The Shaykh’s discussion with the questioner regarding the ruling on uncovering the face: Is the issue a matter of scholarly disagreement or is there consensus on one of the opinions stated in it?
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The Shaykh : A question, if you permit: Is the issue agreed upon among the Imams?
That is: Did the scholars of the Muslims, including the exegetes, hadith scholars, and jurists, the four Imams and their followers, agree that the woman’s face is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered)? Did they agree on that, or is the issue a matter of scholarly disagreement?
The questioner : It is a matter of scholarly disagreement, but at the same time, there are, I mean, great ones among the Imams.
The Shaykh : I am asking you: Is it a matter of scholarly disagreement or consensus?
The questioner : It is a matter of scholarly disagreement.
The Shaykh : I want to build upon this.
The questioner : It is a matter of scholarly disagreement.
The Shaykh : Fine, it is a matter of scholarly disagreement. Did respected Imams say something contrary to your position, or did they not?
The questioner : By Allah, this returns to the chains of narration.
The Shaykh : You have not answered me either.
The questioner : There are opinions regarding the chain of narration.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. Give me a summary of these chains of narration. Give me the summary: Are there Imams from the righteous Salaf, from the Companions, from the exegetes, or from the jurists who said that the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and at the same time said that it is forbidden to look at the woman’s face? Do you know this or not?
The questioner : This is the Qur'an.
The Shaykh : You have not answered me, you have not answered me. And upon you be peace, the mercy of Allah, and His blessings. I beg you to answer my question and do not waste my time. It is already past seven o’clock. My question, by Allah, I beg you, is specific.
First: I asked you: Is there consensus on the issue or is it a matter of difference? You answered, with fairness: It is a matter of difference.
Are there scholars from the Salaf and the Imams who said that the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered) and yet it is not permissible to look at that face? You have not answered me. You said: Look into the chains of narration. I want the summary. Do I repeat for the third time: Are there scholars from the Companions and the Imams who exercise independent legal reasoning who said that the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered) while saying that it is not permissible for a man to look at the woman’s face? Does this exist or does it not exist?
The questioner : May Allah reward you. In terms of fairness, I intend, if Allah wills, nothing but the face of Allah, and I am not biased toward any Imam or anyone else.
The Shaykh : This is also a deviation from the answer. We are all that man, as we hope.
The questioner : But the issue, may Allah reward you, of looking is present in the Qur'an. You ask if it is a matter of difference, so it is a verse in the Qur'an, a text? ...
The Shaykh : The research is not about this, may Allah bless you. Glory be to my Lord!
The questioner : You asked...
The Shaykh : Glory be to my Lord! I said: Do you not know that there are scholars from the Companions and the Imams who hold both positions, which are: the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and yet it is not permissible for a man to look at this face? Do you know this or not? And you say the verse, and what verse? The research is not now about providing evidence?
The questioner : What I truly know and understand, according to what I have read in the exegeses, is that I read that Ibn Mas'ud affirms that it is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and that Ibn Abbas himself... wait for me, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Be careful, my master.
The questioner : And that Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) was reported to have held the view that her face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and then they said that this was in the beginning of the two matters.
The Shaykh : Who said that?
The questioner : The Imams said it.
The Shaykh : No, we want the narration. Where is the narration from Ibn Abbas that in the beginning he said that the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and then he returned and abrogated this statement of his by saying that the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered)? This has absolutely no basis.
The questioner : This is the statement of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah.
The Shaykh : This is the book that you requested. This is the book.
The questioner :"Ali ibn Abi Talhah said from Ibn Abbas".
Another questioner: We are done with this, we want the statement of Ibn Mas'ud.
The questioner :"And Muhammad ibn Sirin said: I asked Ubaydah al-Salmani about the saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic:[Al-Ahzab 33:59] So he covered his face and his head and exposed his left eye. And Ikrimah said: She covers the opening of her neck with her jilbab (outer garment), bringing it down over it. And Ibn Abi Hatim said: Abu Abdullah al-Taharani narrated to us, in what he wrote to me, that Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, that Ma'mar narrated from Ibn Khaytham from Safiyyah bint Shaybah from Umm Salamah who said: لما نزلت هذه الآية: يدنين عليهن من جلابيبهن خرج نساء الأنصار كأن على رؤوسهن الغربان من السكينة وعليهن أكسية سود يلبسنها When this verse was revealed: "Let them draw their jilbabs (outer garments) over their bodies," the women of the Ansar went out as if there were crows on their heads from their composure, and they were wearing black garments which they wore. ".
The Shaykh : This is of no benefit. We want him to bring the text he claims.
