Questioned about the statement regarding the obligation of a woman covering her face.

The questioner : There are those who see the necessity of a woman covering her face. When discussing this issue, the traditions in which one was raised are such that one cannot free oneself from them. Therefore, one cannot be objective based on the scientific rules that must be followed. I have noticed this among the scholars here.

The Shaykh : This exists.

The questioner : Because some of them, even in matters of scholarly disagreement, say, "Do not deny [the validity of] matters in which there is disagreement, for there is leeway in them." They expand the circle of leeway in disagreement until it sometimes reaches contradictory disagreement. So when we say, "This is the issue of a woman uncovering her face," he says, "No, this is another matter."

The Shaykh : How?

The questioner : Because harm results from it, and the spread of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and so on results from it. And the disagreement here is not considered valid.

The Shaykh : This is the most amazing thing. We know the scholars of the land; they are Salafis, not from the people of opinion (Ahl al-Ra'y). But in this matter, they are from the people of opinion. And the amazing thing is that the people of opinion are the opposite of them; that is, they were correct, having left opinion for the text. In that is a lesson for those who take heed. I was informed recently, among the strange paradoxes, that some believing women who cover with the Shari'ah hijab, and who are keen to cover their faces—we are certainly with them in that from a practical standpoint, but we are not with them from an intellectual standpoint; because it is not permissible to make obligatory what Allah and His Messenger have not made obligatory. But what Allah and His Messenger have prescribed as recommended (mustahabb) or as a sunnah (recommended practice) is a good thing, and this is what we see regarding the face of a woman. I was informed that some of the girls said, when they heard my emphasis on the saying of him (peace and blessings be upon him): And I have witnessed, both in the past and recently, and the last time when I performed 'Umrah before Ramadan on the previous trip, my wife was with me, so I directed her to the women walking between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and they were wearing niqabs (face veils), that this is not permissible, you are in a state of ihram (the consecrated state of pilgrimage), and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says: . Rather, I saw a handsome, beautiful young man with a black beard, and next to him, it seemed, was his wife, and she was wearing a niqab (face veil). He was in the clothing of ihram (the consecrated state of pilgrimage), which made me feel that he was in a state of ihram (the consecrated state of pilgrimage), and he was walking with his wife. So I approached him and said, "Peace be upon you," and he said, "And upon you be peace." I said, "It seems to me that you are in a state of ihram (the consecrated state of pilgrimage)." He said, "Yes." I said, "First, this uncovering of the right shoulder, the time for that has passed. And second, I see this one too, I think she is your wife." He said, "Yes." I said to him, "This is not permissible during the time of ihram (the consecrated state of pilgrimage)," and I mentioned the hadith to him. He said, "No, there is disagreement in this matter," and he walked away and left. We were ascending to al-Marwah, and we stopped there and we supplicated and we said takbir (saying Allahu akbar) according to the sunnah (recommended practice), and I was watching him. So I noticed that he returned to covering his shoulder. As for his wife, he did not let her uncover her face. Why? Because custom is dominant. And I have not yet reached the women wearing the jilbab (the outer garment). I was informed that they said, "It is true, a woman in a state of ihram (the consecrated state of pilgrimage) does not wear a niqab (face veil), but it is difficult for us to uncover the face, so we sacrifice with blood."

The questioner : Glory be to Allah.

The Shaykh : Ah, this reminded me of a saying of a man in Syria, "If you know his blood money, I will kill him." Did these people know what this sin is? Its sin is blood. But is this taqwa (mindfulness of Allah)? Is this what taqwa (mindfulness of Allah) requires? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says to the Muslim woman: They say, "No, we cannot." Why? Because their minds have been filled with the idea that this is a forbidden matter, severely forbidden.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : No, there is a way out, and it is letting the hair fall down (al-sadl).

The questioner : Better...! ?

The Shaykh : Yes, without a doubt.