Is the statement that it is obligatory for a woman to cover her face out of fear of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) correct?
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The Shaykh : Yes, so making fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) a general school of thought for all women, and this necessitates, or more accurately, entails changing the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of Allah, because we all know that Islam is suitable for every time and every place, and that any ruling that was in the first era remains so until Allah inherits the earth and those upon it. But if a woman is exposed to something that involves fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), then at that time she must adopt every means that keeps her away from falling into fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). As for the fear of falling into fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), this fear exists in every time and place, and this falls under the reality of the discussion we have mentioned to you repeatedly regarding the maslahah (public benefit) that is not tied to a specific text... So it is not permissible to act upon it if the reason for acting upon it existed in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and yet the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not act upon it. So there is no doubt that the mafsadah (harm) existed in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and after the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And although it is possible to say today that the fitan (trials, discords or temptations) and mafsadat (harms) are more than before, we cannot say that fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) did not exist in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And we hear the truth of some incidents, like the incident mentioned in some authentic hadiths, that a man set out for the mosque, so he entered upon a woman who was in her place in her shop. He said, so he did not leave anything that men do with their wives except that he did it with her, except that he did not have intercourse with her. And he set out for the mosque, and prayed with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and asked the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). He said to him: Sunan Abi Dawud 907 bSahih (Al-Albani) So Allah revealed His saying [Hud 11:114] So this is fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that cannot be denied. So why did He not forbid women, out of fear of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), to uncover their faces? And why did He not order the women to cover their faces with an obligatory command? And finally, there is the hadith of al-Khath'amiah, as we always and forever mention, where fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) raised its horn in that incident. And yet the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order her to cover her face. And here I am amazed at some of the scholars, and especially our Najdi brothers.
The questioner : Peace be upon you
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : How are you?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, I am well.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. I have a question, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Please, go ahead.
The questioner : For a period I have been trying to call you, but we cannot reach you.
The Shaykh : Good.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah, we are talking to you from Libya, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
The questioner : How are you?
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you. Praise be to Allah.
The questioner : I am Abd al-Rahman.
The Shaykh : Welcome, I did not remember you.
The questioner : I spoke to you in Ramadan, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Please, my brother, do you have something?
The questioner : Yes, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Please, go ahead.
The questioner : There is a question, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Bring it.
The questioner : There is a girl who works, but her circumstances are very difficult. She is wearing a khimar (the head covering), and she is in need of money. We offered her a sum of money monthly, but she refused. What do you advise her to do, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : Is she married or not?
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : Does she have a father or a wali (the bride's guardian)?
The questioner : Allah knows best, and Allah.
The Shaykh : How can it be that Allah knows best? You must know...
The questioner : It seems to me no, but Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : My brother, you must study her circumstances, then present her story, and we can cooperate with you in the answer that conforms to the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law).
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
The questioner : Regarding some money for the mosque, but out of fear that if we give it to the mosque it will be spent on bid'ah (religious innovation)? What do you order us to do, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : How will it be spent on bid'ah (religious innovation)?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And who is spending it?
The questioner : The people of the mosque.
The Shaykh : Okay, and do you have authority over them?
The questioner : I work with the group of the mosque regarding the affairs of the mosque, such as maintenance and things.
The Shaykh : I understand, my brother, but do you have authority?
The questioner : By Allah, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Since you have authority, why do you leave them to spend the money on bid'ah (religious innovation)?
The questioner : What do you order us to do, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : We order you to spend it in what benefits the mosque.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
The questioner : And in nothing else.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible.
The questioner : Meaning, we spend it in anything that involves obedience to Allah.
The Shaykh : Anything related to the mosque in obedience to Allah.
The questioner : The children, meaning the young generation, meaning
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Regarding the young generation, and what do you advise us to read from books to raise them, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : Right now I do not have an answer regarding this question.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O Shaykh Nasser.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : I am coming, if Allah wills, to marriage. In a problem, in order to get a house, the owner of the house asks me, so that I do not leave the house, for a sum of money. What is the ruling on this?
The Shaykh : Do you not find another house?
The questioner : I will try, but in most neighborhoods it is like this.
The Shaykh : If that is with the approval of the owner of the house, there is no harm.
The questioner : Other than this?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible.
The questioner : Sometimes the owner of the house is the state.
The Shaykh : If it is necessary, then the approval of the state is required.
The questioner : This matter can be done... just without the state.
The Shaykh : I understand, but it should be with the approval of the state, and not a betrayal of it.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : It is this.
The questioner : O Shaykh, there is no other time to call you except this time.
The Shaykh : No, there is no time except after 'Isha' (the night prayer) every night with us.
The questioner : What time is 'Isha' (the night prayer) with you?
The Shaykh : 'Isha' (the night prayer) with us is almost every day at nine o'clock, and the time with us now is eleven o'clock.
The questioner : Yes, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
The questioner : O Shaykh, we are weak in this land.
The Shaykh : We ask Allah to strengthen us in our land and in your land.
The questioner : What do you order us and what do you advise us?
The Shaykh : You must fear Allah as much as you are able.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you, my brother.
The questioner : My name is Abd al-Rahman.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings, and I am Abu Abd al-Rahman, and welcome.
The Shaykh : The matter of al-Khath'amiah, perhaps you all remember it.
Al-Halabi : I mentioned, O our Shaykh, our brothers and Shaykhs in Saudi Arabia, they have something, meaning do you want to complete the research?
