A man whose wife is careful with matters of creed and prayer, manages her household affairs to the best of her ability, and teaches her children the rulings of Islam and raises them with Islamic upbringing
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The questioner : Your Eminence, my wife is careful with matters of creed and maintains her prayer, manages her household affairs to the best of her ability, and maintains her cleanliness. She teaches her children the rulings of Islam and raises them with Islamic upbringing. I am satisfied with her, except that, Your Eminence, she does not want to adhere to the prescribed head covering (khimar) and goes out of the house with her face and hands uncovered. Although I have spoken to her about this many times, she is insistent on this action. What must I do regarding her? Guide us, may Allah reward you with good. We ask you for a word for her and those like her. May Allah bless you, and peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. This is the listener from Jordan. Please proceed.
The Shaykh : Yes. First, I thank Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, that among our women there is such a woman who is careful with her religion and with the rights of her husband.
Second: I say to this sister that her uncovering of her face and hands is a cause for the decrease of her faith, because it is disobedience, and faith decreases with disobedience.
Third: I say that her husband's command for her to cover her face is a right for him, because if she uncovers her face before people, before non-mahram men, she may be a beautiful woman.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The hearts of those who look at her may become attached to her, and they may corrupt her for him. So he has the right to prevent her from uncovering her face, even if she is among those who think there is no harm in uncovering the face, because this matter is a right for the husband due to the fear that a woman may become attached to someone or someone may become attached to her, and in that case, she is corrupted for him.
Then I say to this woman, whom her husband describes in a way that implies she is righteous, do not spoil this perfection that Allah has bestowed upon you by disobeying your husband who commands you to cover your face. For that is a right for him, and you do not have the right to refuse it, even if you think that uncovering the face is permissible and not a sin against Allah. But it is a sin against your husband, who has the right to prevent you from this, just as the husband has the right to prevent his wife from going out to the market entirely.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And this is more effective than him allowing her to go out but veiled and covering her face. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you for this blessed guidance, Your Eminence. From the Arab Republic of Egypt, the listener is S.A.A., an agricultural engineer from Cairo, currently working in Makkah al-Mukarramah.
The Shaykh : Yes. First, I thank Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, that among our women there is such a woman who is careful with her religion and with the rights of her husband.
Second: I say to this sister that her uncovering of her face and hands is a cause for the decrease of her faith, because it is disobedience, and faith decreases with disobedience.
Third: I say that her husband's command for her to cover her face is a right for him, because if she uncovers her face before people, before non-mahram men, she may be a beautiful woman.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The hearts of those who look at her may become attached to her, and they may corrupt her for him. So he has the right to prevent her from uncovering her face, even if she is among those who think there is no harm in uncovering the face, because this matter is a right for the husband due to the fear that a woman may become attached to someone or someone may become attached to her, and in that case, she is corrupted for him.
Then I say to this woman, whom her husband describes in a way that implies she is righteous, do not spoil this perfection that Allah has bestowed upon you by disobeying your husband who commands you to cover your face. For that is a right for him, and you do not have the right to refuse it, even if you think that uncovering the face is permissible and not a sin against Allah. But it is a sin against your husband, who has the right to prevent you from this, just as the husband has the right to prevent his wife from going out to the market entirely.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And this is more effective than him allowing her to go out but veiled and covering her face. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you for this blessed guidance, Your Eminence. From the Arab Republic of Egypt, the listener is S.A.A., an agricultural engineer from Cairo, currently working in Makkah al-Mukarramah.