Regarding a woman exposing her face, which is attractive and captivating, and the fact that the Shari'ah permits them to expose the face and hands; what is your opinion?

The questioner : O Shaykh.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : The question is about a woman exposing her face... The face and hand are not 'awrah (nakedness), and the phenomenon began... with the hand and the face.

The Shaykh: Correct.

The questioner : So what is your opinion on this...? And this hadith that permitted them these things? ...

The Shaykh : We have no opinion against the Shari'ah.

The questioner : Yes, the opinion belongs to the people of knowledge.

The Shaykh : Yes, and many scholars take matters based on emotions rather than the binding Islamic knowledge. So you said—as we heard from others—that the most beautiful thing in a woman is her face.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Correct, and what is the most beautiful thing in the face?

The questioner : Yes?

The Shaykh : What is the most beautiful thing in a woman's face?

The questioner : The eyes and the smile.

The Shaykh : Then is it not permissible for her to expose her eyes?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : To see the road?

The questioner : Yes?

The Shaykh : Is it not permissible for her to expose her eyes to see her way?!

The questioner : By Allah, it is permissible for her to put... on her eyes.

Another questioner : So that she can see the road, and then... cover her... face.

The Shaykh : What do you believe?

Another questioner : ... so that she can look.

The Shaykh : And did this come in the Qur'an?

The questioner : No, it did not come in the Qur'an.

The Shaykh : So then, where did you bring it from?

The questioner : Yes?

The Shaykh : Where did you bring it from?

The questioner : To avert fitnah (trial/discord).

The Shaykh : How?

The questioner : To avert fitnah.

The Shaykh : But.

The questioner : And fitnah, and the movements... of the eyes.

The Shaykh : Are you known as Abu Jamal or by another kunya (nickname)?

The questioner : Yes, Abu Jamal, yes.

The Shaykh : Abu Jamal.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : So please, be measured in your speech.

The questioner : Yes?

The Shaykh : Be measured.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Do not rush.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And in the hadith, it says: .

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Meaning: .

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh: Good.
The question just now came based on the statement of some distinguished people that the most beautiful thing in a woman is her face, and this is something no one can trade in, but this is a philosophy, not a Shari'ah, because this philosophy is met with another philosophy; and that is—as you heard just now—what is the most beautiful thing in the face? Her eyes.

The questioner : The eye and the smile.

The Shaykh : Good, no, forget the smile; because no one says that is permissible, but the most beautiful thing in a woman is her eyes, meaning the face is from the creation of Allah, and the eyes in it are from the creation of Allah, whereas the smile is from the making of the human, so she may smile or not smile.

The questioner : Or she may expose it.

The Shaykh : Yes; so this is in your hand, whereas your beauty in your face and in your eyes is not from your earning, but rather it is from the creation of Allah, , nothing.
Therefore I say: It is not befitting to enter into addressing this issue in a way that resembles philosophy; because philosophy has no end, and the experience is before you now; where it was said: the most beautiful thing in a woman is her face, then it was said: the most beautiful thing in her face is her eyes, so if the first philosophy necessitates covering her face; then the other philosophy also necessitates covering her eyes; is that something obligatory upon her? You said from your own side: she puts something, perhaps you mean the dark black glasses or something similar, so we said: where did you bring this addition from? You said: from the perspective of sadd al-dhara'i' (blocking the means to harm), but the Wise Lawgiver who revealed the hijab and mentioned it in the Qur'an, did He not block the means to harm? Can we say: He did not block the means to harm?

The questioner : He blocked the means to harm.

The Shaykh : We cannot say anything other than He blocked the means to harm.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Ah, so it is not for you to block the means to harm; because it has been blocked by the ruling of Allah - Blessed and Exalted is He -; at that time we return to the ruling of Allah - Mighty and Majestic -; He said - the Exalted - : .

The questioner : Yes, ... .

The Shaykh : Good; so what is the meaning of "let them lower" (yudnina)?

The questioner : They lower... .

The Shaykh : Not possible, not possible.

The questioner : How then?

The Shaykh : Now you have this abaya, this is the jilbab if a woman puts it on her head; is that not so?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Okay: what is your opinion, let us do a practical lesson, you put the abaya on your head now; do you accept that?

The questioner : And then...

The Shaykh : No problem, no problem, do you accept that? Or do you give me the abaya... .

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Okay; stand up and see.

The questioner : In the name of Allah, this is the abaya, the original.

The Shaykh : Good, .

The questioner : They lower.

The Shaykh : If they lower, go and see.

The questioner : I walk a little, a little.

The Shaykh : No... because this is not an abaya, this... the abaya is this jilbab.

