بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Summary of the issue
Imām Ibn Qudāmah said: “… the free woman is entirely ‘awrah except for her face and hands.” (Sharh al-‘Umdah 2/260)
Ibn Rushd said: “And the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that her entire body is ‘awrah except for the face and the hands.” (Sharh Bidāyat Mujtahid 3/1283)
Al-Wā’ilī said: “And the well-known opinion among the general body of scholars is that the woman is entirely ‘awrah except for her face and her hands. This is the opinion – as the author mentioned [i.e. Ibn Rushd] – of Mālik, al-Shāfi’ī, a narration from Imam Ahmad, and Abū Hanīfah, except that he also added the feet in another narration, which some of the Hanafīs considered weak.
(As for) Imam Ahmad here in this issue has three narrations:
The well-known narration with the majority: except the face and hands. The second only exempts the face. The third: all of her is ‘awrah.” (Sharh Bidāyat Mujtahid 3/1284-1285)
Imām Hāfidh ibn ‘Abdul-Barr said: “…due to the consensus (ijmā’) of the scholars that a woman may pray the prescribed prayer with her hands and face uncovered… they reached consensus that she does not pray while wearing a face veil, nor is she required to wear gloves in prayer. In this are the clearest proofs that these parts of her are not ‘awrah.” (al-Tamhīd 4/339)
Evidence that the face and hands are not awrah
Hadīth 1.
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ – رضي الله عنه -، عَنِ النَّبيِّ – (ﷺ) – أنه قَالَ: “وَلَا تَنْتَقِب المرأةُ المُحْرِمةُ، ولا تَلْبَسِ القُفَّازينِ”
Ibn ‘Umar narrated from the Prophet (ﷺ) that he said: “And the woman in ihrām should not wear niqāb nor should she wear gloves.” (Sahīh al-Bukhārī 1838)
Imām Ibn Qudāmah said [explaining those who held the hands are not awrah]: “The first position: it is permitted to uncover (the hands)…And because it is forbidden for the woman in ihrām to cover them with gloves, just as it is forbidden for her to cover her face with a face veil, consequently they are not part of the awrah, like the face.” (al-Mughnī 1/671)
Hāfidh Ibn Qattān said: “If it is said: It has been narrated:
Yazīd ibn Ziyād from Mujāhid from ʿĀʾishah who said: “We were with the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) while we were in ihrām. Caravans would pass by us, and when they approached us, we would let down over our faces a portion of our head covering.”
We say: This is weak due to the weakness of Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād. Al-Bazzār mentioned this hadīth of his.
We also say: Even if it were authentic, it would not contain what prohibits the muhrimah (women in ihrām) from displaying her face, nor what makes it obligatory upon her to cover it, for there is nothing in it from the Prophet (ﷺ).”
[the verifier commented on this narration saying – in summary: “Also narrated by Abū Dāwūd in Kitāb al-Manāsik, chapter “The muhrimah covering her face”…its wording from Mujāhid from ʿĀʾishah…[the hadīth]…and likewise narrated by Ibn Mājah in Kitāb al-Manāsik…
…Al-Hāfidh al-Mundhirī said: “Shuʿbah, Yahyā ibn Saʿīd al-Qattān and Yahyā ibn Maʿīn mentioned that Mujāhid did not hear from ʿĀʾishah, and Abū Hātim al-Rāzī said: ‘Mujāhid from ʿĀʾishah is mursal (disconnected)…'” He said: “In its chain is Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād, and more than one has spoken about him…
…Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād is Kūfī, known as Abū ʿAbdullāh, client of Banī Hāshim. Yahyā ibn Maʿīn said: “Weak in hadīth, not used as evidence, not strong.” Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: “Not that reliable.” Al-Nasāʾī said: “Not strong.” Ibn ʿAdī said: “Among the Shīʿah of the people of Kūfah.””] (Ihkām al-Nadhar pg. 185-186)
Hadīth 2.
عَائِشَةَ : أَنَّ أَسْمَاءَ بِنْتَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ دَخَلَتْ عَلَى عن رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَعَلَيْهَا ثِيَابٌ رِقَاقٌ، فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا رَسُولُ الله (ﷺ) وقال: «يا أَسْمَاءُ إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ المَحِيضَ لَمْ يَصْلُحْ لَهَا أَنْ يُرَى مِنْهَا إِلَّا هُذَا وَهُذَا»، وَأَشَارَ إِلَى وَجْهِهِ وَكَفَّيْهِ .
