Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: {And the women who have passed the age of childbearing...}
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Question:
A message was received for the program from Jizan, sent by our brother 'Abd al-Ghani Muhammad 'Abd al-Salam. We presented some of his questions in a previous episode, and in this episode he asks about the exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted in Surat al-Nur—after seeking refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan—: [al-Nur:60].
I ask His Eminence the Shaykh to be gracious and explain this noble verse.
Answer:
This noble verse refers to: elderly women whose desire for marriage has ended; there is no harm in their removing their outer garments, and they need not veil themselves as young women do, provided they possess this characteristic, as Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [al-Nur:60]. These are two conditions: that she is among the elderly, and that she is not displaying adornment that would attract men to desire her.
Then He explained that their chastity—even if they are old women—is better for them and further from fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). This clarifies several matters for us, among them: that a young woman has no right to remove her garment; rather, she must cover herself and veil herself, as Allah said : [Al-Ahzab:53], so that she covers her body, her hair, her face, and her extremities.
And so is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): [al-Ahzab:59]. The jilbab (outer garment) is what is thrown over the woman from above her head, with which she covers her body, in addition to the shirt she is wearing.
And so is His saying—(Exalted and Majestic is He)—: [Al-Nur:31]… the verse. So she must cover her adornment and not display her adornment except to her mahram (a relative one may not marry)—as Allah explained —and the face is among the greatest of adornments, and the hair is among the greatest of adornments. She covers her body, and she covers her hair, her face, and her extremities, except before her mahram, who is her brother, her paternal uncle, and the like.
As for the old woman who does not desire marriage and does not display her adornment; there is no harm in her removing the garment and the jilbab (the outer garment) that is on her, so that her face, for example, is visible, and her extremities, her hands’ extremities; there is nothing wrong with that. And some of the scholars of knowledge said: even the hair, which is the hair of the head, if she is not desired and is not adorned, and does not desire marriage, but just as Allah said —her chastity is better for her—even if she is advanced in age, even if she is not adorned and not displaying her adornment, even if she does not desire marriage; for every fallen thing has a picker-up. It is incumbent upon the old woman to be chaste, even if she is advanced in age, even if she is not displaying her adornment, even if she does not desire marriage, as our Lord said : [Al-Nur:60].
But if she reveals her face, or removes the jilbab (outer garment) she is wearing, and she is not displaying herself, does not desire marriage, and there is no fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in her, rather the signs of old age are apparent on her, such that men do not desire her, it is permissible for her to do so, by being uncovered in the face, without the jilbab (outer garment) that young women wear. But for her to wear the jilbab (outer garment), and to cover her face and her body, this is better for her, greater, more exalted in her right, and further from fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
A message was received for the program from Jizan, sent by our brother 'Abd al-Ghani Muhammad 'Abd al-Salam. We presented some of his questions in a previous episode, and in this episode he asks about the exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted in Surat al-Nur—after seeking refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan—:
And women of post-menstrual age who have no desire for marriage - there is no blame upon them for putting aside their outer garments [but] not displaying adornment. But to modestly refrain [from that] is better for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
وَالْقَوَاعِدُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ اللَّاتِي لا يَرْجُونَ نِكَاحًا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ يَضَعْنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّ غَيْرَ مُتَبَرِّجَاتٍ بِزِينَةٍ وَأَنْ يَسْتَعْفِفْنَ خَيْرٌ لَهُنَّ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌI ask His Eminence the Shaykh to be gracious and explain this noble verse.
Answer:
This noble verse refers to: elderly women whose desire for marriage has ended; there is no harm in their removing their outer garments, and they need not veil themselves as young women do, provided they possess this characteristic, as Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: :
And women of post-menstrual age who have no desire for marriage - there is no blame upon them for putting aside their outer garments [but] not displaying adornment
وَالْقَوَاعِدُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ اللَّاتِي لا يَرْجُونَ نِكَاحًا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ يَضَعْنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّ غَيْرَ مُتَبَرِّجَاتٍ بِزِينَةٍThen He explained that their chastity—even if they are old women—is better for them and further from fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). This clarifies several matters for us, among them: that a young woman has no right to remove her garment; rather, she must cover herself and veil herself, as Allah said :
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 وَقُلُوبِهِنَّAnd so is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):
O 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 يُؤْذَيْنَAnd so is His saying—(Exalted and Majestic is He)—:
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers
وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّAs for the old woman who does not desire marriage and does not display her adornment; there is no harm in her removing the garment and the jilbab (the outer garment) that is on her, so that her face, for example, is visible, and her extremities, her hands’ extremities; there is nothing wrong with that. And some of the scholars of knowledge said: even the hair, which is the hair of the head, if she is not desired and is not adorned, and does not desire marriage, but just as Allah said —her chastity is better for her—even if she is advanced in age, even if she is not adorned and not displaying her adornment, even if she does not desire marriage; for every fallen thing has a picker-up. It is incumbent upon the old woman to be chaste, even if she is advanced in age, even if she is not displaying her adornment, even if she does not desire marriage, as our Lord said :
But to modestly refrain [from that] is better for them
وَأَنْ يَسْتَعْفِفْنَ خَيْرٌ لَهُنَّBut if she reveals her face, or removes the jilbab (outer garment) she is wearing, and she is not displaying herself, does not desire marriage, and there is no fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in her, rather the signs of old age are apparent on her, such that men do not desire her, it is permissible for her to do so, by being uncovered in the face, without the jilbab (outer garment) that young women wear. But for her to wear the jilbab (outer garment), and to cover her face and her body, this is better for her, greater, more exalted in her right, and further from fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.