The questioner : The jilbab is one piece.

The Shaykh : No, it is not important whether it is one piece or two pieces, the important thing is that it is thick, not transparent like the handkerchiefs that some women tie, no, sit down, put the jilbab on your head, and cover your face with it.

The questioner : Did you lower it?

The Shaykh : Yes, walk.

The questioner : I cannot see.

The Shaykh : You cannot see; so this is what your Lord commanded you?

The questioner : We want the thing that benefits us with Allah - Mighty and Majestic -.

The Shaykh : May Allah bless you.

The questioner : And no ... .

The Shaykh : You did well, your Lord knows best what He created , the first thing is that we must look at the verse, it did not say "let them cover their faces," but rather it said: , "idna" (lowering) is bringing close, so you, as you did just now with the abaya like this, you bring it close like this, and you may bring it close like this and not see the road, and you may bring it close like this and see the road with one eye, and you may bring it close like this and see the road with both eyes, and you may bring it close like this a little more exposed, and so on, this specification must have evidence, so we intend with the first experiment to show people in a practical way that those who go to the meaning that "idna" is covering are making a grave error, because they either mean they ignore or are ignorant, that if we applied the jilbab in the meaning of covering, we would blind the women to the road and they would not be able to walk a single step; because among the conditions of the jilbab is that it not be transparent and that it be thick; is that not so?
At that time it is absolutely not possible to understand the verse in the meaning of covering, and the experiment is the greatest proof, correct? So what remains for us, since the meaning of "let them lower" is negated, the word "let them cover" is negated from this term, so we need to understand to what extent "let them lower" is? Here the Sunnah entered, as is its constant and eternal role when it explains the Qur'an and clarifies it and makes it clear, the most easily understood example for all people in terms of the Sunnah clarifying the Qur'an is His saying - the Exalted - : , so carrion includes under this term the carrion of the sea, so if we stopped at this Qur'anic text, we would forbid ourselves fish, correct?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : But the Messenger clarified that the carrion of fish is not included in this broad meaning, the carrion that was forbidden by the text of the Noble Qur'an, so he said - peace be upon him - : , if we did not take the hadith, we would understand that fish is haram by the generality of the verse, okay?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : If we did not pay attention to the Sunnah in the matter of the woman's face, we would understand that the woman must cover her face, because the later scholars among them interpreted it this way: "let them lower" means: let them cover, and this is an interpretation that we proved practically is false; therefore some of them were forced to say: she exposes one eye, and some of them - may Allah reward him with good - were more lenient in the dispensation and said: she exposes both eyes, but all of this is by ijtihad (independent legal reasoning).

The questioner : By ijtihad.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : All of this is ijtihad.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : As for the text, it came from the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him - from various paths: , and the Messenger - peace and blessings be upon him - when he said regarding the prohibited relative: , he indicated that there was a custom.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : The custom of women is that they wear the niqab, so fearing that the prohibited relative woman would wear the niqab, he said: , and it was also among their customs that they wear gloves, so he forbade the prohibited relative woman to wear the niqab and to wear gloves.

The questioner : Prohibition?!

The Shaykh : Prohibition, and therefore the woman in ihram must expose her face, whereas the one not in ihram is not obligated to do so, rather it is recommended for her to cover her face in one way or another, meaning with these transparent handkerchiefs where the woman sees the road through it and she is not seen, this... .

The questioner : ... the black one.

The Shaykh : Yes, this is good.

The questioner : She is not seen, she sees.

The Shaykh : She sees, but the question is whether it is haram for her to expose the disk of her face? The answer: No.

The questioner : Is it necessary in ihram?

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Is it necessary in ihram?

The Shaykh- And upon you be peace, welcome, greetings - , necessary yes, rather it is obligatory for her to expose her face and her palms, so many of the people of knowledge obligate upon her the hady (sacrificial animal).

The questioner : The hady?!

The Shaykh : If she covers her face.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : The pilgrim, meaning, we are talking about the pilgrim.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Or the one performing 'Umrah? The Shaykh: It is not permissible for her to wear a niqab or to cover herself with a shawl. This is forbidden for her as long as she is in the state of ihram for Hajj or 'Umrah.

The questioner : And not with men, and not in anything, and not during tawaf?

The Shaykh : Not at all.

The questioner : With the shawl? She uncovers?

The Shaykh : Once, a woman in ihram.

The questioner : Meaning, she owes nothing for this matter.

The Shaykh : It is obligatory, O Shaykh.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : It is not just that she owes nothing.

The questioner : We do not leave it uncovered.