The questioner : Ibn Mas'ud.
Another questioner: Here it says: "So that they may be distinguished from the characteristics of the women of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and the characteristics of slave women. The jilbab (outer garment) is the cloak over the khimar (head covering), as said by Ibn Mas'ud, Ubaydah, Qatadah, al-Hasan al-Basri, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, Ata al-Khurasani, and more than one. It is in the position of the izar (lower garment) today. Al-Jawhari said: The jilbab is the cloak".
That is: Did the scholars of the Muslims, including the exegetes, hadith scholars, and jurists, the four Imams and their followers, agree that the woman’s face is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered)? Did they agree on that, or is the issue a matter of scholarly disagreement?
The questioner : It is a matter of scholarly disagreement, but at the same time, there are, I mean, great ones among the Imams.
The Shaykh : I am asking you: Is it a matter of scholarly disagreement or consensus?
The questioner : It is a matter of scholarly disagreement.
The Shaykh : I want to build upon this.
The questioner : It is a matter of scholarly disagreement.
The Shaykh : Fine, it is a matter of scholarly disagreement. Did respected Imams say something contrary to your position, or did they not?
The questioner : By Allah, this returns to the chains of narration.
The Shaykh : You have not answered me either.
The questioner : There are opinions regarding the chain of narration.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. Give me a summary of these chains of narration. Give me the summary: Are there Imams from the righteous Salaf, from the Companions, from the exegetes, or from the jurists who said that the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and at the same time said that it is forbidden to look at the woman’s face? Do you know this or not?
The questioner : This is the Qur'an.
The Shaykh : You have not answered me, you have not answered me. And upon you be peace, the mercy of Allah, and His blessings. I beg you to answer my question and do not waste my time. It is already past seven o’clock. My question, by Allah, I beg you, is specific.
First: I asked you: Is there consensus on the issue or is it a matter of difference? You answered, with fairness: It is a matter of difference.
Are there scholars from the Salaf and the Imams who said that the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered) and yet it is not permissible to look at that face? You have not answered me. You said: Look into the chains of narration. I want the summary. Do I repeat for the third time: Are there scholars from the Companions and the Imams who exercise independent legal reasoning who said that the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered) while saying that it is not permissible for a man to look at the woman’s face? Does this exist or does it not exist?
The questioner : May Allah reward you. In terms of fairness, I intend, if Allah wills, nothing but the face of Allah, and I am not biased toward any Imam or anyone else.
The Shaykh : This is also a deviation from the answer. We are all that man, as we hope.
The questioner : But the issue, may Allah reward you, of looking is present in the Qur'an. You ask if it is a matter of difference, so it is a verse in the Qur'an, a text?
And say to the believing women...
وقل للمؤمنين ...The Shaykh : The research is not about this, may Allah bless you. Glory be to my Lord!
The questioner : You asked...
The Shaykh : Glory be to my Lord! I said: Do you not know that there are scholars from the Companions and the Imams who hold both positions, which are: the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and yet it is not permissible for a man to look at this face? Do you know this or not? And you say the verse, and what verse? The research is not now about providing evidence?
The questioner : What I truly know and understand, according to what I have read in the exegeses, is that I read that Ibn Mas'ud affirms that it is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and that Ibn Abbas himself... wait for me, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Be careful, my master.
The questioner : And that Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) was reported to have held the view that her face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and then they said that this was in the beginning of the two matters.
The Shaykh : Who said that?
The questioner : The Imams said it.
The Shaykh : No, we want the narration. Where is the narration from Ibn Abbas that in the beginning he said that the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and then he returned and abrogated this statement of his by saying that the woman’s face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered)? This has absolutely no basis.
The questioner : This is the statement of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah.
The Shaykh : This is the book that you requested. This is the book.
The questioner :"Ali ibn Abi Talhah said from Ibn Abbas".
Another questioner: We are done with this, we want the statement of Ibn Mas'ud.
The questioner :"And Muhammad ibn Sirin said: I asked Ubaydah al-Salmani about the saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic:
to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments
يدنين عليهن من جلابيبهنThe Shaykh : This is of no benefit. We want him to bring the text he claims.
The questioner : Ibn Mas'ud.
Another questioner: Here it says: "So that they may be distinguished from the characteristics of the women of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and the characteristics of slave women. The jilbab (outer garment) is the cloak over the khimar (head covering), as said by Ibn Mas'ud, Ubaydah, Qatadah, al-Hasan al-Basri, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, Ata al-Khurasani, and more than one. It is in the position of the izar (lower garment) today. Al-Jawhari said: The jilbab is the cloak".