Narrated from ‘Āishah that Asma’ bint Abī Bakr entered upon the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) wearing a thin garment. The Messenger of Allāh turned away from her and said: “Oh Asma’, when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not proper for anything to be seen of her except this and this,” and he pointed to his face and hands. (Abū Dawūd 4104. Declared Sahīh by Al-Albānī in his checking. Declared Hasan li-ghayrihī by Al-Arnāūt in his checking)
Ādhīm al-Ābādī said: “The hadīth contains evidence that the face and hands are not part of the ‘awrah…” (Awn al-Ma’būd 7/316)
Hadīth 3.
عن عائشة – رضي الله عنها ـ قالت: «كان رسول الله (ﷺ) يصلي الفجر، فيشهد معه نساء من المؤمنات متلفعات بمروطهن، ثم يرجعن إلى بيوتهن، ما يعرفهن أحد من الغلس
Āishah narrated “The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) used to pray Fajr, and believing women would attend with him, wrapped in their murūt (garments/cloaks). Then they would return to their homes, and no one would recognise them due to the ghalas (the darkness of the night at dawn).” (Sahīh al-Bukhārī 372, 578 and Muslim 645 and others)
Hāfidh ibn Mulaqqin said: “”no one would recognise them due to the ghalas“,… some said, (meaning) their individual identities would not be recognised… recognition (al-ma’rifah) relates only to specific identities. If the intended meaning were to negate their being males or females, he would have said “no one would know them” because the judgment of masculinity and femininity relates to knowledge (‘ilm) rather than recognition (ma’rifah).
Al-Bājī said in al-Muntaqā: ‘This interpretation necessitates that they were uncovered in their faces, and if they were not uncovered, the niqāb and covering of the face would prevent their recognition, not the ghalas…'”(al-I’lām 2/234-235)
In a variant narration, collected by Abū Ya’lā in his Musnad – (#4493 – verification by al-Sinārī who declared it Sahīh. Al-Albānī also declared the isnād as Sahīh in Jilbāb al-Muslimah pg. 66)
أن عائشة، قالت: لو رأى رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – من النساء ما نرى لمنعهن من المساجد كما منعت بنو إسرائيل نساءها، لقد رأيتنا نصلى مع رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – الفجر في مروطنا، وننصرف وما يعرف بعضنا وجوه بعضٍ.
Āishah narrated: “If the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) had seen from women what we see, he would have prevented them from the mosques just as the Banū Isrā’īl prevented their women. Indeed, I saw us praying with the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) the Fajr prayer in our murūt (garments) and we would leave and none of us would recognise the faces of others.“
Hadīth 4.
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ : شَهِدْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ (ﷺ) الصَّلَاةَ يَوْمَ الْعِيدِ، فَبَدَأَ بِالصَّلَاةِ قَبْلَ الْخُطْبَةِ، بِغَيْرِ أَذَانِ وَلَا إِقَامَةٍ ، ثُمَّ قَامَ مُتَوَكِّنًا عَلَى بِلَالٍ، فَأَمَرَ بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، وَحَثَّ عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ، وَوَعَظَ النَّاسَ ، وَذَكَّرَهُمْ، ثُمَّ مَضَى، حَتَّى أَتَى النِّسَاءَ، فَوَعَظَهُنَّ وَذَكَرَهُنَّ ، فَقَالَ : «تَصَدَّقْنَ، فَإِنَّ أَكْثَرَكُنَّ حَطَبُ جَهَنَّمَ» فَقَامَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ سِطَةِ النِّسَاءِ سَفْعَاءُ الْخَدَّيْنِ، فَقَالَتْ: لِمَ؟ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ! قَالَ : لِأَنَّكُنَّ تُكْثِرْنَ الشَّكَاةَ، وَتَكْفُرْنَ الْعَشِيرَ قَالَ : فَجَعَلْنَ يَتَصَدَّقْنَ مِنْ حُلِيهِنَّ، يُلْقِينَ فِي ثَوْبِ بِلَالٍ مِنْ أَقْرِطَتِهِنَّ وَخَوَاتِيمِهِنَّ .
