Regarding the issue of hijab; I heard on some of your tapes that you said covering the faces of wives is a privilege specific to the wives of the Messenger?

The questioner: Regarding the issue of hijab, you mentioned or I heard.

The Shaykh : ...regarding?

The questioner: The issue of hijab.

The Shaykh: Hijab, yes.

The questioner: I heard on some of your tapes that you said covering the face ... of their faces is a privilege?

The Shaykh: We did not say that. We say—and we said this recently—that the scholars differed regarding the face of the woman; some said it is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and some said it is not an awrah. This means that the one who says it is not an awrah implies that it is not forbidden for her to uncover only the disk of her face, but it is better that she cover her face. As for saying that this is specific to the wives of the Messenger (peace be upon him), that is incorrect. If you have read my book "Hijab," you will find in it a specific heading on the permissibility of a woman covering her face, and in it a refutation of some of those who held that a woman covering her face is a religious innovation. We refuted them with reports (athar) mentioned there. We see and practice that a woman covering her face is the best—and peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings—we see that a woman covering her face is the best, and we practice this with our women and daughters as much as we are able; not on the basis of obligation, but on the basis of recommendation and what is best.
It can be said to be obligatory for the wives of the Messenger (peace be upon him), and it does not mean that covering the face is specific to the wives of the Messenger. We know that many women in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), other than the wives of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), used to cover their faces. Therefore, we say that this is the best. We also know—unlike others—that some women also uncovered their faces. This indicates permissibility, and that indicates what is best. This is what we see and we worship Allah with.

The questioner: This obligation for the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), is it a privilege specific to them?

The Shaykh: That is what I said. Saying it is obligatory is different from saying that covering the face is specific to them.

The questioner: Okay; what is the evidence for this?

The Shaykh: It is what we mentioned in "Hijab" and in other than "Hijab," and what I referred to just now. First, the evidence for the obligation on the women is not a legal evidence explicitly stated in the Book and the Sunnah, but rather it is based on the practice of the wives of the Messenger (peace be upon him) in doing so, and their not appearing with their faces uncovered even once in their lives. From these matters, the scholars said that this is among the privileges of the women, the wives of the Messenger, the Mothers of the Believers. Indeed, it was found among the earlier scholars that some said: It is not permissible for them to appear in person, and it should not be said "this is the wife of the Messenger" even if nothing of her is visible. This was refuted by many scholars because, first, there is no evidence for it, and second, because of the reality of some of the Mothers of the Believers, especially the Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her); she used to go out and preach to men, admonish them, remind them, and the like. So there is no explicit textual evidence from the Book and the Sunnah, but rather it is the practice of the Mothers of the Believers in absolute veiling, and the practice of the Messenger (peace be upon him) regarding them in that. From here, the specific obligation for the wives of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is derived. As for the women of the Muslims in general, there is no evidence at all for the obligation; along with what I mentioned just now about the practice of some Muslim women in the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him), and after that, in uncovering their faces. This is what we see.

The questioner: Okay, O Shaykh; I mean, is this the path of argumentation for the privilege, that it is the practice?

The Shaykh: No, the path for everything is that the one who claims obligation must establish the evidence. Let us look at whether this evidence encompasses all Muslim women or not? The path begins from here. If he is unable to establish that... then what is the path—and this is more specific than the first—to establish that the believing women, the Mothers of the Believers, were obligated to cover their faces? If this is established, it does not include the first; and if the first is established, it includes the other. So here there is generality and specificity. Therefore, the one who claims generality must bring the sufficient evidence for it. Then, the one who claims specificity: the specificity is the reality of the wives of the Messenger and their veiling of their faces. And with our saying this, we say that the best is to follow their example. But to say that the face of the woman is an awrah without a text from the Book of Allah and from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah is a very serious matter; because it involves forbidding something for which there is no text...