Some scholars interpreted the verse ((And let them draw their khumur over their chests)) to include the chest and to be let down over the face.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : A question on this topic, roughly, O Shaykh. Some scholars—may Allah reward them with good—obligated covering the face by interpreting the verse... What is known to us... they knew the jayb (chest) among us... this jayb is known to us.
The Shaykh: Perfect.
The questioner : ..., so if he lets down the jayb, it means the face is included in the covering.
The Shaykh : That is what they say!
The questioner : This... the evidence for what they said is that they said, "Let it down over your face," "Let it down over your juyub (chests)," and the juyub are after the face. So how did they turn the covering... do they turn the covering and put it on the chest, or do they let it down passing over the face? Since the face is 'awrah (nakedness), like this... and may Allah reward them with good.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed, may Allah reward them with good, whether they erred or were correct.
The questioner : Allah knows best...
The Shaykh : I say they erred or were correct.
The questioner : Allah knows best, we do not know.
The Shaykh : What is it that comes over the chest? What is it?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What is it?
The questioner : ... the jilbab.
The Shaykh : No, the jilbab—we have recited to you the text of the verse just now; and it is:[Al-Ahzab 33:59]. So the jilbab is not the one for which drawing over the chest is mentioned. And even if we... we did not... but... you know the truth; it is this khimar.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh :[An-Nur 24:31] .
The questioner : This is the covering.
The Shaykh : Okay?
The questioner : Yes, this is the covering.
The Shaykh : Now.
The questioner : This is a jayb (chest).
The Shaykh : The khimar; is it specific to women to the exclusion of men, or is it a garment shared between women and men?
The questioner : Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : What do you know?
The questioner : Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : All right; this is a big problem that the Arabs no longer know the ghufrah. What is this ghufrah called in the Arabic language? Ghufrah. The ghufrah is not known in the Arabic language, but this is the khimar.
The questioner : The khimar.
The Shaykh : Ah, so the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to wipe over the khimar and wipe over the khuffayn (leather socks). The khimar is a head covering, not a face covering. And the evidence for that, if we set language aside—though there is no way to turn away from it, because the Qur'an was revealed in clear Arabic—just as the Sunnah, as we said regarding the verse prohibiting carrion, clarifies, so a hadith came from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sunan Ibn Majah 655Sahih (Darussalam). Now, show us; how do you understand, or how did the shaykhs who taught you understand, the khimar that covers the chest and the jayb? As I said exactly, this is the jayb.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Now, put the khimar on your head, and show me how you cover your face and your chest? Even though...
The questioner : I will show you.
The Shaykh : Ah, show me.
The questioner : Naturally.
The Shaykh : All right "The Shaykh : (laughs - may Allah have mercy on him) "
The questioner : I will show you naturally, ... and we are walking, this is the face and the chest.
The Shaykh : This is not permissible.
The questioner : ... but we want the correct thing.
The Shaykh : No, no - may Allah bless you - you must walk with me; why is this not permissible? Because it is transparent.
The questioner : Yes ... meaning.
The Shaykh : Is that not so?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And for some reason, you made the taqiyah (cap) into one piece.
The questioner: Yes ... .
The Shaykh : Do you understand?
The questioner : ... transparent ... once, a bit of the thing ...
The Shaykh : Why did you separate the taqiyah from the taqiyah?
The questioner : So that it covers ...
The Shaykh : No, now cover your face.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, yes, do you see the road?
The questioner : Yes? No.
The Shaykh : " The Shaykh : (laughs - may Allah have mercy on him) " All right; how do you and the shaykhs say that the khimar covers the face? Then - this is one thing - but let us stay with 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 saying is the truth. But I ask you now, is it obligatory for a woman to cover her head in prayer?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Therefore, when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 655Sahih (Darussalam), he means that the khimar covers the head, not the face. This is the truth. Many are the truths that some people overlook because they took the issue with heat, enthusiasm, and unbridled emotions; so they forgot the correct meaning of the verse and the hadiths. . Look now, take the end of the khimar and wrap it like this, and the other end.
The questioner : Like this?
The Shaykh : This is it, this is the drawing (darb).
The questioner : ... .
...