The Shaykh : Likewise.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : I know that in Syria there is a saying: "Excessive tightening leads to loosening." Tighten your hand and then loosen it; this meaning is taken from the Sunnah. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do you hear, Abu Jamal?

The questioner : Yes, yes.

The Shaykh : And do not be overly strict, , for every action has a limit! So I believe that the issue of the woman's face was taken up with a strictness that went beyond the Shari'ah. This strictness led some distinguished scholars to interpret the Qur'an in ways that are not valid interpretations, and the example is right before you. This is an example that is not forgotten, correct? The example is right before you: They cover their bodies with their jilbabs. This is impossible!! Because that would mean blinding her to the path, and the claim that she wears glasses—for example—this type of glass did not exist in those times, and this transparent shawl was not known either. Therefore, what was known among the Arabs in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and in early Islam was only the niqab, meaning: the most beautiful woman in the world must uncover the most beautiful part of her face to see her way, which is her eyes. If you know this hadith: ...
The Shaykh: It is a dispensation; if she wishes, she covers, and if she does not wish, she does not cover, and covering is better, do you see? So when women are fed with this moderate jurisprudence—neither excess nor deficiency—when the time for Hajj or 'Umrah comes and she is told not to cover her face, she will not be shocked; because she is accustomed to it, because she was educated beforehand, and perhaps she uncovers her face sometimes, and she is not performing Hajj nor 'Umrah. So when it is said to her, uncover your face because the Shari'ah says it is obligatory for you as long as you are in ihram to uncover your face and your hands, and therefore I have personally felt the wisdom of this: , and the common saying: "Excessive tightening leads to loosening." I performed 'Umrah a few weeks ago, and my wife was with me, so we saw women in ihram wearing niqabs.

The questioner : Covered.

The Shaykh : Ah, and I myself saw a young man performing sa'y between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and I was behind him. My eyes fell on him and his wife beside him, and she was wearing a shawl. So I approached his wife, and he had uncovered his shoulder.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : Yes, yes.

The Shaykh : Ah, peace be upon you. And upon you be peace. I said: You—may Allah will it—seem to be performing 'Umrah. He said: Yes. I said: Your uncovering of the shoulder now has no basis in the Sunnah. And this is also something you see among pilgrims and those performing 'Umrah constantly and always, whereas uncovering the shoulder is only prescribed for the arrival tawaf, while in the other tawafs it is not prescribed to uncover the shoulder, let alone during sa'y between al-Safa and al-Marwah. I taught him this ruling, so he was silent. I do not want to say he did not respond; because he responded afterwards.

The questioner : It seems he said, perhaps this is an ordinary person, with all due respect...

The Shaykh : Yes, the important thing is that it came to the discussion of his wife. I said: Your wife is in ihram with you, may Allah will it? He said: Yes. I said: My brother, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And she is one of those who insulted her, not only did she cover her face, but also her hands, nothing of her is visible. May Allah will it, this is a good thing, but this is ignorance of Islam!! Therefore I say: It is not befitting to take matters by emotions, but by the legal ruling. He said: There is disagreement in this matter. I said: May Allah forgive you, the disagreement is not in what we are talking about now regarding the woman in ihram, but in general, whether the woman's face is 'awrah or not, there is a valid disagreement. But the research now is whether it is permissible for a woman in ihram for Hajj or 'Umrah to cover her face? This is not permissible at all. And I left, until we reached al-Marwah. He is naturally younger than me, so he descended to al-Marwah before me. When I turned to descend, there he was in front of me, about ten meters away or so, and I saw him—and praise be to Allah—had covered his shoulder, but his wife was still as she was. What is the cause of this? The cause is the strictness of scholars that it is not permissible for a woman to uncover her face. But if it were said that justice and fairness is that it is better for a woman to cover her face, and it is permissible for her to uncover her face even sometimes, but as long as she is in ihram, she must uncover her face and her hands. Otherwise, I do not say that she must pay a blood money; because... there is a text, there are many distinguished scholars we have heard who obligate them to slaughter, so imagine now how many women in ihram for Hajj and 'Umrah are obligated to slaughter because of their extremism in religion?! And our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) says: , and the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Farewell Pilgrimage admonished the people on many occasions, among which he said to them: , then he picked up pebbles and said: , and now what do you see at the jamarat? ... How are the jamarat stoned with sandals?!

The questioner : Yes, this is an unsound action.

The Shaykh : Unsound; why? Because it is extremism, and they imagine that Satan is stationed there waiting for whoever throws at him. This is from their ignorance. For this reason, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) described him rightly in the Qur'an: , so he said beforehand: , as if it was revealed to him what would happen among the Muslims, so he said: .