The Shaykh’s remarks on those who interpret the texts of the Shari'ah and deny the divine attributes without any evidence from the Shari'ah.

The Shaykh : There is another type of denial of the divine attributes, which is interpreting the texts of the Shari'ah without any evidence from the Shari'ah. So when a hadith comes in Sahih Muslim, a woman with dimpled cheeks said, "Ah, perhaps this hadith was before the revelation of the verse," perhaps, perhaps. Why this forced interpretation? Place this hadith alongside the evidence we mentioned; the issue gains strength, as Imam al-Bayhaqi said, that this hadith is strong, the hadith of Asma' and the hadith of 'A'ishah; because the practice of the female Companions was in accordance with this. And especially since we do not deny the legitimacy of a woman covering her face, nor is it denied by reason, but by transmitted evidence; because it occurred in the early period. For this reason, one of the motivations for us to establish a specific chapter is that it is better for a woman to cover her face, in response to some of our brothers from the people of the Sunnah in Lebanon, meaning their knowledge of the Sunnah and the Salafi reports is limited. They said that a woman covering her face is a religious innovation. We do not say this, but we say it is better and we advise it, but we do not be strict and say it is forbidden, because there is no evidence for its prohibition. So what else do you have?

The questioner : Some of those who wrote on the issue of the niqab cited an addition to the hadith of al-Khath'amiah, which is found in Musnad Abu Ya'la?

The Shaykh : This is not correct; its chain of narration is not correct. We spoke with you about this, remember?
Al-Halabi : I do not remember. This is what we spoke about, we do not even know your opinion on it.

The Shaykh : Strange, is this correct? Do we tell this brother?
Al-Halabi : Al-Sindi cited it and graded it as authentic.

The Shaykh : This addition is not authentic, and I spoke about it, I think, in the edition I am currently preparing of al-Hijab, which has not been published yet. This is not authentic, and even so, read the text, what does it say?

The questioner : The text is not in front of me.

The Shaykh : It is not in front of you?
Al-Halabi : But in the addition, it says that she was presented for marriage and something like that.

The Shaykh : Okay, suppose the addition is authentic, what does it indicate?

The questioner : For marriage?

The Shaykh : No, regarding the disagreement.

The questioner : Uncovering the face?

The Shaykh : Okay, who saw the face of the one who presented herself, they claimed, to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), perhaps to propose her to him? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or someone else?

The questioner : Something else.

The Shaykh : Okay, so how did he see that which is forbidden? This falls under the previous discussion, forcing the texts. And if this were true, and it is certainly not true, because I reviewed this in Musnad Abu Ya'la, I do not remember exactly what its defect is now.