A discussion by one of the Shaykhs with Shaykh Al-Albani regarding the issue of a woman uncovering her face, and whether it is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered) or not.
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The Shaykh : Oh Allah, Oh the Generous.
The questioner : In truth, we hear about the issue that a woman's face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and we wish to benefit from this, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : May Allah benefit us through you.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And to you.
The questioner : Long may you live, the evidence for the permissibility of a woman uncovering her face is such that it gathers all the benefits. We see that Muslims, even those who are not of high standing and the open sinners, look at women in ways that are not simple. If a woman approaches, they focus on her face. And when they sit in their gatherings, you find them discussing her whiteness, her beauty, her eyes, her nose, and her mouth. The poets have enriched their poetry with these things from ancient times, as well as the cheeks and the softness therein, and so on. So we ask Allah to preserve you, bless you, and reward you for the Muslims with good, and to spread the knowledge that you are striving to spread, provided it is in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah. We ask Allah to spread it until the end of time and to benefit you with its reward.
The Shaykh : O Allah, amen.
The questioner : We wish to see what Islam brought regarding blocking the means to harm, as you know. We wish to know its evidence, knowing that it is established with absolute certainty from many of the famous, respected Imams of Islam whom you love deeply and praise in Allah. You love them for the sake of Allah and praise them, and indeed, we all follow their example, for they are among those from whom Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, commanded us to take knowledge, such as Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Shaykh Ahmad ibn Abd al-Salam ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on them), Ibn al-Qayyim, and many others, as well as the four Imams other than Imam Ahmad. We love them for that, so may Allah do you good. Also, the fatwa of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah have mercy on him), who lived during the time of the Prophethood and the descent of revelation, regarding what the women of the righteous Salaf (the earliest generations) were like when he said: "She covers her face and shows one eye". And in what is narrated, as mentioned by Ibn Taymiyyah, from Ibn Abbas, that in his final opinion he said to cover her face. May Allah do you good?
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. There is some consideration regarding some of the attributions you mentioned to Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud. In any case, the details of this matter now seem premature. Your request for evidence that a woman's face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered) is a right. However, in my opinion, you know that the original ruling for all things is permissibility, and that the one who claims the prohibition of something is the one who should bring the evidence prohibiting that thing. Otherwise, remaining with the original ruling, which is permissibility, is the scientific rule that I believe is not hidden from you, if Allah wills. In any case, as you mentioned, some of the Imams whom we respect and follow are as you stated. But what leads some of our noble scholars to adhere to some Imams over others? For example, I mentioned in my book *The Muslim Woman's Hijab in the Book and the Sunnah* that the opinion of the majority of scholars is that a woman's face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered). If that is the case, and Imam Ahmad holds that a woman's face is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), while Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifa, and Imam al-Shafi'i hold that a woman's face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), then if we wish to start the topic and proceed from the statements of the scholars, the issue is undoubtedly disputed among scholars, both past and present. And what came in your speech that you attributed to Ibn Mas'ud is correct.
The questioner : In truth, we hear about the issue that a woman's face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and we wish to benefit from this, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : May Allah benefit us through you.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And to you.
The questioner : Long may you live, the evidence for the permissibility of a woman uncovering her face is such that it gathers all the benefits. We see that Muslims, even those who are not of high standing and the open sinners, look at women in ways that are not simple. If a woman approaches, they focus on her face. And when they sit in their gatherings, you find them discussing her whiteness, her beauty, her eyes, her nose, and her mouth. The poets have enriched their poetry with these things from ancient times, as well as the cheeks and the softness therein, and so on. So we ask Allah to preserve you, bless you, and reward you for the Muslims with good, and to spread the knowledge that you are striving to spread, provided it is in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah. We ask Allah to spread it until the end of time and to benefit you with its reward.
The Shaykh : O Allah, amen.
The questioner : We wish to see what Islam brought regarding blocking the means to harm, as you know. We wish to know its evidence, knowing that it is established with absolute certainty from many of the famous, respected Imams of Islam whom you love deeply and praise in Allah. You love them for the sake of Allah and praise them, and indeed, we all follow their example, for they are among those from whom Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, commanded us to take knowledge, such as Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Shaykh Ahmad ibn Abd al-Salam ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on them), Ibn al-Qayyim, and many others, as well as the four Imams other than Imam Ahmad. We love them for that, so may Allah do you good. Also, the fatwa of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah have mercy on him), who lived during the time of the Prophethood and the descent of revelation, regarding what the women of the righteous Salaf (the earliest generations) were like when he said: "She covers her face and shows one eye". And in what is narrated, as mentioned by Ibn Taymiyyah, from Ibn Abbas, that in his final opinion he said to cover her face. May Allah do you good?
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. There is some consideration regarding some of the attributions you mentioned to Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud. In any case, the details of this matter now seem premature. Your request for evidence that a woman's face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered) is a right. However, in my opinion, you know that the original ruling for all things is permissibility, and that the one who claims the prohibition of something is the one who should bring the evidence prohibiting that thing. Otherwise, remaining with the original ruling, which is permissibility, is the scientific rule that I believe is not hidden from you, if Allah wills. In any case, as you mentioned, some of the Imams whom we respect and follow are as you stated. But what leads some of our noble scholars to adhere to some Imams over others? For example, I mentioned in my book *The Muslim Woman's Hijab in the Book and the Sunnah* that the opinion of the majority of scholars is that a woman's face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered). If that is the case, and Imam Ahmad holds that a woman's face is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), while Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifa, and Imam al-Shafi'i hold that a woman's face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), then if we wish to start the topic and proceed from the statements of the scholars, the issue is undoubtedly disputed among scholars, both past and present. And what came in your speech that you attributed to Ibn Mas'ud is correct.