What is the ruling on uncovering the face and hands?
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The Shaykh : What is the ruling on uncovering the face and hands? This is a matter that is raised frequently these days. We have explained the ruling on this issue in my well-known book, *The Covering of the Muslim Woman in the Book and the Sunnah*. The summary of what I mentioned there is that the woman’s face and her two hands are not an ‘awrah (part of the body that must be covered) that is forbidden for her to uncover, provided they are in the state in which Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) created them, meaning they are not adorned with the kind of adornment that women are afflicted with today in their homes.
However, in that book, I also mentioned that it is better for Muslim women to cover their faces and hands as well. This is the better and more noble option for them, especially in times when corruption is prevalent.
But my statement that this is the better option, which is established in many texts of the Shari’ah (Islamic sacred law), does not allow us to forbid something that Allah and His Messenger have not forbidden. For prohibition comes either from Allah or from the one who conveys the message from Allah, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith, which I mentioned earlier among the men on an occasion that required mentioning it. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Therefore, anyone other than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has no right, and it is not permissible for him, to declare something forbidden except by a text from the Book of Allah or from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Since there is nothing in the Book or the Sunnah indicating the prohibition of a woman uncovering her face and her two hands, we said that they are not an ‘awrah. In fact, it has come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) confirming this, and he said: Sunan al-Bayhaqi 10:890 Sunan al-Bayhaqi 10:890
But the lives of the female Companions in the era of the Messenger (peace be upon him) were of two types: a group that covered their faces and hands, and a group that uncovered them. Their uncovering was a practical representation of the aforementioned hadith. As long as both of these matters existed in the era of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and were established and acknowledged, covering and not uncovering was undoubtedly the better option. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) pointed to this by saying: Muwatta Malik 20:17 Muwatta Malik 20:17. My wife and I have experienced the harm of excessive strictness in
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : No, we have not experienced the harm of strictness in this issue in Hajj (the major pilgrimage) and ‘Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage). In fact, we saw in this ‘Umrah many women performing ‘Umrah while wearing the niqab (the face veil) and gloves, to the extent that I asked my wife to speak with some of them, but she refused. So I spoke to the husband. I saw the two of them walking in the sa’y (walking between al-Safa and al-Marwah). I approached him and greeted him. I said, “It appears you are performing sa’y for ‘Umrah.” He said, “Yes.” I said, “First, this uncovering of your shoulder is not permissible. This is commonly observed among men, unfortunately. This uncovering is not prescribed for men except during the tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah) of arrival, the first tawaf when a stranger arrives from his country to Makkah and begins the tawaf of arrival. He should uncover his right shoulder until he finishes. When he finishes, he covers it. And we only see it
The questioner: He covers both.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner: He covers the shoulders during sa’y.
The Shaykh : how
The questioner: During sa’y, he covers both.
The Shaykh : During sa’y, I must say, after finishing the tawaf of arrival and before going to the sa’y, he has to pray two rak’ahs (units of prayer) at the Maqam (the place of standing). So he must cover the shoulder he uncovered during the tawaf of arrival. And this is a grave error on the part of men.
And there is no harm in this, because just as it is obligatory for men to convey knowledge to women, so too, if an opportunity for women to gain knowledge is provided, they should also convey it to men. We see many men, and I am telling you this story right now. I saw a man walking while uncovering his shoulder, performing sa’y. I said to him, “This, my brother, has passed its time, and you must cover your shoulder.” Then I thought his wife was also performing ‘Umrah with him. He said, “Yes.” I said, “But I see her wearing the niqab and wearing gloves, and this is not permissible.” I mentioned the hadith to him, but he only heeded me regarding the first issue concerning the shoulder, and he covered it. As for his wife, she remained as she was. And this is a natural thing. Why? Because they have been saturated with the idea that the woman’s face is an ‘awrah and it is forbidden to uncover it. And with this saturation, the necessary clarification regarding the pilgrim and the one performing ‘Umrah was not associated with it. So she must uncover her face, and it is not permissible for her to wear the niqab.
