Some people, when they travel to countries outside the Kingdom, if a woman covers her face, she is subject to surveillance and there are issues with it, and some people are confused whether to follow the scholars here or the scholars there.
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The Shaykh : The weak hadith that Asma' bint Abi Bakr entered upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wearing thin, transparent clothes, so he turned away and said: Sunan al-Bayhaqi 10:890 and pointed to his face and hands. Is this reasonable? First: the hadith is weak in its chain and has a break in it. Second: is it reasonable that Asma' bint Abi Bakr, one of the best of women, would enter upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in thin clothes where the skin is visible through them?! This is not reasonable, so it is denounced in its text and weak in its chain. As for Ibn Abbas, when he interpreted the saying of Allah the Exalted: [An-Nur 24:31] he said the face and the hands. Those who narrated this from him said it is possible that he intended to interpret the verse before the revelation of the hijab. It is known that the issue of covering the face has two states: a state before the revelation of the hijab and a state after it. Some said he intended to use an example of what is not visible to indicate that the face and hands must be covered. In any case, we have many hadiths indicating the obligation, and I agree with the rational evidence mentioned by the brother Salim. The Shari'ah is wise, it is not weak. [Hud 11:1] And if it is said that she was permitted to show her face in order to identify the way by looking, we say, praise be to Allah, the niqab suffices for this. Then what about the hands? If they say the hands are the tool for taking and giving and the like, we say this is in the house. The matter is clear, praise be to Allah. Now, the nations that have permitted the exposure of the face are groaning and longing for their former customs. They groan from their current state and long for their original state, because the women did not stop at the face, nor did they stop at the natural face. They began to expose the head and the neck down to the elbow. If only they would leave the face as it is and add something of adornment to it, makeup, reddening the lips, blackening the eyelids, glassing the eyebrows, and the like. We ask Allah to guide the Muslim community to what is good and right.
The questioner : In this issue, O Shaykh, if I think that the common person does not believe the scholar in such a matter?
Answer: The common person who has no inclination believes, but the one who has an inclination argues. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you, O Shaykh. Some people, when they travel to countries outside the Kingdom, if a woman covers her face, she is subject to surveillance and there are issues with it. And some people are also confused whether to follow the scholars here or the scholars there?
The Shaykh : Have you seen this? Have you seen it?
The questioner : No, it is not present, but someone told me...
The Shaykh : I am asking you, have you seen it or not? Say yes or no.
The questioner : I have not seen it.
The Shaykh: Okay, do not believe him. I was told by someone I trust that he was studying in Germany for a long period according to the study duration, and with him was his wife who veils herself as she veils in her country. He said that when people saw her, they distinguished her from others, even crossing the street out of respect for her. This was in Germany. I do not know about the rest of the countries. Did you understand?
The questioner : I saw this with my own eyes.
The Shaykh : You saw it with your own eyes?
The student: And I too, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : France and America are the two largest European countries. Yes.
The questioner : A school in Britain with the full Islamic hijab, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes, and nothing is said to her, but some people, and may Allah protect us, have an inclination and weakness. When they see people looking at this woman, they say this means they want to do evil things to her.
The questioner : No, O Shaykh, it has spread, praise be to Allah, everywhere now.
The Shaykh : The hijab? Praise be to Allah.
The questioner : There is no problem, but it is due to the weakness of personality.
The Shaykh : Yes, I was told, I heard on the radio, and I do not know the number, a large number of women demonstrated at the house of the American president, the White House, demanding the hijab. And praise be to Allah, we have the testimony of two men from two separate sides, so collusion between them is impossible.
The students : : Heh.
The Shaykh : This is the greatest evidence.
When a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not permissible for anyone to see of her except this and this.
إن المرأة إذا بلغت سن المحيض لم يصلح أن يُرى منها إلا هذا وهذاnot expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof
ولا يبدين زينتهن إلا ما ظهر منهاfrom [one who is] Wise and Acquainted.
من لدن حكيم خبيرThe questioner : In this issue, O Shaykh, if I think that the common person does not believe the scholar in such a matter?
Answer: The common person who has no inclination believes, but the one who has an inclination argues. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you, O Shaykh. Some people, when they travel to countries outside the Kingdom, if a woman covers her face, she is subject to surveillance and there are issues with it. And some people are also confused whether to follow the scholars here or the scholars there?
The Shaykh : Have you seen this? Have you seen it?
The questioner : No, it is not present, but someone told me...
The Shaykh : I am asking you, have you seen it or not? Say yes or no.
The questioner : I have not seen it.
The Shaykh: Okay, do not believe him. I was told by someone I trust that he was studying in Germany for a long period according to the study duration, and with him was his wife who veils herself as she veils in her country. He said that when people saw her, they distinguished her from others, even crossing the street out of respect for her. This was in Germany. I do not know about the rest of the countries. Did you understand?
The questioner : I saw this with my own eyes.
The Shaykh : You saw it with your own eyes?
The student: And I too, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : France and America are the two largest European countries. Yes.
The questioner : A school in Britain with the full Islamic hijab, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes, and nothing is said to her, but some people, and may Allah protect us, have an inclination and weakness. When they see people looking at this woman, they say this means they want to do evil things to her.
The questioner : No, O Shaykh, it has spread, praise be to Allah, everywhere now.
The Shaykh : The hijab? Praise be to Allah.
The questioner : There is no problem, but it is due to the weakness of personality.
The Shaykh : Yes, I was told, I heard on the radio, and I do not know the number, a large number of women demonstrated at the house of the American president, the White House, demanding the hijab. And praise be to Allah, we have the testimony of two men from two separate sides, so collusion between them is impossible.
The students : : Heh.
The Shaykh : This is the greatest evidence.