What is the ruling on the statement that a woman's face is not an awrah (part of the body that must be covered)?

Question:
Some scholars say that the face is not part of the awrah (part of the body that must be covered).

Answer:
This is a weak, weaker position; it is an error.
Q: And they cite some hadiths as evidence?
A: No, the hadith is about the woman in the state of ihram (the consecrated state of pilgrimage). She does not wear the niqab (the face veil) that reveals the eyes, but she covers her face with something other than the niqab. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "When men passed by us while we were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during the Farewell Pilgrimage, one of us would lower her khimar (the head covering) over her face, and when they had passed, we would uncover it." So the woman is forbidden from covering herself with the burqu' that reveals the eyes, which is the niqab (the face veil), but there is nothing wrong with covering it with something else. Similarly, the woman is forbidden from wearing gloves on her hands, but she covers her hands with something other than gloves, such as the abaya or the jilbab (the outer garment). And the man is forbidden from covering his body with a shirt, but he covers his body with the izar and the rida, and he does not cover it with a shirt or trousers.