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh narrated: “I attended ‘Īd prayer with the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ), and he started with the prayer before the Khutbah, with no Adhân and no Iqāmah. Then he stood, leaning on Bilāl, and enjoined Taqwā of Allāh and urged us to obey Him, and exhorted and reminded the people. Then he went to the women, and exhorted and reminded them. He said: ‘Give charity, for most of you are fuel for Hell.’ A woman with dark cheeks, who was one of the best of women, stood up and said: ‘Why is that, O Messenger of Allāh?’ He said: ‘Because you complain a great deal, and you are ungrateful to your husbands.’ They started giving their jewelry in charity, throwing their earrings and rings into the cloak of Bilāl.” (Sahīh Muslim 885)
Al-Albānī said: “The hadīth is clear in indicating what we cited it for (i.e. the face and hands are not awrah that is obligatory to cover), otherwise the narrator would not have been able to describe that woman as being “dark-cheeked.”
If it is said: What you mentioned is very clear, but it is possible that this occurred before the obligation of hijāb, so it would not be correct to use as evidence except after proving its occurrence after hijāb.
Our answer to this is from two aspects:
1) : The apparent from the evidence is that it occurred after hijāb, and we have two hadīths regarding this:
The first: The hadīth of Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allāh be pleased with her) that when the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded women to go out to the ‘Īd prayer, Umm ‘Atiyyah said: “What about one of us who does not have a jilbāb?” He said: “Let her sister clothe her from her jilbāb.” (Sahīh al-Bukhārī 324, Sahīh Muslim 890).
In this is evidence that women only went out to ‘Īd in their jilbābs, and accordingly, the dark-cheeked woman was wearing a hijāb. This is supported by the following hadīth:
The second: Her hadīth also, she said: “When the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) arrived in Medīnah, he gathered the women of the Ansār in a house, then sent ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb to them…he said: ‘Will you pledge allegiance that you will not associate anything with Allāh, will not steal, will not commit adultery… (then) he commanded us to go out during the two ‘Īds – the mature women and those menstruating – and he forbade us from following funerals, and there is no Friday [prayer] upon us. So I asked him about the slander and about His saying: ‘and will not disobey you in what is good (ma’rūf).’ He said: ‘It is wailing (niyāhah).'” (Musnad Imām Ahmad, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibbān and others)
…the aspect of using it as evidence only becomes clear when we remember that the verse of women’s pledge of allegiance “When the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allāh…” [al-Mumtahanah: 12] was only revealed on the day of the conquest [of Makkah] as Muqātil said (“Ad-Durr” 6/209), and it was revealed after the verse of testing (imtihān) as Ibn Mardawayh narrated from Jābir (“Ad-Durr” 6/211). In al-Bukhārī from al-Miswar that the verse of testing was revealed on the day of al-Hudaybiyah, and that was in the sixth year according to the correct view as Ibn al-Qayyim said in “Az-Zād.” The verse of hijāb was only revealed in the third year, or it was said the fifth, when he consummated his marriage with Zaynab bint Jahsh, as in her biography in “Al-Isābah.”
So it is established from this that commanding women to go out to ‘Īd was only after the obligation of hijāb…
2) : If we suppose our inability to prove what we mentioned, it is undoubtedly clear among scholars that his (ﷺ) approval of a woman uncovering her face before men is evidence of permissibility. If the matter is so, then it is known that the principle is the continuation of every ruling as it was until something comes to indicate its abrogation and lifting. We claim that nothing of that sort came here; rather, what came supports its continuation and persistence, as you will see. Whoever claims otherwise must bring the abrogating evidence – but that is far-fetched!…” (Exerpts from Hijāb Mar’ah Muslimah pg. 33-34, with slight paraphrasing)
Hadīth 5.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كَانَ الْفَضْلُ رَدِيفَ النَّبِيِّ (ﷺ) فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ خَثْعَمٍ، فَجَعَلَ الْفَضْلُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا، وَتَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ فَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصْرِفُ وَجْهَ الْفَضْلِ إِلَى الشِّقِّ الآخَرِ، فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ فَرِيضَةَ اللَّهِ أَدْرَكَتْ أَبِي شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا، لاَ يَثْبُتُ عَلَى الرَّاحِلَةِ، أَفَأَحُجُّ عَنْهُ قَالَ “ نَعَمْ ”. وَذَلِكَ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ.
