The Ruling on Traveling to Lands of Disbelief for the Purpose of Study
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Q: I am a doctor who received a scholarship to go outside the Kingdom to complete my studies, but my wife objected because it is a land of disbelief, and how can she maintain her hijab? Is uncovering the face forbidden, especially since it is essential for entering any country?
A: It is obligatory for the believing woman to cover herself and wear the hijab; because the exposure of her face or any part of her body is a trial. Allah the Exalted said in His great Book: [Al-Ahzab: 53]. Thus, the Exalted clarified that the hijab is purer for hearts, and the lack of hijab is a danger to the hearts of everyone. And Allah, Glorious and Exalted, says: [Al-Ahzab 33:59] the verse [Al-Ahzab: 59]. The jilbab is what the woman places over her head and body so that she covers her face and body with it, in addition to ordinary clothing. The Exalted said: [An-Nur 24:31] the verse [An-Nur: 31].
Therefore, it is obligatory for the woman to cover her face and the rest of her body from the non-mahram, who is one who is not a mahram to her, due to the generality of the aforementioned verses; and because it is a trial and one of the clearest forms of adornment. However, there is no objection to wearing the niqab, which has an opening for the eye or the two eyes only. If she covers herself and observes the hijab from the believer, then from the disbeliever it is all the more so. Even if they disapprove of it, they may disapprove of it at first, and then come to know it after it is made clear to them that this is the Shari'ah in Islam.
A: It is obligatory for the believing woman to cover herself and wear the hijab; because the exposure of her face or any part of her body is a trial. Allah the Exalted said in His great Book:
And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.
وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّO Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلا يُؤْذَيْنَexcept to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons
وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّTherefore, it is obligatory for the woman to cover her face and the rest of her body from the non-mahram, who is one who is not a mahram to her, due to the generality of the aforementioned verses; and because it is a trial and one of the clearest forms of adornment. However, there is no objection to wearing the niqab, which has an opening for the eye or the two eyes only. If she covers herself and observes the hijab from the believer, then from the disbeliever it is all the more so. Even if they disapprove of it, they may disapprove of it at first, and then come to know it after it is made clear to them that this is the Shari'ah in Islam.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.