The Ruling on a Woman Uncovering Her Face and the Response to Those Who Say It Is Permissible
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
A book was published in the market titled: The jilbab of the Muslim woman. The book was originally titled: The Hijab of the Muslim Woman, so the title was changed to: The Jilbab of the Muslim Woman.So the author says: A woman uncovering her face was known in the time of the Salaf, and he brought evidence in addition to the previous evidence. What is your opinion, O your Excellency?
Our view is that what was known in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was that the woman wears the niqab, meaning: she wears a covering over her face and leaves her eyes open. The evidence for this is his statement in the authentic hadith regarding the prohibitions of ihram: (The woman shall not wear the niqab) This is evidence that the niqab was known among them, and the niqab covers the face and leaves the eyes open.
The Shaykh: He says: Was uncovering the face known in the time of the Salaf?The Shaykh: Which of the Salaf?The questioner: The Companions.
The Shaykh: The Companions in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If uncovering the face had been customary, there would have been no need for his statement: (Nor shall the woman wear the niqab) So when he prohibited wearing the niqab in the state of ihram, it indicates that the women in his time were wearing the niqab.
And the correct view, of which there is no doubt, is that it is obligatory for the woman to cover her face from men who are not mahram. And we ask these people who say that uncovering the face is permissible and that covering the feet is obligatory,We say: By Allah, your Lord, which is a greater trial: uncovering the face or uncovering the feet?! Meaning: They say: It is permissible for a woman with a beautiful face to uncover her face, but it is not permissible for a woman with the ugliest feet to expose her thumb or her little finger.Meaning: The Shari'ah does not bring this at all. The Shari'ah cannot bring this ever.They may say: The woman needs to look when walking.We say: There is no harm; we grant her a dispensation to leave an opening for her eyes and wear the niqab. But this indicates the weakness of the human being, and that a person, no matter how much he reaches in knowledge, is prone to error, whether in jurisprudential matters or in hadith matters. Even if he is among the most knowledgeable people in hadith, you will find many errors on his part in authenticating weak hadiths or weakening authentic ones.
So do not consider a man infallible if he reaches a high rank in the science of hadith or the science of fiqh. Do not believe that he is free from sin and that he does not say anything but the truth and the correct. And this is undoubtedly a slip of the one you are referring to, the author of the book. This is a slip for which we ask Allah to forgive him, just as there are other slips of other scholars, and he also has some. And if a person knows the sincerity of the scholar's intention and that he does not intentionally contradict the correct, he asks Allah for his forgiveness. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not hold a person accountable if he interprets and makes a mistake;Due to the statement of the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him): (If the judge rules and strives and makes a mistake, he has one reward, and if he hits the mark, he has two rewards) .
The questioner: Is there a report from any of the Companions that he said uncovering the face is permissible?The Shaykh: Even if he said it, even if a thousand Companions said it, the Companions were one hundred and twenty thousand.
Our view is that what was known in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was that the woman wears the niqab, meaning: she wears a covering over her face and leaves her eyes open. The evidence for this is his statement in the authentic hadith regarding the prohibitions of ihram: (The woman shall not wear the niqab) This is evidence that the niqab was known among them, and the niqab covers the face and leaves the eyes open.
The Shaykh: He says: Was uncovering the face known in the time of the Salaf?The Shaykh: Which of the Salaf?The questioner: The Companions.
The Shaykh: The Companions in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If uncovering the face had been customary, there would have been no need for his statement: (Nor shall the woman wear the niqab) So when he prohibited wearing the niqab in the state of ihram, it indicates that the women in his time were wearing the niqab.
And the correct view, of which there is no doubt, is that it is obligatory for the woman to cover her face from men who are not mahram. And we ask these people who say that uncovering the face is permissible and that covering the feet is obligatory,We say: By Allah, your Lord, which is a greater trial: uncovering the face or uncovering the feet?! Meaning: They say: It is permissible for a woman with a beautiful face to uncover her face, but it is not permissible for a woman with the ugliest feet to expose her thumb or her little finger.Meaning: The Shari'ah does not bring this at all. The Shari'ah cannot bring this ever.They may say: The woman needs to look when walking.We say: There is no harm; we grant her a dispensation to leave an opening for her eyes and wear the niqab. But this indicates the weakness of the human being, and that a person, no matter how much he reaches in knowledge, is prone to error, whether in jurisprudential matters or in hadith matters. Even if he is among the most knowledgeable people in hadith, you will find many errors on his part in authenticating weak hadiths or weakening authentic ones.
So do not consider a man infallible if he reaches a high rank in the science of hadith or the science of fiqh. Do not believe that he is free from sin and that he does not say anything but the truth and the correct. And this is undoubtedly a slip of the one you are referring to, the author of the book. This is a slip for which we ask Allah to forgive him, just as there are other slips of other scholars, and he also has some. And if a person knows the sincerity of the scholar's intention and that he does not intentionally contradict the correct, he asks Allah for his forgiveness. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not hold a person accountable if he interprets and makes a mistake;Due to the statement of the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him): (If the judge rules and strives and makes a mistake, he has one reward, and if he hits the mark, he has two rewards) .
The questioner: Is there a report from any of the Companions that he said uncovering the face is permissible?The Shaykh: Even if he said it, even if a thousand Companions said it, the Companions were one hundred and twenty thousand.