However, in that book, I also mentioned that it is better for Muslim women to cover their faces and hands as well. This is the better and more noble option for them, especially in times when corruption is prevalent.
But my statement that this is the better option, which is established in many texts of the Shari’ah (Islamic sacred law), does not allow us to forbid something that Allah and His Messenger have not forbidden. For prohibition comes either from Allah or from the one who conveys the message from Allah, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith, which I mentioned earlier among the men on an occasion that required mentioning it. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
I will not find one of you leaning on his couch, saying: This is the Book of Allah, so whatever we find therein as lawful, we make lawful, and whatever we find therein as forbidden, we make forbidden. Know that the Messenger of Allah has only forbidden what Allah has forbidden.
لا ألفين أحدكم متكئا على أريكته يقول هذا كتاب الله فما وجدنا فيه حلالا حللناه وما وجدنا فيه حراما حرمناه ألا إنما حرم رسول الله مثل ما حرم اللهWhen a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not permissible for anyone to see of her except her face and her hands.
إن المرأة إذا بلغت المحيض لم يصلح أن يرى منها إلا وجهها وكفيهاIt is not fitting that any part of her be seen
لم يصلح أن يرى منهاBut the lives of the female Companions in the era of the Messenger (peace be upon him) were of two types: a group that covered their faces and hands, and a group that uncovered them. Their uncovering was a practical representation of the aforementioned hadith
When a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not permissible for anyone to see of her except her face and her hands.
إذا بلغت المرأة المحيض لم يصلح أن يرى منها إلا وجهها وكفيهاa woman in ihram should wear neither a veil nor gloves
لا تنتقب المرأة المحرمة ولا تلبس القفازينa woman in ihram should wear neither a veil nor gloves
لا تنتقب المرأة المحرمة ولا تلبس القفازينThe questioner : ...
The Shaykh : No, we have not experienced the harm of strictness in this issue in Hajj (the major pilgrimage) and ‘Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage). In fact, we saw in this ‘Umrah many women performing ‘Umrah while wearing the niqab (the face veil) and gloves, to the extent that I asked my wife to speak with some of them, but she refused. So I spoke to the husband. I saw the two of them walking in the sa’y (walking between al-Safa and al-Marwah). I approached him and greeted him. I said, “It appears you are performing sa’y for ‘Umrah.” He said, “Yes.” I said, “First, this uncovering of your shoulder is not permissible. This is commonly observed among men, unfortunately. This uncovering is not prescribed for men except during the tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah) of arrival, the first tawaf when a stranger arrives from his country to Makkah and begins the tawaf of arrival. He should uncover his right shoulder until he finishes. When he finishes, he covers it. And we only see it
The questioner: He covers both.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner: He covers the shoulders during sa’y.
The Shaykh : how
The questioner: During sa’y, he covers both.
The Shaykh : During sa’y, I must say, after finishing the tawaf of arrival and before going to the sa’y, he has to pray two rak’ahs (units of prayer) at the Maqam (the place of standing). So he must cover the shoulder he uncovered during the tawaf of arrival. And this is a grave error on the part of men.
And there is no harm in this, because just as it is obligatory for men to convey knowledge to women, so too, if an opportunity for women to gain knowledge is provided, they should also convey it to men. We see many men, and I am telling you this story right now. I saw a man walking while uncovering his shoulder, performing sa’y. I said to him, “This, my brother, has passed its time, and you must cover your shoulder.” Then I thought his wife was also performing ‘Umrah with him. He said, “Yes.” I said, “But I see her wearing the niqab and wearing gloves, and this is not permissible.” I mentioned the hadith to him, but he only heeded me regarding the first issue concerning the shoulder, and he covered it. As for his wife, she remained as she was. And this is a natural thing. Why? Because they have been saturated with the idea that the woman’s face is an ‘awrah and it is forbidden to uncover it. And with this saturation, the necessary clarification regarding the pilgrim and the one performing ‘Umrah was not associated with it. So she must uncover her face, and it is not permissible for her to wear the niqab.