بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

الحمد الله

Forever we find the debate whether or not the ^cabayaħ and niqāb is obligatory. Inshā’Allāh in this article we shall know the correct answer to these two questions.

Two verses explicitly concerning this issue:

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ

“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna”[1]

يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ قُل لأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلاَبِيبِهِنَّ ذٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their Jalābibihinna all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allāh is Ever Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.”[2]

We know that not lowering the gaze for men and women is equally ḥarām as we learn from the ḥadīth:

Narrated Jābir bin ^cAbdullāh رضي الله عنهما, “I asked Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم about the sudden glance (that is cast) on the face (of a non-Maḥram). He commanded me that I should turn away my eyes.”[3]

And also the following ḥadīth:

The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said,

“Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads. They (the people) said, “O Allāh’s Messenger! We can’t help sitting (on the roads) as these are (our places) where we have talks.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said, “If you refuse but to sit, then pay the road its right.” They said, “What is the right of the road, O Allāh’s Apostle?” He said, “Lowering your gaze, refraining from harming others, returning greeting, and enjoining what is good, and forbidding what is evil.”[4]

And, we are also aware that illicit relationship with the opposite gender is also forbidden.  But the part of the ayaħ that is to be used to answer the question is, “and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna”

Inshā’Allāh, we shall study the meaning of these verses in detail using the classical books of tafsīr, aḥādīth, statements of scholars.

وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا

“…and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent…”

First Opinion:

It is farḍ for a mature, Muslim lady to cover her whole body and face. Mention of those who said that:

Tafsīr of the first ayaħ:

^cAbdullāh bin Mas^cūd رضي الله عنه said,

“Adornment (in this verse) is two types of adornment: the (externally) apparent from them are garments and the hidden ones are the two anklets and earrings.”[5]

^cAbdullāh رضي الله عنه said,

“It is the outer garment.”[6]

^cAbdullāh bin Mas^cūd رضي الله عنه said,

“It is the robe.”[7]

يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ قُل لأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلاَبِيبِهِنَّ

Tafsīr of the second ayaħ:
^cAlī bin Abī Ṭalḥaħ رحمه الله reported that ^cAbdullāḥ  bin ^cAbbās رضي الله عنهما said,

“That Allāh سبحانه و تعالى commanded the believing women, when they went out of their houses for some need, to cover their faces from above their heads with the Jilbāb, leaving only one eye showing.”[8]

Muḥammad bin Sirīn رحمه الله said,

“I asked ^cUbaydaħ As-Salmāni about the ayaħ (to draw their Jalābīb over their bodies.) He covered his face and head, with just his left eye showing.”[9]

Imām al-Qurṭubī رحمه الله writes,

“It was said that it was a veil.”[10]

Al-Ḥasan رحمه الله said,

“Cover half of her face.”[11]

Some aḥādīth concerning the opinion of covering the face:

Ḥadīth 1:

Narrated Safiyaħ bint Shaybaħ رحمه الله, ^cĀ’ishaħ رضي الله عنها used to say,

“‘When (the Verse): ‘They should draw their veils over their necks and bosoms,’ was revealed, (the ladies) cut their waist sheets at the edges and covered their faces with the cut pieces.”[12]

Ḥadīth 2:

Narrated ^cĀ’ishaħ رضي الله عنها,

“Allāh’s Messenger used to offer the Fajr prayer and some believing women covered with their veiling sheets used to attend the Fajr prayer with him and then they would return to their homes unrecognized .” [13]

In his sharḥ of this ḥadīth Shaykh Ibn ^cUthaymin رحمه الله said:

“This hadith makes it clear that the Islamic dress is concealing of the entire body as explained in this ḥadīth. Only with the complete cover including the face and hands can a woman not be recognized. This was the understanding and practice of the Ṣaḥābaħ and they were the best of group, the noblest in the sight of Allāh سبحانه و تعالى with the most complete Imān and noblest of characters. So if the practice of the women of the Ṣaḥābaħ was to wear the complete veil then how can we deviate from their path?”[14]

