We want you to elaborate on the issue of the woman's jilbab, and whether it is permissible for her to uncover her face and hands before non-mahrams?

The questioner : The reality of the question is that it is a right that is due, concerning the hijab. We have heard a lot about it, meaning, we have a lot of it in Sudan. So some of them added uncovering the face, and some of them added the eyes, and some of them—for example—said that the covering is necessary. So we did not know the issue, meaning, we have a lot of people, each one sees... So we did not know exactly what it is...?

The Shaykh : Are you reading?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Have you read my book "The Woman's Hijab"?

The questioner : No, by Allah...

The Shaykh : And why did you not read in my book to take the answer? The answer covered more than one topic, and no matter how much I try to bring it closer to you now, it may not be with the same strength that you see written in my book "The Muslim Woman's Hijab." So I advise you to return to it after you hear from me the simplified answer now. So I say: The original basis in this issue is two verses, one of them is: His saying, the Exalted: ... So this verse says: , and the other verse is: , and each of the verses does not give or indicate that it is obligatory for the woman to cover her face. The first verse commands the women by His saying: . "Idna" (bringing close) linguistically does not mean covering, but rather it is bringing close. And that is because the woman—as is the reality in many Islamic countries today—throws her jilbab over her head, then she was commanded to bring it close to her face. So if we interpret "idna"—as many scholars in the present age go around it—if we interpret "idna" as covering; that means the woman cannot walk one step. And this example is before you. This covering that is on your head, consider it a long jilbab. If you wanted to cover your face with it, you would not be able to walk at all. And therefore—and peace be upon you—you cannot walk.

The questioner : The khimar is not like this, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : The khimar must also be thick, but we are now also researching the jilbab. So this is the jilbab. If you cover the head like this; you cannot walk. But "idna" is possible like this, like this, one eye, maybe two eyes, without smelling the clean air. Maybe it comes down a little like this, and so on. And the point is that "idna" in the verse is absolute. Then the practical Sunnah came to clarify that the women in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were of two types. A type that used only the jilbab, then they covered with this jilbab what they could of their body, except the face and hands. And another group that added to the jilbab what is called the niqab. And from that is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . So the niqab is something other than the jilbab, and it is the veil, and it is the khimar. It is possible for the woman to wrap it on her head and then on the lower half of her face. And this is the meaning of his saying (peace be upon him): . So this niqab was known in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and practiced by many women. And reports came that the Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was seen wearing the niqab. So this means that covering the whole face—and of the face are the eyes—and as they philosophize today, those who forbid the woman to uncover her face; they disapprove of it the most, saying: The most beautiful thing in the woman is her face. How can it be reasonable and prescribed that she uncovers the most beautiful thing in her body? They turned the issue around with opinion! And they turned away from understanding the legal texts with the correct understanding that is free from desires and traditions. And therefore they philosophized the subject, and said: How can it be permitted for the woman to uncover the most beautiful thing in her body? So we said: Then with this philosophy, the woman cannot walk; because you are imposing on her to cover the face. So some of their sensible ones said: No, we allow her to uncover one eye so she can see her way. And some other, more sensible than the first, said: No, we allow her to uncover her two eyes, and not one eye; because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) did not create the human with one eye, but with two eyes for a wisdom. So we do not forbid her to enjoy the blessing of both eyes together. So they permitted the woman to uncover from her face her two eyes, and that is by using either the niqab, or the jilbab, that she puts it like this, wrapping it with her hand. We said: Then you returned to something of what you disapproved of. You permitted the woman to uncover the most beautiful thing in her face. Their philosophy is how is it permitted for the woman to uncover the most beautiful thing in her body?—which is the face!—So they permit her to uncover the most beautiful thing in her face!—which are her two eyes!—And there was no need for them for such a philosophy except for some weak reports or narrations that are not accepted as proof in the subject. There is a narration from Ibn Abbas that he interpreted the first verse in His saying: both eyes . So imagine like this, she covers her head and face, and uncovers her two eyes. This is a narration from Ibn Abbas that is weak, as is made clear in "Al-Risalah."

The questioner : One eye or two eyes?

The Shaykh : Two eyes from Ibn Abbas. And in this chain there are two defects: The defect of disconnection between Ali ibn Abi Talhah from Ibn Abbas, and the defect of the weakness of Abu Salih Abdullah ibn Salih, the scribe of al-Layth. Although it has been authenticated from Ibn Abbas that the woman's face is not an awrah, and it is permissible for her to show it. Another narration from Ubaydah al-Salmani, a Tabi'i, when he mentioned the verse: and described one eye, she uncovers one eye. This narration is disconnected because Ubaydah is not a Companion. So if he had raised the hadith—the interpretation of the verse—if he had raised it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it would have been a mursal hadith. So how is it when he stopped it?
And finally, the research, as I told you, is written and detailed there in the book. The new book that some of the opponents rush to weaken—may Allah have mercy on you—and it is explicit in the subject and does not accept argument. And correct reports from the Salaf bear witness to it: . They weaken the hadith by looking at its famous path in "Sunan Abu Dawud." And indeed, this path has weakness in it, it has disconnection, and it has weakness also. But we have found for them another path, and we have found above this other path reports from Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas that the woman's face is not an awrah, and events and incidents that occurred in the sight of the Messenger (peace be upon him) are explicit that many of the female Companions used to uncover their faces and their hands. And it is not possible for the woman ever to go out to the mosque or go down to buy some of her needs in the market except that she shows something of her hands and something of her face, so that she knows how to deal with people.
This is the summary of what came in this issue. Nevertheless, we say that it is better for the woman to cover her face, either with a handkerchief that is tied on the head and then let down on the face, or with the niqab veil as you heard in the previous hadith: .
And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.