Ruling on Uncovering the Face Before Paternal Cousins

Question:
We return at the beginning of this episode to a message received by the program from one of our female listeners in Al-Khobar. We presented her question in a previous episode, and in this episode she asks and says: What is the ruling on uncovering the face before some of the paternal cousins? This is because we all live in the same house, and it is difficult to cover the face. As for the rest of the body, praise be to Allah, it is covered, and I do not apply any kind of makeup on my face.
Knowing that we do not all eat at the same table; rather, the women are separated from the men. Likewise, we do not mix much, but only going up and down from the upper floor to the lower, and vice versa. We ask for your guidance.
May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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 those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
The evidences from the Book and the Sunnah indicate that the woman is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and it is obligatory for her to observe hijab (the covering prescribed for women) from those who are not her mahram (a relative one may not marry). It is not permissible for her to display her adornment to anyone other than her mahram, whether they are paternal cousins, maternal cousins, or others. It is obligatory to observe hijab from them, even if they are relatives, as long as they are not mahram. This is based on the saying of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) in His great Book: [Al-Ahzab: 53]. This verse is general and encompasses all women, even though the address was to the wives of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). However, other women are even more deserving of this. If the most pious of women were commanded to do this, then others are even more so.
Then He explained the cause that applies to everyone, saying: If it is purer for the hearts of the Companions, who are the best of this Ummah (the Muslim community) after the prophets, and purer for the hearts of the female Companions, such as the Mothers of the Believers and others, then others are in need of this purity, indeed they are in even greater need of this purity.
And He says (Exalted and Majestic is He) in another verse from Surat al-Nur: [Al-Nur: 31]. The adornment includes both apparent and hidden adornment. The greatest of it is the natural adornment: the adornment of the face, hair, arm, hand, leg, and foot, and the like. This is the adornment that tempts people. As for the adornment of clothing, it may tempt, but it is less than these things.
If this is displayed to those who are not her mahram, she must wear clothing that is not tempting. Likewise, in the markets, she should wear ordinary clothing that contains no temptation. But greater than that is the display of the natural adornment: the adornment of the face, or the hand, or the hair, or the leg, or the arm, or the foot. All of these require covering, because the verse is general: .
In the two Sahihs (al-Bukhari and Muslim), it is narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said (may Allah be pleased with her), when she heard Safwan reciting the words of grief upon seeing her during the journey when she was left behind (behind the expedition), thinking she was in the howdah: "When I heard his voice, I covered my face with my khimar (the head covering). He had seen me before the hijab was revealed, so he recognized me. When I heard his voice, I covered my face with my khimar." This indicates that the revelation of the hijab necessitates covering the face, and that it is to be covered.
In the Sunan, it is narrated from her (may Allah be pleased with her) that they were in the Farewell Pilgrimage, and when the men approached them, one of them would let her jilbab (the outer garment) fall over her face, and when they moved away, she would uncover it. This indicates that the face is something that is covered and is part of the adornment that must be covered. It is the greatest adornment of a woman; she is recognized by her face. If she is ugly, it is said: she is ugly. If she is beautiful, it is said: she is beautiful, based on her face. So it is the greatest adornment, greater than the hand, greater than the foot, greater than the leg, and greater than the hair. If covering the hair is obligatory, then covering the face is even more so.
As for the hadith that some advocates of unveiling rely on, which is the hadith of Aisha regarding the story of Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her), that she entered upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Aisha’s house, wearing thin clothes, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned away from her and then said: and pointed to his face and his two hands. It was narrated by Abu Dawud, and in some narrations from other than Abu Dawud: "and pointed to the half of the forearm." This is a weak hadith that is not authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). In fact, it is weak and invalid from several angles:
The first angle: The narrator from Aisha is Khalid ibn Daryak, and it is a munqati' (a report with a broken chain); he did not hear from her, as Abu Dawud (may Allah have mercy on him) and others said. A munqati' report is not a proof.
The second: It is from the narration of Sa'id ibn Bashir, who is weak, and his narration is not relied upon as proof.
The third: It is from the narration of Qatadah with an en'ana (a report missing the explicit statement of hearing), and Qatadah is a tadlis (concealment of a defect in a chain) narrator. His narration is not accepted when he conceals, except when he explicitly states that he heard it, except for what is in the two Sahihs. His narration in the two Sahihs is known and selected.
The fourth: Even if it were authentic, it would be understood to refer to the state of women before the hijab. They used to show their faces and hands before the hijab was revealed. Then Allah revealed the hijab, and they were prohibited from doing so.
Fifth: In its text, there is what indicates its anomaly (shadhdh). Because in the hadith, it says she was wearing thin clothes. Is it fitting for Asma to enter upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in thin clothes? She is the wife of her sister’s husband, and she is a woman of the most righteous women, the wife of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam. This cannot happen from Asma. In fact, her religion, her character, her modesty, and her faith prevent her from this, from entering upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in thin clothes that do not cover her. So it is not permissible to think this of Asma (may Allah be pleased with her and satisfy her).
These are five angles, all of which indicate the invalidity of relying on this hadith. Four of them indicate its inauthenticity, that it is not authentic. The fifth, even if it were authentic, would be understood to refer to what was before the hijab. And Allah is the guarantor of success. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.