Ruling on a woman uncovering her face and hands for the sake of studying

The first message we received is from the listener: Mona Muhammad Musa from Sudan. She says in her message: I am a girl who wears the niqab, but in Sudan they do not accept from us covering the face in school; rather, they prevent the student from education, and they prevent us from wearing the black jilbab during studies. What is the ruling on showing the face and hands in school, knowing that the teachers are men, and if we leave school we will be illiterate? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon whoever follows his guidance.
As for what follows: There is no doubt that education is a necessary matter that is obligatory for the man and the woman to learn what they cannot afford to be ignorant of, such as Islamic creed and knowing what Allah has made obligatory for everyone, such as prayer, zakah, fasting, and Hajj, and other things, and what Allah has forbidden for everyone. All of this is a necessary matter. It is obligatory for the rulers to facilitate education for the men and women of the people, and to oblige them to the command of Allah, and to prevent them from what Allah has forbidden.
As for exposing oneself, it is a matter in which the scholars have differed: some of them permitted exposing oneself, such as the face and hands, if there is no fitnah (trial) from adorning oneself with kohl or cosmetics that lead to fitnah. And some of the scholars of knowledge forbade that absolutely. This opinion is more correct and more apparent in the Islamic evidence; because Allah says: : [Al-Ahzab:53] This includes the female teachers, the female students, and all women. And He said: : [An-Nur:31] the verse.
And in the two Sahihs (authentic collections) from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is what indicates that the woman used to uncover her face before the hijab, so when the hijab was made obligatory, the woman covered her face. She said regarding Safwan al-Mu'attal when he saw her in the expedition of al-Ifk: She said: This indicates that they used to uncover their faces before the hijab, so when Allah revealed the verse of the hijab, they were ordered to cover the face. And so it is with the hands; because the hands are also an 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered).
So the conclusion is: It is recommended for the believing woman to strive in the hijab, even if she is a student, and she should not respond to whoever asks her to uncover; because that harms her and causes fitnah for her. And education can be in the house, and it can be through the women, even in a few days; because the intended purpose is knowing what Allah has made obligatory and what He has forbidden. So if that is facilitated through the women in the house, then that is the obligatory thing.
As for their mixing with the young men with uncovering, this is a great abomination that is not permissible; because it causes much fitnah. So the mixing between the young man and the young woman in the study desks is an abomination, and uncovering the hijab and not covering oneself is another abomination in the most correct of the opinions of the scholars.
So it is obligatory for the female students to stay away from this matter, even if they do not learn, if learning requires mixing with the young men in the study desks, or requires uncovering the hijab and not covering oneself. May Allah grant everyone guidance and success, and guide the rulers of the Muslims to what is in the well-being of the ummah (the Muslim community) and its salvation, young and old, men and women. And Allah knows best. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.