Ḥadīth 3:

Qatādaħ رحمه الله said,

“I was informed that the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said, ‘It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allāh and the Last Day to that she should uncover her hands until here.’ And he grasped half of a arm.”[15]

Ḥadīth 4:

Yaḥya رحمه الله related to me from Mālik رحمه الله from Hishām ibn ^cUrwaħ رحمه الله that Faṭimaħ bint al-Mundhir رضي الله عنهما said, “We used to veil our faces when we were in Iḥram in the company of Asmā’ bint Abī Bakr As-Ṣiddiq رضي الله عنهما[16]

Ḥadīth 5:

^cĀ’ishaħ رضي الله عنهما said,

“The riders would pass us while we were with the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه و سلم. When they got close to us, we would draw our outer cloak from our heads over our faces. When they passed by, we would uncover our faces.”[17]

Ḥadīth 6:

Narrated Anas رضي الله عنه,

Um Ḥarithaħ came to Allāh’s Messenger after Ḥarithaħ had been martyred on the Day (of the battle) of Badr by an arrow thrown by an unknown person. She said, ‘O Allāh’s Messenger! You know the position of Ḥarithaħ in my heart (i.e. how dear to me he was), so if he is in Paradise, I will not weep for him, or otherwise, you will see what I will do.’ The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said,

‘Are you mad? Is there only one Paradise? There are many Paradises, and he is in the highest Paradise of Firdaus.’ The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم added, ‘A forenoon journey or an after noon journey in Allāh’s Cause is better than the whole world and whatever is in it; and a place equal to an arrow bow of anyone of you, or a place equal to a foot in Paradise is better than the whole world and whatever is in it; and if one of the women of Paradise looked at the earth, she would fill the whole space between them (the earth and the heaven) with light, and would fill whatever is in between them, with perfume, and the veil of her face is better than the whole world and whatever is in it.’”[18]

Ḥadīth 7:

It was narrated from ^cĀ’ishaħ رضي الله عنها that Ṣafwān ibn al-Mu^caṭṭal al-Sulami al Dhakwāni رضي الله عنهwas lagging behind the army. She said, “He came to where I had stopped and saw the black shape of a person sleeping. He recognized me when he saw me, because he had seen me before Ḥijāb was enjoined. I woke up when I heard him saying ‘Inna Lillāhi wa inna ilayhi rāji^cūn (verily to Allāh we belong and unto Him is our return),’ and I covered my face with my Jilbāb.” [19]

Statements of ^cUlamā’ favouring the Opinion:

Ḥanafī madhhab:

Imām Abū Bakr al-Jassās رحمه الله writes in his commentary of the Qur’ān,

“The young woman has been ordered to cover her face from the stranger and displaying modesty and chastity so that the corrupt do not show desire for her.”[20]

Imām Sarkhasi رحمه الله states,

“The unlawfulness of looking to a woman is for fear of fitna (temptation) and the threat of fitnah comes from looking at her face, for most her attractive features are on her face, much more than any other of her limbs”[21]

Ibn Nujaym رحمه الله stated,

“Our Scholars have stated: The mature woman is forbidden from uncovering her face while amongst men, in our times, due to the fitnah!”[22]

Imām ^cAlā’ ad-Din al-Ḥanafī رحمه الله writes,

“The young woman will be prohibited from revealing her face amongst men.”[23]

Explaining this, Imām Ibn ^cĀbidīn رحمه الله writes:

“It means she will be prevented from revealing (it) due to the fear that men will see her face thus creating temptation…”[24]

Mālikī madhhab:

Qaḍī Ibn al-^cArabī al-Malikī رحمه الله said,

“And all of the woman is ^cawraħ; her body, her voice, and it is not permissible for her to uncover that unless out of necessity, or need such as witnessing (in court), or a disease that is affecting her body…”[25]