The Shaykh : It appears that the noble father is still insisting, without realizing it, on contradicting the authentic hadith.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed, and for some reason we see the women of this country contradicting the hadith; because if the men - meaning the husbands - and they are the protectors of the women - are not convinced of the permissibility, let alone the obligation, of the muhrimah (woman in ihram) uncovering her face; then she has to cover her face in response to her husband's refusal. And so, gradually, the deviation in contradicting the Shari'ah became a consequence.
We believe that the word of the scholars who say, "Every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire," in response to those who approve of some matters that were not known in the early period; they say a word of truth: "If it had been good, they would have preceded us to it." If this strictness had been the case, the righteous Salaf would have preceded us. But the righteous Salaf were, generally speaking, like us: some of their women covered their faces - and this is better - and some uncovered them - and this is permissible. But in Hajj, it is necessary to uncover the face.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : As for in Hajj, it is the same for all.
The Shaykh : It is the same for all, but there is one thing remaining; this thing is different from wearing the niqab. The muhrimah woman is forbidden to wear the niqab; but it is permissible for her to let it down (sadal).
The questioner : Letting it down (sadal)?
The Shaykh : Letting it down (sadal).
The questioner : Letting it down (sadal).
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And what is letting it down (sadal)?
The Shaykh : The explanation will come to you now. Sadal is as you did just now, ... the ghufrah - meaning: the khimar - you do it like this, but you do not tie it.
The questioner : Yes, it hides her from people.
The Shaykh : It hides her from people, but this is not possible for a woman to walk with; because it hinders her walking. This can be realized for a short distance, for example ... for a short distance, or she is standing - for example - on ... or in the car or something similar; so it is permissible for her to have the 'abayah - for example - which she puts on her head and uncovers her face and does it like this, not tying it on her face. This tying is what is forbidden, and it is ... or the handkerchief. Clear? Yes; so we must combine the explanation of the obligatory in general with the forbidden in particular. The obligatory, as those who say the face is 'awrah state, is to wear the niqab. But this niqab is forbidden for the muhrimah. So we explain this and we explain that, so that there is no strictness among the women and a reaction arises because they are accustomed to hearing that the woman's face is always 'awrah, and they have not heard with this knowledge a restriction: that the muhrimah woman is not allowed to wear the niqab, but in special circumstances she may let it down (sadal); sadal without tying on the forehead. An example of this is you, as a man - for example - in ihram, it is not permissible for you to put the khimar on your head, but it is permissible for you to shield the sun from you with a tent, or what is called the shamsiyyah (parasol) or the like. This is like that, and[Al-Baqarah 2:229].
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: Perfect.
The questioner : ...
over their chests
على جيوبهنَّThe Shaykh : That is what they say!
The questioner : This... the evidence for what they said is that they said, "Let it down over your face," "Let it down over your juyub (chests)," and the juyub are after the face. So how did they turn the covering... do they turn the covering and put it on the chest, or do they let it down passing over the face? Since the face is 'awrah (nakedness), like this... and may Allah reward them with good.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed, may Allah reward them with good, whether they erred or were correct.
The questioner : Allah knows best...
The Shaykh : I say they erred or were correct.
The questioner : Allah knows best, we do not know.
The Shaykh : What is it that comes over the chest? What is it?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What is it?
The questioner : ... the jilbab.
The Shaykh : No, the jilbab—we have recited to you the text of the verse 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
يا أيها النبي قل لأزواجك وبناتك ونساء المؤمنين يدنين عليهنَّ من جلابيبهنَّThe questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh :
to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests
وليضربن بخمرهنَّ على جيوبهنَّThe questioner : This is the covering.
The Shaykh : Okay?
The questioner : Yes, this is the covering.
The Shaykh : Now.
The questioner : This is a jayb (chest).
The Shaykh : The khimar; is it specific to women to the exclusion of men, or is it a garment shared between women and men?
The questioner : Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : What do you know?
The questioner : Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : All right; this is a big problem that the Arabs no longer know the ghufrah. What is this ghufrah called in the Arabic language? Ghufrah. The ghufrah is not known in the Arabic language, but this is the khimar.
The questioner : The khimar.
