What is my duty if I see a woman uncovering her face? Should I admonish her if I do not know whether she is Muslim or a disbeliever? And if she is Muslim, I do not know whether she considers covering obligatory or not.
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The questioner : Shaykh Muhammad, there is no doubt that one of the conditions of enjoining good and forbidding evil is that one must be knowledgeable about the conditions: whether it is a wrong or not. Some people, if you go to the market, for example, and find a woman displaying her adornment and uncovering her face, say: It is not obligatory for you to forbid it, because she is not free from two states:
Either she is a Muslim, in which case she may consider the hijab not obligatory, or she is a disbeliever, in which case she is not originally required to wear the hijab. In both cases, whether she is Muslim or not, you are forced to see her face and so on. What is your opinion? Is what this person says correct or incorrect?
The Shaykh : No, this is incorrect, because sins are of two types:
One type that harms only its owner, so we leave him alone and his opinion, if he is qualified for independent legal reasoning.
And one type that harms others. There is no doubt that a woman uncovering her face does not limit its harm to herself; rather, it harms others, because people are tempted by her. Accordingly, you must admonish her, whether she is a disbeliever or a Muslim, and whether she holds this opinion or not. Admonish her. And if you do what deters evil, you are safe from it.
As for what harms only its owner, such as a man who smokes and says: I consider it permissible, I do not consider it forbidden, and my scholars say that it is lawful, then we leave him alone if he is a layperson, because the layperson’s statement is the statement of his scholars. So if he says: I consider it not forbidden, we leave him, because this harms only himself, unless it is medically established that it harms people by suffocating them or bothering them with its smell. In that case, we may prevent him from this aspect. So know this rule: sins are of two types:
One type that harms only its owner, so if we disagree with someone in our independent legal reasoning, we leave him alone.
And one type that harms others, so we prevent it because of the harm that extends to others.
But if there is a fear of a trial that is greater than her uncovering her face, then the greater of the two evils is averted by the lesser. That is, if you suppose that if you did this, you might be punished or dismissed from your position, or something similar that is expected, then do not engage in severe admonishment. By way of advice, if you see a woman uncovering her face with her guardian, hold back the guardian and say: My brother, this is not permissible, this is forbidden, this harms your family and harms others as well. Do so in the best manner, with gentleness. Do not speak to the woman herself, because there may be harm for you in that that is greater. Yes.
Either she is a Muslim, in which case she may consider the hijab not obligatory, or she is a disbeliever, in which case she is not originally required to wear the hijab. In both cases, whether she is Muslim or not, you are forced to see her face and so on. What is your opinion? Is what this person says correct or incorrect?
The Shaykh : No, this is incorrect, because sins are of two types:
One type that harms only its owner, so we leave him alone and his opinion, if he is qualified for independent legal reasoning.
And one type that harms others. There is no doubt that a woman uncovering her face does not limit its harm to herself; rather, it harms others, because people are tempted by her. Accordingly, you must admonish her, whether she is a disbeliever or a Muslim, and whether she holds this opinion or not. Admonish her. And if you do what deters evil, you are safe from it.
As for what harms only its owner, such as a man who smokes and says: I consider it permissible, I do not consider it forbidden, and my scholars say that it is lawful, then we leave him alone if he is a layperson, because the layperson’s statement is the statement of his scholars. So if he says: I consider it not forbidden, we leave him, because this harms only himself, unless it is medically established that it harms people by suffocating them or bothering them with its smell. In that case, we may prevent him from this aspect. So know this rule: sins are of two types:
One type that harms only its owner, so if we disagree with someone in our independent legal reasoning, we leave him alone.
And one type that harms others, so we prevent it because of the harm that extends to others.
But if there is a fear of a trial that is greater than her uncovering her face, then the greater of the two evils is averted by the lesser. That is, if you suppose that if you did this, you might be punished or dismissed from your position, or something similar that is expected, then do not engage in severe admonishment. By way of advice, if you see a woman uncovering her face with her guardian, hold back the guardian and say: My brother, this is not permissible, this is forbidden, this harms your family and harms others as well. Do so in the best manner, with gentleness. Do not speak to the woman herself, because there may be harm for you in that that is greater. Yes.