What is the ruling on a woman wearing gloves and the burqa that is placed over the face?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling on a woman wearing gloves and the burqa that is placed over the face?
The Shaykh : As for the gloves, they are among the customs of the women of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and they represent the perfection of covering and distance from fitnah (trial, discord or temptation).
As for the niqab, the women in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to wear the niqab. However, the women in our time have expanded the opening, so they do not restrict themselves to a small piece of cloth through which the woman looks. Rather, they have expanded it until they open a hole through which the eyebrows and perhaps part of the forehead, and perhaps the cheek, can be seen, along with the beautification of the eyes with kohl.
When they expanded it in this way, we stopped, and I mean myself, from issuing a fatwa permitting it. We do not issue a fatwa permitting it based on the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and expansion that results from it. Someone might say: Why do you not issue a fatwa permitting it when the women of the Companions did it?
I say that it is permissible to prohibit a permissible thing out of fear of falling into harms, just as the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), prohibited a man from taking back his wife after divorcing her three times in one sitting, even though taking her back was permissible in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Bakr, and two years of 'Umar's caliphate. But when people became lax and careless regarding the triple divorce, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) prohibited the man from taking back his wife, even though it was originally permissible for him to do so.
Therefore, I say: It is necessary for the people of knowledge to be scholars who educate, not just scholars who inform. You will find some people relying on the statements of jurists regarding a matter without looking at its consequences and the harms that result from it, and this is not permissible. Rather, a person should look at what results from this statement. Did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say to Mu'adh:Sunan Ibn Majah 4296Sahih (Darussalam), he said: Allah and His Messenger know best, he said: Sahih al-Bukhari 2856, then he said: O Messenger of Allah, should I not give the people good news? He said: , so he prevented him from spreading this great knowledge related to creed, fearing that people would become complacent and not work and not stand up to work. So how about a matter much less than that, where it is feared that much evil will result from it?
Therefore, I call upon our brother muftis to be scholars who educate, and to look at what results from a permissible thing. As for the obligatory thing, it must be declared and spread, and no one can keep it secret. But a permissible thing that opens for people a great door of evil—we go and inform people of it—what is the benefit? This is a point that many students of knowledge miss, which is looking at the consequences that result from issuing a fatwa on something that pressing need does not require.
The Shaykh : As for the gloves, they are among the customs of the women of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and they represent the perfection of covering and distance from fitnah (trial, discord or temptation).
As for the niqab, the women in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to wear the niqab. However, the women in our time have expanded the opening, so they do not restrict themselves to a small piece of cloth through which the woman looks. Rather, they have expanded it until they open a hole through which the eyebrows and perhaps part of the forehead, and perhaps the cheek, can be seen, along with the beautification of the eyes with kohl.
When they expanded it in this way, we stopped, and I mean myself, from issuing a fatwa permitting it. We do not issue a fatwa permitting it based on the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and expansion that results from it. Someone might say: Why do you not issue a fatwa permitting it when the women of the Companions did it?
I say that it is permissible to prohibit a permissible thing out of fear of falling into harms, just as the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), prohibited a man from taking back his wife after divorcing her three times in one sitting, even though taking her back was permissible in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Bakr, and two years of 'Umar's caliphate. But when people became lax and careless regarding the triple divorce, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) prohibited the man from taking back his wife, even though it was originally permissible for him to do so.
Therefore, I say: It is necessary for the people of knowledge to be scholars who educate, not just scholars who inform. You will find some people relying on the statements of jurists regarding a matter without looking at its consequences and the harms that result from it, and this is not permissible. Rather, a person should look at what results from this statement. Did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say to Mu'adh:
do you know what Allah’s right over His slaves is and what His slaves’ right over Allah is?
أتدري ما حق الله على العباد وما حق العباد على اللهAllah's right on His slaves is that they should worship Him (Alone) and should not worship any besides Him. And slave's right on Allah is that He should not punish him who worships none besides Him.
حق الله على العباد أن يعبدوه ولا يشركوا به شيئاً ، وحق العباد على الله ألا يعذب من لا يشرك به شيئاًDo not give them good news so that they become complacent.
لا تبشرهم فيتكئواTherefore, I call upon our brother muftis to be scholars who educate, and to look at what results from a permissible thing. As for the obligatory thing, it must be declared and spread, and no one can keep it secret. But a permissible thing that opens for people a great door of evil—we go and inform people of it—what is the benefit? This is a point that many students of knowledge miss, which is looking at the consequences that result from issuing a fatwa on something that pressing need does not require.