What is the ruling on a woman showing her face and hands?
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The questioner : The second question, Shaykh. Many of the brothers are asking me now about the ruling on showing, may Allah will it, many of the brothers are asking about the ruling on a woman showing her face and hands?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And if, for example, she drove a car, is it permissible for her to have such exposure... this thing, or not? ... Does she adhere to the Shari'ah hijab, for example?
The Shaykh : Ah, the issue of a woman uncovering her face and hands is, without a doubt, a fiqh issue, and it is also an issue of scholarly disagreement. The scholars differed specifically regarding the woman's face: is it an 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) such that it is not permissible for her to show the disk of her face before non-mahram men, or is it not an 'awrah? There are two opinions on this issue. But we always and forever hold to the Book of Allah and the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and what the righteous Salaf were upon. We say that the woman's face is not an 'awrah, but it is better that she not show it. Here there is a difference between saying whether it is an 'awrah or not an 'awrah. The meaning of something being an 'awrah is that it is not permissible to show it. So if we say that the woman's face is not an 'awrah, we mean that the woman who goes out to the market while wearing the jilbab and covered with the complete Shari'ah covering, wearing the Shari'ah jilbab, but only this disk of her face is visible, she is not in a state of sin and she has not uncovered a forbidden 'awrah. This is one thing. The other thing is: is it better for her to cover her face or to uncover it? We say, without a doubt, it is better that she cover her face and hands, not just her face, but her face and hands. But uncovering is not haram (forbidden). Showing it is permissible, and covering it is better. This applies to the face, and likewise to the hands. But we do not say that uncovering the face is haram, because prohibition is not in our hands. Prohibition is only in the hands of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), who legislates it either in the Noble Qur'an or in the pure Sunnah. I do not know if the atmosphere allows for detailing the evidence.
The questioner : A little.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And if, for example, she drove a car, is it permissible for her to have such exposure... this thing, or not? ... Does she adhere to the Shari'ah hijab, for example?
The Shaykh : Ah, the issue of a woman uncovering her face and hands is, without a doubt, a fiqh issue, and it is also an issue of scholarly disagreement. The scholars differed specifically regarding the woman's face: is it an 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) such that it is not permissible for her to show the disk of her face before non-mahram men, or is it not an 'awrah? There are two opinions on this issue. But we always and forever hold to the Book of Allah and the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and what the righteous Salaf were upon. We say that the woman's face is not an 'awrah, but it is better that she not show it. Here there is a difference between saying whether it is an 'awrah or not an 'awrah. The meaning of something being an 'awrah is that it is not permissible to show it. So if we say that the woman's face is not an 'awrah, we mean that the woman who goes out to the market while wearing the jilbab and covered with the complete Shari'ah covering, wearing the Shari'ah jilbab, but only this disk of her face is visible, she is not in a state of sin and she has not uncovered a forbidden 'awrah. This is one thing. The other thing is: is it better for her to cover her face or to uncover it? We say, without a doubt, it is better that she cover her face and hands, not just her face, but her face and hands. But uncovering is not haram (forbidden). Showing it is permissible, and covering it is better. This applies to the face, and likewise to the hands. But we do not say that uncovering the face is haram, because prohibition is not in our hands. Prohibition is only in the hands of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), who legislates it either in the Noble Qur'an or in the pure Sunnah. I do not know if the atmosphere allows for detailing the evidence.
The questioner : A little.
The Shaykh : Yes.