Narrated by ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās: Al-Fadl [ibn ‘Abbās] was riding behind the Prophet (ﷺ) when a woman from Khath’am came. Al-Fadl began looking at her [in a variant: “and a beautiful woman from Khath’am approached, so al-Fadl began looking at her and her beauty pleased him.”] and she was looking at him [in a variant: “Al-Fadl was a handsome man”], so the Prophet (ﷺ) kept turning al-Fadl’s face to the other side. She said: “The obligation of Allāh has reached my father as an elderly old man who cannot remain steady on the riding mount. Shall I perform Hajj on his behalf?” He said: “Yes.” And that was during the Farewell Pilgrimage. (Sahīh al-Bukhārī 1855 – see Fath al-Bārī 5/139 and Sahīh Muslim 1334)
In a variant collected by Imām Ahmad in his musnad (#1805):
“So I was looking at her, and the Prophet (ﷺ) looked at me and turned my face away from her face. Then I looked again, so he turned my face away from her face, until he did that three times while I did not stop.” (Ahmad Shākir said in his checking: this isnād is disconnected but the meaning of the hadīth is Sahīh 2/405)
Ibn Hazm said: “If the face were ‘awrah that must be covered, he (ﷺ) would not have allowed her to keep it uncovered in the presence of people, and he would have commanded her to let down a covering over it from above. And if her face had been covered, Ibn ‘Abbās would not have known whether she was beautiful or ugly.” (al-Muhallā 1/739)
Ibn Battāl said: “If it were obligatory for all women as a obligation, the Prophet (ﷺ) would have commanded the Khath’amī woman to conceal herself…
This hadīth (also) indicates that the believing women’s covering of their faces from other than their male relatives (mahram) is a sunnah, due to their consensus that a woman may show her face in prayer, and strangers may see it from her.” (Sharh Sahīh al-Bukhārī 9/11)
Al-Albānī said: “However, al-Hāfidh (Ibn Hajr) commented on it (i.e. Ibn Battāls statement) by saying:
“I say: In his using the Khath’amī woman’s story as evidence for what he claimed, there is a problem, because she was in ihrām (muhrīmah).”
I say: Not so, for there is no evidence that she was in ihrām. Rather, the apparent is the opposite. We have already cited from al-Hāfidh himself that the Khath’amī woman’s question to the Prophet (ﷺ) was only after stoning Jamrat al-‘Aqabah [this mention comes from a hadīth narrated by Alī ibn Abī Tālib in Al-Tirmidhī 885] meaning after ending ihrām. So al-Hāfidh had forgotten what he himself had verified (may Allāh have mercy on him).” (Hijāb Mar’ah Muslimah pg. 35-36)
Al-Albānī also added: “In this is also evidence that the mentioned covering is not obligatory upon a woman even if she is beautiful, but rather it is recommended for her as it is recommended for others.” (Hijāb Mar’ah Muslimah pg. 36)
Al-Albānī said: “this hadīth is among the clearest and strongest evidence that a woman’s face is not awrah. Because the story occurred at the end of his life and in his sight, which makes the ruling established and firm, it is a text with clear meaning for [interpreting] “to bring close upon themselves part of their outer garments (jalābīb)” and that it does not include the face. Whoever tries to understand the verse without seeking help from the Sunnah has erred.” (Hijāb Mar’ah Muslimah pg. 36)
Shaykh Al-Arnāūt said: “And the apparent meaning of these ahādīth [above] shows the permissibility of a woman uncovering her face and hands.” (Takhrīj Sunan Abū Dawūd 6/199)
Hadīth 6.
أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَابِسٍ، سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يَذْكُرُ أَنَّهُ شَهِدَ الْعِيدَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: وَأَنَّهُ – عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ – خَطَبَ بَعْدَ أَنْ صَلَّى، ثُمَّ أَتَى النِّسَاءَ وَمَعَهُ بِلَالٌ؛ فَوَعَظَهُنَّ وَذَكَّرَهُنَّ، وَأَمَرَهُنَّ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقْنَ، فَرَأَيْتُهُنَّ يُهَوِّينَ بِأَيْدِيهِنَّ يَقْذِفْنَهُ فِي ثَوْبِ بِلَالٍ
‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Ābis narrated: “I heard Ibn ‘Abbās mention that he witnessed the festival (‘Īd) with the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) and that he (ﷺ) gave a sermon after he prayed. Then he came to the women with Bilāl accompanying him, so he advised them and reminded them, and commanded them to give charity. So I saw them reaching with their hands, throwing it into Bilāl’s garment.” (al-Muhallā of Ibn Hazm 1/738, Sahīh al-Bukhārī 977,863, Sahīh Muslim 884)
Ibn Hazm said: “So this is Ibn ‘Abbās, in the presence of the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) who saw their hands. So it is established that the hand of a woman and the face are not awrah, and (as for) what is other than them – it is an obligation upon her to cover it.” (al-Muhallā 1/738)
Al-Albānī said: “I say: In his giving pledge of allegiance to the women in this story is evidence that it occurred after the obligation of hijāb, because it was only made obligatory in the third year, and the verse of pledge of allegiance was revealed in the sixth year, as was verified above. This is supported by what is mentioned in “Al-Fath” (2/277: 981) that Ibn ‘Abbās’s witnessing of the story was after the conquest of Makkah.” (Hijāb Mar’ah Muslimah pg. 39)
Hadīth 7.
عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ أَبِي حَازِمٍ ، قَالَ : دَخَلْنَا عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -فِي مَرَضِهِ فَرَأَيْتُ عِنْدَهُ امْرَأَةً بَيْضَاءَ مَوْشُومَةَ الْيَدَيْنِ ، تَذِبُّ عَنْهُ . وَهِيَ أَسْمَاءُ بِنْتُ عُمَيْسٍ
Qays ibn Abī Hāzim narrated: “We entered upon Abū Bakr – may Allāh be pleased with him – during his illness, and I saw with him a fair-skinned woman with tattooed hands fanning him. And she was Asmā’ bint ‘Umays.” (al-Tabarānī in al-Kabīr 359, Majmā Zawāid Dar al-Minhāj print 8936 – verifier declared the isnād as Sahīh. Authenticated by al-Haythamī)
Shaykh Al-Albānī said: “So this is Asmā’ bint ‘Umays, and she is a female Companion and wife of Abū Bakr, showing her hands in front of non-mahram men in the presence of her husband, and no one denounced this upon her. This shows that this (i.e. permissibility of showing the hands and face) was known among them….”(Hijāb Mar’ah Muslimah pg. 39)
Hadīth 8.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، – رضى الله عنها – قَالَتْ أَوْمَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ وَرَاءِ سِتْرٍ بِيَدِهَا كِتَابٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَبَضَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدَهُ فَقَالَ ” مَا أَدْرِي أَيَدُ رَجُلٍ أَمْ يَدُ امْرَأَةٍ ” . قَالَتْ بَلِ امْرَأَةٌ . قَالَ ” لَوْ كُنْتِ امْرَأَةً لَغَيَّرْتِ أَظْفَارَكِ ” . يَعْنِي بِالْحِنَّاءِ
Āishah narrated: “A woman gestured from behind a curtain with her hand, holding a letter to the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) withdrew his hand and said, “I do not know whether this is the hand of a man or the hand of a woman.” She said, “Rather, [it is] a woman.” He said, “If you were a woman, you would have changed your nails.” – meaning, with hinnāʾ (henna).” (Abū Dawūd 4166. Declared Hasan by Al-Albānī in his checking)
Hadīth 9.
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ كَانَتِ امْرَأَةٌ تُصَلِّي خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَسْنَاءُ مِنْ أَحْسَنِ النَّاسِ – قَالَ – فَكَانَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ يَتَقَدَّمُ فِي الصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ لِئَلاَّ يَرَاهَا وَيَسْتَأْخِرُ بَعْضُهُمْ حَتَّى يَكُونَ فِي الصَّفِّ الْمُؤَخَّرِ فَإِذَا رَكَعَ نَظَرَ مِنْ تَحْتِ إِبْطِهِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ { وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ }
Ibn ʿAbbās narrated: “There was a woman who used to pray behind the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ), who was beautiful, among the most beautiful of people. So some of the people would move forward in the first row so that they would not see her, while some of the (people) would move back until they would be in the back row. Then when (one of them) bowed, he would look from under his armpit. So Allāh, The-Mighty and Majestic, revealed: “And We have already known those among you who advance and We have already known those who stay behind.” (Sunan al-Nasā’ī 870. Ibn Mājah 1046. Al-Tirmidhī 3122. Authenticated by Al-Albānī in al-Sahīhah 2472 and Al-Ithyūbī in his Sharh of al-Nasā’ī 11/80 – refer to them as they contain invaluable insights and discussion! – from them:
Al-Ithyūbī said in explanation: “in the first row so that they would not see her“, these are the people of religion and piety, “some of the (people) would move back” meaning from the hypocrites (al-munāfiqīn), or the ignorant from the Arab (bedouins), and those weak in faith (al-īmān).” (Sharh al-Nasā’ī 11/79)
Al-Albānī said [refuting those who reject the authenticity of the hadīth by denying it’s text, claiming that it’s unreasonable that one of the worshippers would move to the back of the row to look at a woman]: “When a athar (narration) comes, speculation is invalidated. So after the hadīth is established (to be authentic), there is no room for rejecting what it contains of reality.