The Shaykh : This is it, meaning they stand before the hadith of al-Khath'amiah, they take the paths of ta'wil (figurative interpretation) toward it, and burden the hadith with what it cannot bear, so that it agrees with their strict school of thought regarding the Muslim woman. The hadith of al-Khath'amiah is authentic that it occurred during Hajj (the major pilgrimage), and that she stood in the path of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), asking him. She said: My father is an old man who cannot stay on the mount, and the obligation of Hajj (the major pilgrimage) has overtaken him. Shall I perform Hajj (the major pilgrimage) on his behalf? He said: And behind him (peace and blessings be upon him) was al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas, and he was handsome, and she was beautiful, so he would look at her, and she would look at him, so the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) turned the face of al-Fadl to the other side, the side
Did you pray along with us? He said: Yes.
أصلّيت معنا ؟ قال: نعمIndeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds
إنّ الحسنات يذهبن السّيئاتThe questioner : Peace be upon you
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : How are you?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, I am well.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. I have a question, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Please, go ahead.
The questioner : For a period I have been trying to call you, but we cannot reach you.
The Shaykh : Good.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah, we are talking to you from Libya, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
The questioner : How are you?
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you. Praise be to Allah.
The questioner : I am Abd al-Rahman.
The Shaykh : Welcome, I did not remember you.
The questioner : I spoke to you in Ramadan, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Please, my brother, do you have something?
The questioner : Yes, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Please, go ahead.
The questioner : There is a question, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Bring it.
The questioner : There is a girl who works, but her circumstances are very difficult. She is wearing a khimar (the head covering), and she is in need of money. We offered her a sum of money monthly, but she refused. What do you advise her to do, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : Is she married or not?
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : Does she have a father or a wali (the bride's guardian)?
The questioner : Allah knows best, and Allah.
The Shaykh : How can it be that Allah knows best? You must know...
The questioner : It seems to me no, but Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : My brother, you must study her circumstances, then present her story, and we can cooperate with you in the answer that conforms to the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law).
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
The questioner : Regarding some money for the mosque, but out of fear that if we give it to the mosque it will be spent on bid'ah (religious innovation)? What do you order us to do, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : How will it be spent on bid'ah (religious innovation)?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And who is spending it?
The questioner : The people of the mosque.
The Shaykh : Okay, and do you have authority over them?
The questioner : I work with the group of the mosque regarding the affairs of the mosque, such as maintenance and things.
The Shaykh : I understand, my brother, but do you have authority?
The questioner : By Allah, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Since you have authority, why do you leave them to spend the money on bid'ah (religious innovation)?
The questioner : What do you order us to do, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : We order you to spend it in what benefits the mosque.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
The questioner : And in nothing else.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible.
The questioner : Meaning, we spend it in anything that involves obedience to Allah.
The Shaykh : Anything related to the mosque in obedience to Allah.
The questioner : The children, meaning the young generation, meaning
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Regarding the young generation, and what do you advise us to read from books to raise them, if Allah wills?
The Shaykh : Right now I do not have an answer regarding this question.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O Shaykh Nasser.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : I am coming, if Allah wills, to marriage. In a problem, in order to get a house, the owner of the house asks me, so that I do not leave the house, for a sum of money. What is the ruling on this?
The Shaykh : Do you not find another house?
The questioner : I will try, but in most neighborhoods it is like this.
The Shaykh : If that is with the approval of the owner of the house, there is no harm.
The questioner : Other than this?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible.
The questioner : Sometimes the owner of the house is the state.
The Shaykh : If it is necessary, then the approval of the state is required.
The questioner : This matter can be done... just without the state.
The Shaykh : I understand, but it should be with the approval of the state, and not a betrayal of it.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : It is this.
The questioner : O Shaykh, there is no other time to call you except this time.
The Shaykh : No, there is no time except after 'Isha' (the night prayer) every night with us.
The questioner : What time is 'Isha' (the night prayer) with you?
The Shaykh : 'Isha' (the night prayer) with us is almost every day at nine o'clock, and the time with us now is eleven o'clock.
The questioner : Yes, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
The questioner : O Shaykh, we are weak in this land.
The Shaykh : We ask Allah to strengthen us in our land and in your land.
The questioner : What do you order us and what do you advise us?
The Shaykh : You must fear Allah as much as you are able.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you, my brother.
The questioner : My name is Abd al-Rahman.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings, and I am Abu Abd al-Rahman, and welcome.
The Shaykh : The matter of al-Khath'amiah, perhaps you all remember it.
Al-Halabi : I mentioned, O our Shaykh, our brothers and Shaykhs in Saudi Arabia, they have something, meaning do you want to complete the research?
The Shaykh : This is it, meaning they stand before the hadith of al-Khath'amiah, they take the paths of ta'wil (figurative interpretation) toward it, and burden the hadith with what it cannot bear, so that it agrees with their strict school of thought regarding the Muslim woman. The hadith of al-Khath'amiah is authentic that it occurred during Hajj (the major pilgrimage), and that she stood in the path of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), asking him. She said: My father is an old man who cannot stay on the mount, and the obligation of Hajj (the major pilgrimage) has overtaken him. Shall I perform Hajj (the major pilgrimage) on his behalf? He said:
Perform Hajj on his behalf.
حجّي عنه
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.