The Shaykh : Ah, so the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to wipe over the khimar and wipe over the khuffayn (leather socks). The khimar is a head covering, not a face covering. And the evidence for that, if we set language aside—though there is no way to turn away from it, because the Qur'an was revealed in clear Arabic—just as the Sunnah, as we said regarding the verse prohibiting carrion, clarifies, so a hadith came from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that 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 بخمارThe questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Now, put the khimar on your head, and show me how you cover your face and your chest? Even though...
The questioner : I will show you.
The Shaykh : Ah, show me.
The questioner : Naturally.
The Shaykh : All right "The Shaykh : (laughs - may Allah have mercy on him) "
The questioner : I will show you naturally, ... and we are walking, this is the face and the chest.
The Shaykh : This is not permissible.
The questioner : ... but we want the correct thing.
The Shaykh : No, no - may Allah bless you - you must walk with me; why is this not permissible? Because it is transparent.
The questioner : Yes ... meaning.
The Shaykh : Is that not so?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And for some reason, you made the taqiyah (cap) into one piece.
The questioner: Yes ... .
The Shaykh : Do you understand?
The questioner : ... transparent ... once, a bit of the thing ...
The Shaykh : Why did you separate the taqiyah from the taqiyah?
The questioner : So that it covers ...
The Shaykh : No, now cover your face.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, yes, do you see the road?
The questioner : Yes? No.
The Shaykh : " The Shaykh : (laughs - may Allah have mercy on him) " All right; how do you and the shaykhs say that the khimar covers the face? Then - this is one thing - but let us stay with 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 : Therefore, 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 بخمارAnd let them draw their khumur over their chests
وليضربن بخمورهنَّ على جيوبهنَّThe questioner : Like this?
The Shaykh : This is it, this is the drawing (darb).
The questioner : ... .
...
The Shaykh : It appears that the noble father is still insisting, without realizing it, on contradicting the authentic hadith.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed, and for some reason we see the women of this country contradicting the hadith; because if the men - meaning the husbands - and they are the protectors of the women - are not convinced of the permissibility, let alone the obligation, of the muhrimah (woman in ihram) uncovering her face; then she has to cover her face in response to her husband's refusal. And so, gradually, the deviation in contradicting the Shari'ah became a consequence.
We believe that the word of the scholars who say, "Every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire," in response to those who approve of some matters that were not known in the early period; they say a word of truth: "If it had been good, they would have preceded us to it." If this strictness had been the case, the righteous Salaf would have preceded us. But the righteous Salaf were, generally speaking, like us: some of their women covered their faces - and this is better - and some uncovered them - and this is permissible. But in Hajj, it is necessary to uncover the face.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : As for in Hajj, it is the same for all.
The Shaykh : It is the same for all, but there is one thing remaining; this thing is different from wearing the niqab. The muhrimah woman is forbidden to wear the niqab; but it is permissible for her to let it down (sadal).
The questioner : Letting it down (sadal)?
The Shaykh : Letting it down (sadal).
The questioner : Letting it down (sadal).
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And what is letting it down (sadal)?
The Shaykh : The explanation will come to you now. Sadal is as you did just now, ... the ghufrah - meaning: the khimar - you do it like this, but you do not tie it.
The questioner : Yes, it hides her from people.
The Shaykh : It hides her from people, but this is not possible for a woman to walk with; because it hinders her walking. This can be realized for a short distance, for example ... for a short distance, or she is standing - for example - on ... or in the car or something similar; so it is permissible for her to have the 'abayah - for example - which she puts on her head and uncovers her face and does it like this, not tying it on her face. This tying is what is forbidden, and it is ... or the handkerchief. Clear? Yes; so we must combine the explanation of the obligatory in general with the forbidden in particular. The obligatory, as those who say the face is 'awrah state, is to wear the niqab. But this niqab is forbidden for the muhrimah. So we explain this and we explain that, so that there is no strictness among the women and a reaction arises because they are accustomed to hearing that the woman's face is always 'awrah, and they have not heard with this knowledge a restriction: that the muhrimah woman is not allowed to wear the niqab, but in special circumstances she may let it down (sadal); sadal without tying on the forehead. An example of this is you, as a man - for example - in ihram, it is not permissible for you to put the khimar on your head, but it is permissible for you to shield the sun from you with a tent, or what is called the shamsiyyah (parasol) or the like. This is like that, and
These are the limits of Allah, so do not transgress them
تلك حدود الله فلا تعتدوهاThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.