Ruling on a woman uncovering her face and hands
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Question:
A message has reached the program from one of our brother listeners. He says: I am the listener (D. L. M.), an Egyptian working in al-Khobar. Our brother says: Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi has a book titled *Al-Halal wa al-Haram* (The Lawful and the Forbidden), in the chapter on a woman displaying her apparent adornment. Abu Dawud narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that Asma bint Abi Bakr entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wearing thin garments, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) turned away from her and said to her:Sunan al-Bayhaqi 10:890 and pointed to his face and hands.
But I have heard from you that uncovering a woman’s face is forbidden. I hope you will guide me. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
We have previously drawn attention to this hadith and explained in a previous session, indeed in several sessions, that this hadith is not authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and that it is very weak from many angles. It is obligatory for anyone who mentions it in any book to clarify its weakness and that it is not suitable to be used as evidence; because there is a break and weakness in its chain that necessitates not using it as evidence and not relying on it. It is narrated by Khalid ibn Daryak from Aisha, and he did not hear from her, so it is a broken chain (mursal). A broken chain is not used as evidence by the scholars of knowledge; it is called weak.
In its chain there is a weak man named Sa'id ibn Bashir, who is also not used as evidence. In its chain there is Qatadah from Khalid, and he is a deceiver (mudallis) and he used the abbreviation (ta'annun). These are three defects. And a fourth defect: this hadith, if it were authentic, would be understood to refer to what was the case before the hijab; because before the hijab, a woman would display her face and hands, and then that was abrogated by the saying of the Exalted: [Al-Ahzab: 53], and by the saying of the Most High: [Al-Ahzab: 59], and by the saying of the Most High in Surat al-Nur: [Al-Nur: 31], the verse. So they have no right to display their adornment to anyone other than their mahrams, and the face is among the greatest of adornments.
It is thus known that mentioning this hadith without drawing attention to its weakness and to the fact that, if it were authentic, it would have been before the revelation of the verse of the hijab is an error. It was not befitting for anyone who mentioned it except to clarify its weakness.
And there is a fifth defect: it is that such an action is not thought to be done by Asma (may Allah be pleased with her); for she was a righteous, knowledgeable, and well-known woman, and she was Aisha’s elder sister, and she was the wife of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, a close companion (hawari) of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who is one of the ten promised Paradise. So it is not befitting for her, after the hijab, to enter upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in thin garments or with her face and hands uncovered. This is what clarifies the inauthenticity of this hadith, and that it has no basis, as previously explained, and that it is defective with multiple defects. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The presenter: So, is it better for the woman, in this case, to cover her face?
The Shaykh: This is what is obligatory for her. This is obligatory for her. The obligation is that it is a hijab; because the face is her title indicating her beauty or her ugliness. And it is established in the two Sahihs from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said, when she heard the voice of Safwan lamenting when he saw her as she had lagged behind the army, she said: So it is known by this that before the hijab, they used to uncover their faces, but after the hijab, they used to cover them. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you.
A message has reached the program from one of our brother listeners. He says: I am the listener (D. L. M.), an Egyptian working in al-Khobar. Our brother says: Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi has a book titled *Al-Halal wa al-Haram* (The Lawful and the Forbidden), in the chapter on a woman displaying her apparent adornment. Abu Dawud narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that Asma bint Abi Bakr entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wearing thin garments, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) turned away from her and said to her:
O Asma! When a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not permissible for anyone to see of her except this and this.
يا أسماء ! إن المرأة إذا بلغت المحيض لم يصلح أن يرى منها إلا هذا وهذاBut I have heard from you that uncovering a woman’s face is forbidden. I hope you will guide me. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
We have previously drawn attention to this hadith and explained in a previous session, indeed in several sessions, that this hadith is not authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and that it is very weak from many angles. It is obligatory for anyone who mentions it in any book to clarify its weakness and that it is not suitable to be used as evidence; because there is a break and weakness in its chain that necessitates not using it as evidence and not relying on it. It is narrated by Khalid ibn Daryak from Aisha, and he did not hear from her, so it is a broken chain (mursal). A broken chain is not used as evidence by the scholars of knowledge; it is called weak.
In its chain there is a weak man named Sa'id ibn Bashir, who is also not used as evidence. In its chain there is Qatadah from Khalid, and he is a deceiver (mudallis) and he used the abbreviation (ta'annun). These are three defects. And a fourth defect: this hadith, if it were authentic, would be understood to refer to what was the case before the hijab; because before the hijab, a woman would display her face and hands, and then that was abrogated by the saying of the Exalted:
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
وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ..It is thus known that mentioning this hadith without drawing attention to its weakness and to the fact that, if it were authentic, it would have been before the revelation of the verse of the hijab is an error. It was not befitting for anyone who mentioned it except to clarify its weakness.
And there is a fifth defect: it is that such an action is not thought to be done by Asma (may Allah be pleased with her); for she was a righteous, knowledgeable, and well-known woman, and she was Aisha’s elder sister, and she was the wife of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, a close companion (hawari) of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who is one of the ten promised Paradise. So it is not befitting for her, after the hijab, to enter upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in thin garments or with her face and hands uncovered. This is what clarifies the inauthenticity of this hadith, and that it has no basis, as previously explained, and that it is defective with multiple defects. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The presenter: So, is it better for the woman, in this case, to cover her face?
The Shaykh: This is what is obligatory for her. This is obligatory for her. The obligation is that it is a hijab; because the face is her title indicating her beauty or her ugliness. And it is established in the two Sahihs from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said, when she heard the voice of Safwan lamenting when he saw her as she had lagged behind the army, she said:
When she heard his voice, she covered her face, and he had seen her before the hijab
فلما سمعت صوته خمرت وجهي وكان قد رآني قبل الحجابThe presenter: May Allah bless you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.