Imām Al-Abī رحمه الله records that the Māliki scholar Ibn Marzūq رحمه الله has stated that,

“The Mashūr (well-known) opinion in the Madhhab of Imām Mālik is that it is obligatory (wujūb) to cover the face and hands if there is fear of a stranger looking at her.” [26]

Scholars of the Shafi^cī madhhab:

Imām Shafi^cī رحمه الله said,

“There is consensus of the Muslims upon prohibiting their women from going out with their faces uncovered.”[27]

Imām Taqiy-ud-Dīn As-Subkī رحمه الله when he said,

“And what is the closest (in opinion), from what our companions have produced is that the face and the hands of a woman are ‘awrah in nadhr (i.e. looking) and not in the Ṣalāh.”[28]

Imām Muḥammad Aṣ-Ṣana^cnī رحمه الله says,

“And it is permissible for her to uncover her face whenever there is proof that she does not have to cover. What is meant by uncovering (her face and hands) in the Salah is that no Ajnabi (foreign, non-related, marriageable man) is looking at her, and this is the ‘awrah in the Salah. As for her ‘Awrah when an Ajnabi man is looking at her, then all of her body is ‘awrah.”[29]

Al-Ḥāfidh ibn Ḥajr Al ^cAsqalānī رحمه الله said,

“And it has not ceased to be a custom for women, from the older generations and the newer ones, to cover their faces from non-related men.”[30]

Imām Ibn Rislān رحمه الله said,

“The Muslims are in agreement that it is prohibited for women to come out of their homes while their faces are uncovered.” [31]

Imām Al-Juwaynī رحمه الله stated,

“There is agreement (ittifāq) of the Muslimīn upon the forbiddance of women coming out (of their homes) with their faces unveiled.”[32]

Imām Jalāl ad-Dīn as-Suyūṭī رحمه الله wrote,

“This is the verse of Ḥijāb regarding all women. In it is the wujūb (obligation) upon them of covering the head and the face.”[33]

Ḥanbalī madhhab:

Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal رحمه الله is narrated as saying,

“The nail of a woman is ^cawraħ. Thus if she leaves her home she must not show anything of herself, not even her Khuff (leather sock) as the Khuff shows the shape of her foot (i.e. skin tight clothing is, according to the Shariah, within the ruling of nakedness)”[34]

Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyaħ al-Ḥanbalī رحمه الله relates that the correct opinion for the Ḥanbali madhhab is that is is wājib to cover everything except one or two eyes to see the way.[35]

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyaħ رحمه الله, explaining the woman’s ^cawraħ said,

“The ^cawraħ is of two types: an ^cawraħ in the Ṣalāh (prayer) and an ^cawraħ in looking. So as for the free woman, it is (allowed) for her to pray while her hands and face are uncovered, and it is not (allowed) for her to go out in the markets and gatherings of people like that (i.e. it is not allowed for her to go out without the face and hands covered).[36]

Dhahirī madhhab:

Ibn Ḥazm al-Andalūsī رحمه الله stated,

“…And Jilbāb, in the language of the ‘Arabs that Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه و سلم spoke to us with, is what covers all of the body not just a part of it.”[37]

Second Opinion:
It is not farḍ but mustaḥabb for a mature, Muslim lady to cover her whole body and face. Mention of those who said that:

Tafsīr of the first ayaħ:

^cAbdullāh bin ^cAbbās رضي الله عنهما said,

“Eyeliner (koḥl) and the finger ring.”[38]

Similar was narrated from Sa^cīd bin Jubayr رحمه الله[39]

^cAbdullāh bin ^cAbbās رضي الله عنهما said,

“Apparent from it which are the eyeliner(koḥl) and two cheeks.”[40]

Sa^cīd bin Jubayr رحمه الله said,

“The face and hand.”[41]

Qatādaħ رحمه الله said,

“The eyeliner, bracelet (or bangle) and ring.”[42]

