The ruling on a woman covering her face
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Question:
The questioner: Your Eminence! This questioner is from Damascus, Syria. She says: Your Eminence! My question is about the niqab (face covering). What is its ruling in the Shari'ah? Is it one of the obligations imposed on the woman? Or is it merely preferable and better? Is there a disagreement among the scholars on this issue? I ask you to clarify this for us in detail, and may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The niqab, which is the hijab, is obligatory according to the correct view. There is a disagreement among the scholars, but the correct view is that it is obligatory for the woman to cover her head and to cover her face in the presence of a non-mahram, in the presence of non-mahram men; because it is a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). Exposing the face is a fitnah, so it is obligatory to cover it; due to the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [Al-Ahzab:53].
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that when she was left behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on one of his journeys, and she had gone to relieve herself, they departed, and they took her howdah with them, thinking that she was in it. When she came, she did not find them, so she lay down and slept, hoping that they would return to her. Then... Safwan al-Mu'attal passed by her. When he saw her, he recognized her, and he said: "To Allah we belong and to Him we return." She said: "When I heard his words, I woke up, and he had seen me before the hijab." This indicates that after the hijab, it became obligatory for them to cover their faces. The exposure was only before the hijab; and because exposing it is a means to great evil. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you and bless you.
The questioner: Your Eminence! This questioner is from Damascus, Syria. She says: Your Eminence! My question is about the niqab (face covering). What is its ruling in the Shari'ah? Is it one of the obligations imposed on the woman? Or is it merely preferable and better? Is there a disagreement among the scholars on this issue? I ask you to clarify this for us in detail, and may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The niqab, which is the hijab, is obligatory according to the correct view. There is a disagreement among the scholars, but the correct view is that it is obligatory for the woman to cover her head and to cover her face in the presence of a non-mahram, in the presence of non-mahram men; because it is a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). Exposing the face is a fitnah, so it is obligatory to cover it; due to the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) :
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 وَقُلُوبِهِنَّAisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that when she was left behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on one of his journeys, and she had gone to relieve herself, they departed, and they took her howdah with them, thinking that she was in it. When she came, she did not find them, so she lay down and slept, hoping that they would return to her. Then... Safwan al-Mu'attal passed by her. When he saw her, he recognized her, and he said: "To Allah we belong and to Him we return." She said: "When I heard his words, I woke up, and he had seen me before the hijab." This indicates that after the hijab, it became obligatory for them to cover their faces. The exposure was only before the hijab; and because exposing it is a means to great evil. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you and bless you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.