My wife is a Yugoslav woman who wears the hijab inside her husband's home, holding fast to it and citing the hadith that the angels do not enter a house in which there is a woman with uncovered hair. To what extent is this authentic?
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The questioner : Yes, she wears the hijab inside the house and cites a hadith. I wanted to ask about it: that the angels do not enter a house in which there is a woman with uncovered hair. Is this established or not?
The Shaykh : You say that she wears the khimar in her house.
The questioner : The hijab is not the niqab.
The Shaykh : Yes, I say this is called the khimar, meaning the cloth that covers a woman's head. Linguistically, it is called the khimar.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for that, it is called the niqab or the handkerchief or something similar. You say that she covers her head and hair with the khimar.
The questioner : Yes, she covers her head with the khimar.
The Shaykh : Based on this hadith, first, this hadith is not authentic from the perspective of hadith science, because it has no supported narration. Do you know what "supported" means? It means with a chain and a sound isnad. That is, there is no report of this from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Rather, this is mentioned in the book of Seerah, which originally belonged to Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar, and then Ibn Hisham abridged it. This is the printed version today and the one circulating among people. Ibn Ishaq narrated this story as disconnected, not connected by a chain to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Especially since this story is related to the first of the Mothers of the Believers, the lady Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married her, as is known to everyone, before the revelation came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When the revelation came, Jibril (peace be upon him)—and upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah—was in the cave, as mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari, while he was in retreat. He returned trembling with fear to Khadijah. The lady Khadijah reassured him. The story is well known in Sahih al-Bukhari, including her informing Waraqah ibn Nawfal. When she informed him, he said: "This is the same angel who came to Moses." Do you remember this? You must have read it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So in the Seerah, the Seerah of Ibn Hisham, it is stated that the lady Aishah said that the lady Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) wanted to test whether the one who came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was Jibril or a demon or a devil. So whenever she removed the khimar from her, Jibril did not come, and when she put it on him, Jibril entered. This is the narration, but it is not authentic. This is in answer to your question. However, this story, in addition to not being authentic in terms of narration, is also not authentic in terms of understanding, as the scholars of hadith say. That is, it is not authentic in chain nor in jurisprudence. Why? Because Allah the Exalted mentioned in the Noble Qur'an that a woman has two adornments: an apparent adornment and a hidden adornment. And He said regarding the first:[An-Nur 24:31] The scholars have differed since ancient times in defining the apparent adornment in the first verse. The stronger opinion is that the intended meaning is the face and the hands. That is, if a woman leaves her house, it is not permissible for her to show any of her adornment except her face and her hands. It is necessary to clarify the intended meaning of "adornment" here: it is the places of adornment, not the adornment itself. Perhaps you can distinguish between the two with me?
The questioner : I can distinguish between them.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is in Arabic expression from the category of estimating a deleted addition.[An-Nur 24:31] That is, the places of adornment. For example, a woman puts adornment on her ears and her neck.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So if she went to exchange her adornment for another at a jeweler, for example, and showed the adornment, no one says it is forbidden for you to show your adornment to a non-mahram man. But the intended meaning is the places of adornment. These are the places of adornment.
The questioner : It is an estimated addition.
The Shaykh : Yes, on the model of His saying, the Exalted: Therefore, the meaning of this verse is so, and also the second verse which will be mentioned. "And do not show their adornment" means the places of adornment. For example, the face: what is the place of adornment on it? It is the kohl. Do you know kohl?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, the places of adornment on the hands are the henna dye. Do you know that too?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine. So whether the woman is wearing kohl and henna or not, it is permissible for her to show her face and her hands. The second verse, He, the Exalted, said:[An-Nur 24:31] Until He, the Exalted, said at the end of it:
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That is, their Muslim women. So where is the point? It is not reasonable for that hadith to be authentic, because if there were in that gathering only the Messenger and his wife Khadijah, why would the angel not enter? And Allah the Exalted has permitted the Muslim woman to show her hidden adornment, such as her head and her arms, in the presence of her father. In the presence of her father. There was no father there, and no brother, and none of the other mahrams mentioned in the context of the verse. So this hadith is said, in the language of hadith scholars, to be weak in chain and fabricated in text.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The answer has become clear to you, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : You say that she wears the khimar in her house.
The questioner : The hijab is not the niqab.
The Shaykh : Yes, I say this is called the khimar, meaning the cloth that covers a woman's head. Linguistically, it is called the khimar.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for that, it is called the niqab or the handkerchief or something similar. You say that she covers her head and hair with the khimar.
The questioner : Yes, she covers her head with the khimar.
The Shaykh : Based on this hadith, first, this hadith is not authentic from the perspective of hadith science, because it has no supported narration. Do you know what "supported" means? It means with a chain and a sound isnad. That is, there is no report of this from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Rather, this is mentioned in the book of Seerah, which originally belonged to Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar, and then Ibn Hisham abridged it. This is the printed version today and the one circulating among people. Ibn Ishaq narrated this story as disconnected, not connected by a chain to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Especially since this story is related to the first of the Mothers of the Believers, the lady Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married her, as is known to everyone, before the revelation came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When the revelation came, Jibril (peace be upon him)—and upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah—was in the cave, as mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari, while he was in retreat. He returned trembling with fear to Khadijah. The lady Khadijah reassured him. The story is well known in Sahih al-Bukhari, including her informing Waraqah ibn Nawfal. When she informed him, he said: "This is the same angel who came to Moses." Do you remember this? You must have read it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So in the Seerah, the Seerah of Ibn Hisham, it is stated that the lady Aishah said that the lady Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) wanted to test whether the one who came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was Jibril or a demon or a devil. So whenever she removed the khimar from her, Jibril did not come, and when she put it on him, Jibril entered. This is the narration, but it is not authentic. This is in answer to your question. However, this story, in addition to not being authentic in terms of narration, is also not authentic in terms of understanding, as the scholars of hadith say. That is, it is not authentic in chain nor in jurisprudence. Why? Because Allah the Exalted mentioned in the Noble Qur'an that a woman has two adornments: an apparent adornment and a hidden adornment. And He said regarding the first:
not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof
و لا يبدين زينتهن إلا ما ظهر منهاThe questioner : I can distinguish between them.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is in Arabic expression from the category of estimating a deleted addition.
not expose their adornment
و لا يبدين زينتهنThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So if she went to exchange her adornment for another at a jeweler, for example, and showed the adornment, no one says it is forbidden for you to show your adornment to a non-mahram man. But the intended meaning is the places of adornment. These are the places of adornment.
The questioner : It is an estimated addition.
The Shaykh : Yes, on the model of His saying, the Exalted:
And ask the village
واسأل القريةThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Ah, the places of adornment on the hands are the henna dye. Do you know that too?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine. So whether the woman is wearing kohl and henna or not, it is permissible for her to show her face and her hands. The second verse, He, the Exalted, said:
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
ولا يبدين زينتهن إلا لبعولتهن أو آباء بعولتهنOr their women
أو نسائهنThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That is, their Muslim women. So where is the point?
Or their fathers
أو آبائهنThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The answer has become clear to you, if Allah wills.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.