And if we opened the door of rejection merely for rational improbability, it would necessitate denying and rejecting many authentic ahādīth – and this is not the way of the people of Sunnah and hadīth, but rather it is the habit/methodology of the Muʿtazilah and people of desires (ahwā).
Then what prevents those people who stayed back from being among the hypocrites who showed faith and concealed disbelief? Rather, what prevents them from being among those who recently entered Islām and have not yet been refined by the refinement of Islām, nor disciplined by its discipline/etiquette?” (al-Sahīhah 2472, 5/612)]
Hadīth 10.
عَنْ جَرِيرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ عَنْ نَظَرِ الْفُجَاءَةِ. فَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَصْرِفَ بَصَرِي .وقوله : سألته عن نظرة الفجاءة ، فأمرني أن أصرف بصري
Jarīr ibn ‘Abd Allāh narrated: “I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about the sudden glance. So he commanded me to turn my gaze away.” (Sahīh Muslim 2159)
Qādī ‘Iyād said: “In all of this, according to the scholars, is evidence that it is not obligatory for a woman to cover her face, but rather that is recommended and sunnah for her, and it is upon the man to lower his gaze from her.” (Ikmāl 7/32)
Shaykh Al-Albānī said: “…In these ahādīth is evidence for the permissibility of a woman uncovering her face and her hands.” (Hijāb Mar’ah Muslimah pg. 41)
Hāfidh ibn al-Qattān said: “…turning away from what the apparent wording or story context indicates is not permissible except with supporting evidence that makes that turning into (a valid) interpretation (taʾwīl).
When there is no evidence, the turning away becomes arbitrary. Based on this, it is necessary to hold the position that the apparent meanings (of) these (ahadīth) demonstrate and support regarding the permissibility of a woman displaying her face and hands.” (Ihkām al-Nadhar pg. 209)
Tafsīr of Sūrah al-Nūr, āyah 31
Allāh says:
وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا
“And not reveal their adornment except what appears thereof.” (Nūr:31)
Narrated from ‘Ā’ishah – via the route of ‘Atā’ ibn Abī Rabāh – “except what appears thereof,” she said: “what appears thereof is the face and hands.” (Mawsū Tafsīr Mathūr 15/560)
Narrated by ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Abbās – via the route of Sa’īd ibn Jubayr – regarding His saying: “except what appears thereof,” he said: her face, her hands, and the ring.”
Similar was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar, Ibrāhīm al-Nakha’ī and Abī Sālih. (Mawsū Tafsīr Mathūr 15/561)
Narrated by Sa’īd ibn Jubayr – via the route of ‘Abd Allāh ibn Muslim – regarding His saying: “except what appears thereof,” he said: (it refers to) the face and the hands.” (Mawsū Tafsīr Mathūr 15/563)
Atā ibn Abī Rabāh via Abū ‘Amr about “except what appears thereof” – he said: (it refers to) the hands and face.” (Mawsū Tafsīr Mathūr 15/564)
From Hishām, he said: I heard Makhūl [al-Shāmī] saying: “the apparent adornment is the face and hands.” (Mawsū Tafsīr Mathūr 15/564)
Ismā’īl al-Suddī said: “except what appears thereof,” “meaning: except what appears in the face and hands.” (Mawsū Tafsīr Mathūr 15/565)
Al-Awzā’ī was asked about “and not reveal their adornment except what appears thereof.” He said: (it refers to) the hands and the face. (Tafsīr al-Tabarī 13/232)
al-Dahhāk said regarding His saying: “and not reveal their adornment…”He said: (it refers to) the hand and the face. (Tafsīr al-Tabarī 13/232)
Yūnus narrated: “and not reveal their adornment except what appears thereof.” Al-Hasan (al-Basrī) said: the face and clothes. (Tafsir al-Tabarī 13/233)
Muqātil ibn Sulaymān said: “and not reveal their adornment except what appears thereof,” “meaning: the face, the hands, and the place of bracelets.” (Tafsīr Muqātil 3/195)
Imām al-Tabarī said [after presenting the different interpretations of the verse]: “The most worthy of opinions in this matter regarding correctness is the opinion of those who said: what is meant by that is the face and hands.
