Details of the Scholars' Statements on Hijab

Our sister Sabirin al-Sughra from Libya sent a message containing a set of questions. First, she asks about the concept of hijab, saying: Is the concept of hijab wrong, and what is your opinion regarding a husband who forbids his wife from wearing hijab?
Answer: Hijab involves detailed rulings. As for her covering her hair and her entire body except the face and hands, this is obligatory according to the scholars. Likewise, the feet are to be covered according to the majority of scholars; she must cover them from men. This is not a matter of disagreement: that she covers her hair, her body, her chest, and her entire body down to the feet is obligatory for women in the presence of all non-mahram men, even her paternal cousin and even her maternal cousin who is a non-mahram. She must cover her entire body except the face and hands; this is where the disagreement lies. Likewise, there is a slight disagreement regarding the feet, and the position of the majority of scholars is that it is obligatory to cover them as well.
As for the face and hands, some scholars have disputed this, and some scholars have said: It is not obligatory to cover them from non-mahrams if the face does not contain adornments, no makeup, no kohl, and nothing of the types of beauty that a woman brings, meaning what attracts attention. Likewise, the hands, if they do not contain any jewelry. Some scholars have said: They are not 'awrah in this case, if the face does not contain what invites fitnah, such as kohl or other adornment, and the hands do not contain adornment either, such as jewelry or the like. This is the statement of some scholars.
The other statement is that they must also be covered from non-mahrams, and this is the stronger position. The evidence for this position is abundant; because the face is the woman's adornment and her title, in terms of beauty and ugliness. So it is obligatory to cover it except from mahrams or a suitor who wants to look at her. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted the suitor to look. As for anything else, it is obligatory to cover the face and hands out of fear of fitnah.
Among the evidence for this is His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Ahzab:53]. Although the verse is about the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the ruling is general unless there is evidence specifying them; and because the 'illah is general [Al-Ahzab:53]. If it is purer for the hearts of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then others are in greater need of it; because the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are more God-fearing and more perfect in faith than those after them. So if hijab is more God-fearing for the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and purer for the hearts, then those after them are in the greatest need of it.
And because the Lord did not make an exception, He did not say: "except the face and hands," but He stated it generally. Likewise, His saying, the Exalted: [An-Nur:31], and He did not say "except the face and hands," but He stated it generally. As for His saying at the beginning of the verse: [An-Nur:31], Ibn Mas'ud interpreted it to mean: the garments that a woman wears. As for what is narrated from Ibn Abbas and a group that the intended meaning is: the face and hands, this is a matter of consideration; because some scholars said: The intended meaning is: before hijab. Ibn Abbas's intended meaning was what was before hijab.
And others said: His intended meaning is after hijab. In any case, the statement of Ibn Mas'ud contradicts the statement of Ibn Abbas. When the two statements contradict, it is obligatory to adjudicate by the evidence and return to the evidence. And Allah says, the Exalted: [An-Nisa:59], and He says, the Exalted: [Ash-Shura:10]. So when we return to the Book of Allah and His ruling, we find Him, the Exalted, saying: [Al-Ahzab:53], and whoever makes an exception against the evidence. And likewise His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Ahzab:59]. And the jilbab is a garment that a woman throws over her head and body for covering, and the face was not excepted from that.
Thirdly: His saying, the Exalted: [An-Nur:31], the verse, and He did not except anything. It is known that the face is of the adornment, indeed it is the greatest of the adornment. So it is established by this that it is obligatory to cover the face and hands out of fear of fitnah.
Some may argue... some of those who permitted the face and hands with a weak hadith narrated by Abu Dawud from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: and he pointed to the face and hands. They said: This indicates the permissibility of a woman showing her face and hands. The answer to this hadith is from several angles:
The first angle: It is weak for several defects. The first defect is that it is not established from Aisha, rather it is munqati' (disconnected), because it is from the narration of Khalid ibn Daryak from Aisha, and he did not hear from her. And a munqati' hadith is not used as evidence, rather it is weak.
The second defect: In its chain is Sa'id ibn Bashir, and he is weak and not used as evidence by the scholars.
The third defect: It is from the narration of Qatadah from Khalid ibn Daryak, and he is a mudallis and did not explicitly state hearing from Khalid. And a mudallis who narrates with 'an (from) is not used as evidence. These are three defects.
And there is a fourth defect: The hadith does not explicitly state that it was after hijab. This matter may have been before hijab, before hijab was revealed. So if it were authentic, it would be revealing the face and hands; because women used to reveal their faces and hands before hijab. This was the case before hijab.
And a fifth defect, in my opinion, which is also sound: It is very strange that Asma, the wife of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, who is older than Aisha and who has understood the religion, the daughter of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, would enter upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in thin garments from which the 'awrah is visible. This is far-fetched regarding Asma. So it indicates an anomaly in the text, and that it is munkar (denounced) and not authentic; because her God-fearingness and her faith in Allah and her precedence in Islam and the migration, all of that necessitates that she be at the utmost distance from this characteristic. And Allah is the One to be sought for help. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah benefit you with your knowledge and may Allah reward you with good. So the husband who forbids his wife from hijab is mistaken, without doubt?
The Shaykh: Without doubt, he is mistaken. We ask Allah to guide him. He may be ignorant, so he is taught, and we ask Allah for his guidance. Yes, but she is not obligated to obey him The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Yes.