Some aḥādīth concerning the opinion that covering the face is not farḍ rather mustaḥabb:

Ḥadīth 1:

On the authority of ^cĀ’ishaħ رضي الله عنها, that Asmā’ bint Abī Bakr رضي الله عنهما entered the quarters of Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم wearing thin clothes. The Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم turned his face away and said,

“O’ Asmā’, if the woman reaches puberty, it is not allowed to be seen from her except this and this, and he pointed to his face and hands.”[43]

Ḥadīth 2:

Al-Faḍl bin ^cAbbās رضي الله عنهما rode behind the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم as his companion rider on the back portion of his she camel on the Day of Naḥr (slaughtering of sacrifice, 10th Dhul-Ḥijjaħ) and al-Faḍl رضي الله عنه was a handsome man. The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم stopped to give the people verdicts. In the meantime, a beautiful woman from the tribe of Khath’am came, asking the verdict of Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم. Al- Faḍl رضي الله عنه started looking at her as her beauty attracted him. The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم looked behind while al- Faḍl رضي الله عنه was looking at her; so the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم held out his hand backwards and caught the chin of al- Faḍl رضي الله عنه and turned his face (to the other side) in order that he should not gaze at her. She said, ‘O Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم! The obligation of performing Ḥajj enjoined by Allāh’s on His worshipers, has become due (compulsory) on my father who is an old man and who cannot sit firmly on the riding animal. Will it be sufficient that I perform Ḥajj on his behalf?’ He said,

‘Yes.’”[44]

Ḥadīth 3:

Jābir bin ^cAbdillāh رضي الله عنهما said: I attended prayer on ^cĪd day with Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه و سلم. He commenced with the prayer, before the sermon, without any adhān or iqāmaħ. Then he rose, leaning on Bilāl, and addressing those present before him, commanded them to fear Allāh سبحانه و تعالىand exorted them to obey him. He further admonished and warned them. Then he moved on until he came to the women whom he addressed saying,

“Give charity, for verily most of you are fuel for the hellfire of Jahannam, whereupon there arose from the middle of the women’s congregation, a dark cheeked woman who said, ‘Why is that Oh Messenger of Allāh?’ He صلى الله عليه و سلم replied, ‘Because you women make to many complaints, and refuse to acknowledge your husbands good treatment.’ Upon hearing this, the women began tossing their jewelry in charity upon Bilāl’s outspread cloth.” [45]

Ḥadīth 4:

Narated ^cAbdullāh bin ^cAbbās رضي الله عنهما, “A truly beautiful woman used to pray behind the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم. Some of the people used to go pray in the front row to ensure they would not see her. Others would pray in the last row of the men, and during ruku’ [or sujūd] they would look from underneath their armpits to see her. Because of this Allāh revealed, “And Verily We know those of you who hasten forward, and those who lag behind.” (15:24)”[46]

Statements of ^cUlamā’ favouring the Opinion:

Imām al-Qudūrī al-Ḥanafī رحمه الله writes,

“If she is in the presence of stranger-men (ajnabī, i.e. non-mahram men, viz. men other than her permanently-non-marriageable male relatives, such as father, brothers and sons.), or non-Muslim women, then her nakedness is all her body, except for her face and palms”[47]

Later on he writes,

“Thus, the hands and face are not nakedness, and it is lawful to look at them if one is immune from temptation. It is worth pointing out this does not grant a license for indiscriminate looking, for one will generally not know whether or not one will be allured by a woman’s looks before one has looked at her. In fact, even accidental glances should be brought in check as soon as one realizes them, for the gaze is one of iblīs’ poisoned arrows.”[48]

Conclusion:

Even though there is a difference of opinion of the issue of niqāb, all the ^culamā’ agree that covering the whole body for a lady is farḍ. Wearing jeans, pants, trousers, long skirts or shalwar kameez do not cover the lower part of the body properly. Nor wearing long shirts or blouses do. Thus, wearing an ^cabayaħ becomes farḍ as it is a loose garment which is one of four conditions of ḥijāb in clothing. The four conditions are as follows:

1)      Clothes should cover the whole body (With difference on face & hands. For male, from navel to knees.)