We only said that this is the most worthy of opinions in this matter regarding correctness because of the consensus of everyone that every praying person must cover their ‘awrah in their prayer, and that a woman may uncover her face and hands in her prayer, and that she must cover what is other than that from her body… ” (Tafsīr al-Tabarī 13/233)
Imām al-Qurtubī said: “… since the predominant case with the face and hands is their appearance customarily* and in worship – that being in prayer and pilgrimage (hajj) – it is suitable that the exception (in this verse) refers to them…
… a woman should not display any of her adornment except what appears of her face and hands.” (Jāmi’ al-Ahkām 7/418)
[*T.N: al-Hāfidh ibn Qattān al-Fāsī said: customarily, meaning: what was the custom of those upon whom the Qur’ān was revealed and who conveyed the Sharī’ah from the Prophet (ﷺ) and who were present for the direct address, and those who adhered to that custom after them down through the generations – not the custom of women and others who expose their bodies and awrah – Nadhar fī Ahkām al-Nadhar 2/14, see al-Jilbāb Muslimah of Al-Albānī pg. 53]
Al-Hāfidh ibn al-Qattān said: “The meaning of the verse is: They should not display their adornment in its places to anyone from the creation, except what was customarily apparent during conduct.
Therefore, what occurs of its appearance and display without intending wanton display/showing off and exposing oneself to temptation (fitnah) – there is no blame in it.
By this (interpretation) occurs the distinction between what is apparent (dhāhirah) and appears customarily unless covered intentionally – like the face and hands, and what is covered/concealed unless it appears intentionally.
It is permissible for her to display the first category (i.e. the apparent – the face and hands) during states of conduct and ordinary activities, and it is not obligatory upon her to maintain its covering. It is prohibited for her to display the second category (i.e. what is to be concealed – the rest of the body) in all circumstances, and it is obligatory upon her to maintain its covering – even the feet likewise during walking…” (Ihkām al-Nadhar pg. 209-210)
Imām Makkī ibn Abī Tālib said: “And the statement of those who said: “It (refers to) the face and hands” is the best of them, because the scholars have reached consensus that a woman may uncover her face and hands in her prayer, and that she must cover what is other than that…
…so if that is permissible for her in prayer, it is known that it is not ‘awrah, and if it is not ‘awrah, it is permissible for her to show it, just as what is not ‘awrah of a man is permissible for him to show. So this would be from what Allāh – The Majestic – excepted.” (Hidāyah Ilā Bulūgh al-Nihāyah 6/3208)
Imām al-Sam’ānī said: “[after mentioning narrations from the salaf]… know that what is meant by adornment (az-zīnah) here is the place of adornment. Based on this, it is permissible to look at a woman’s face and hands without desire, and if he fears desire, he should lower his gaze.” (Tafsīr al-Sam’ānī 3/85)
Qādī ‘Iyād said: “The early salaf differed regarding His saying: {And not reveal their adornment except what appears thereof} [an-Nūr: verse 31]. A group of the salaf held that it (refers to) the face and hands.
Qādī Ismā’īl said: and this is what’s apparent, because a woman is required to cover in prayer every part of her that strangers should not see except her face and hands, so this indicates that it is permissible for strangers to see it, and this is the position of (Imām) Mālik.” (Ikmāl 7/32)
Imām Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr said: “…and upon the position of Ibn ʿAbbās and Ibn ʿUmar is the reliance of the fuqahāʾ (jurists) in this topic. So this is what has come regarding women and their ruling concerning concealment in their prayer and other than their prayer (i.e. that they can show their face and hands).” (al-Tamhīd 4/334)
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