It is obligatory. But there is one thing remaining. This thing is different from wearing the *niqab* (face veil). The woman in the state of ihram is forbidden from wearing the *niqab*, but it is permissible for her to let the garment hang down.
The questioner : The *sabay*?
The Shaykh : The *sadal* (letting the garment hang down).
The questioner : The *sadal*?
The Shaykh : Ah.
And let them draw their khimars over their jayubs
وبيضربن بخمرهن على جيوبهنThe Shaykh : Okay.
The questioner : So if it is said: “Let it hang down to the *jayb*,” that means the face is included in the covering, and that is how they interpreted it. But it did not say “let it hang down over your face”; it said “let it hang down over your *jayubs*,” and the *jayubs* are behind the face. So how is the covering turned, like... is the covering turned and placed over the chest, or is it lowered passing over the face? Since the face is an *awrah* (part of the body that must be covered), that is how they explained the statement, and may Allah reward them.
The Shaykh : May Allah reward them with good. Did they err or did they hit the mark?
The questioner : Allah knows best. We say: we have heard.
The Shaykh : Did they err or did they hit the mark? What is it that comes over the chest? What is it?
The questioner : The *jilbab*.
The Shaykh : No, the *jilbab*—we have recited the text of the verse to your ears just now, and it is:
O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments
يأيها النبي قل لأزواجك وبناتك ونسائ المؤمنين يدنين علىيهن من جلابيبهنto wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests
وليضربن بخمرهن على جيوبهنNow, is the *khimar* specific to women, or is it a garment shared by both women and men?
The questioner : Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : Well, this is a big problem: the Arabs no longer know their own language.
What is the name of this *ghutrah* in the Arabic language?
The questioner : *Ghutrah*.
The Shaykh : *Ghutrah*! It is not known in Arabic, but this is the *khimar*. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to wipe over the *khimar* and over the leather socks. So the *khimar* is a head covering, not a face covering. The evidence for this is: if we set language aside, there is no way to turn away from it, because the Qur'an was revealed in clear Arabic. But the Sunnah, as we said regarding the verse prohibiting carrion, clarifies this. Also, there is a hadith from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in which he said:
Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who menstruates (i.e., an adult woman) except with a head cover.
لا يقبل الله صلاة حائض إلا بخمارNow bring this *imamah* (turban) on your head and show me how it covers your face and your chest.
The questioner : Show me now in reality.
The Shaykh : Bring it and show me, please. Hehe.
The questioner : I will show you in reality. This is the *ihram* (consecrated state of pilgrimage); we move it over the face and the chest.
The Shaykh : This is not permissible.
The questioner : This is what you are saying: how is this? How? But we need the correct thing.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. You must follow me. Why is it not permissible? Because it is transparent, is it not?
The questioner : It is light, meaning, yes.
The Shaykh : Is it not? And for some reason, you made the two layers into one layer. Do you understand me?
The questioner : You are covering with something transparent, meaning you ward off some of the exposure once, a little bit, not completely.
The Shaykh : Why did you separate the layer from the layer?
The questioner : So that it covers. I matched it layer upon layer.
The Shaykh : Now cover your face. Can you see the road?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Well, how do you and the scholars say that the *khimar* covers the face, and that is one thing. But let us stick to the hadith:
Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who menstruates (i.e., an adult woman) except with a head cover.
لا يقبل الله صلاة حائض إلا بخمارThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who menstruates (i.e., an adult woman) except with a head cover.
لا يقبل الله صلاة حائض إلا بخمارThis is the truth. There are many truths that people often overlook because they took the issue with heat, enthusiasm, and uncontrolled emotions, which made them forget the correct meaning of the verse and the hadiths.
to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests
وليضربن بخمرهن على جيوبهنThe questioner : Is the matter finished or not?
The Shaykh : It appears that the honorable father is still insisting, without realizing it, on contradicting the authentic hadith.
The questioner : Regarding Hajj and 'Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage)?
The Shaykh : Yes. And for some reason, we see the women of this country contradicting the hadith. Because if the men, the husbands, who are in charge of the women, are not convinced of the permissibility, let alone the obligation, of the *muharramah* (woman in the state of ihram) uncovering her face, then she must cover her face to respond to her husband's desire. So, slowly, this deviation in contradicting the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) through emotions.
We believe that the word of the scholars who say:
every innovation is going astray, and every going astray is in the Fire
كل بدعة ضلالة وكل ضلالة في النارThe questioner : As for in Hajj, it is obligatory.
The Shaykh : It is obligatory. But there is one thing remaining. This thing is different from wearing the *niqab* (face veil). The woman in the state of ihram is forbidden from wearing the *niqab*, but it is permissible for her to let the garment hang down.
The questioner : The *sabay*?
The Shaykh : The *sadal* (letting the garment hang down).
The questioner : The *sadal*?
The Shaykh : Ah.