2)      Clothes must be loose and not tight

3)      Clothes must not be see-through

4)      Clothes must not have flourecent or flashy colours that attract attention of the opposite gender.

No clothing except an ^cabayaħ provides and fulfils all this condition and thus it becomes an obligation on every sane, mature, Muslimaħ to use it.

As for the niqāb, majority opinion seems to be on the side of first opinion i.e. towards its obligation whilst minority on its being mustaḥabb (recommended not obligatory). But, since there is a difference of opinion, being a students of knowledge we should respect that and try not to force our opinion on others if they follow the second opinion or vice versa. Personally, after examining the proofs, I have come to the conclusion that wearing of a niqāb for a Muslimaħ is farḍ. And, indeed, Allāh سبحانه و تعالى knows best.

May Allāh سبحانه و تعالى guide us to what is the Ḥaqq and save us from misguidance and grant us the Highest rank in Paradise. Amīn

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[1] Sūraħ an-Nūr, 24:31

[2] Sūraħ al-Aḥzāb, 33:59

[3] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

[4] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Būkhārī 8:74:248

[5] Jāmi^c al-Bayān Fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān 9:302

[6] Ibid(4 asanīd {chains of narration}from ^cAbdullāh (RA) are mentioned in the tafsīr mentioning the same opinion)

[7] Ibid

[8] Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-^cAẓīm 3:684

[9] Ibid

[10]Jāmi^c lī Aḥkām al-Qur’ān 14:215

[11] Ibid

[12] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Būkhārī 6:60:282

[13] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Būkhārī 1:8:368

[14] Ḥijāb, pages 12-13

[15] Ibid

[16] Mu’ṭā Imām Mālik, 20:5:16

[17]Sunan Abī Dawūd, 10:1829

[18] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Būkhārī 8:76:572

[19] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Būkhārī # 4141 & Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim # 2770

[20] Aḥkām al-Qur’ān, 3:458

[21] Al-Mabsūṭ, 10:152

[22] Al-Baḥr ar-Rā’iq Sharḥ Kanz ad-Daqā’iq

[23] Rudd al-Muḥtār ^cala Durr al-Mukhtār2:79(or78)

[24] Rudd al-Muḥtār ^cala Durr al-Mukhtār2:79

[25] Aḥkām al-Qur’ān 3:1579

[26] Jawāhir al-Iklīl Sharḥ Mukhtaṣar Khalīl

[27] Rawdāħ aṭ-Ṭalibīn 5:366

[28] Quoted by Imām Al-Khaṭīb Ash-Shirbinī in his Al-Mughnī Al-Muhtāj.

[29] Subul as-Salām Sharḥ Bulūgh al-Marām

[30] Fatḥ ul-Bāri 9:235

[31] Nayl al-Awṭār Sharḥ Muntaq al-Akhbār 6:114

[32] Tuḥfaħ al-Minhāj bi-Sharḥ al-Minhāj 7:193

[33] Istinbāt at-Tanzīl, 3:118

[34] Al-Furū^c 1:601

[35] Ḥijāb wa Safūr under the fatāwa of Ibn Taymiyyaħ on ḥijāb, page 10

[36] Tahdhīb as-Sunan and ^cIlām Al Muwaqi^cīn 2:80

[37] Al-Muḥalla 3:212

[38] Ibid

[39] Ibid

[40] Ibid

[41] Ibid

[42] Ibid

[43] Sunan Abī Dawūd 32:4092, ḥadīth is mursal and because of that ḍa^cīf

[44] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Būkhārī 2:26:559

[45] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 4:1926

[46] Sunan at-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth is ḍa^cīf

[47] Mukhtaṣar al-Qudūrī (English translation) page 134

[48] Ibid