Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamu Alaykum!

Please forgive me as I am not trying to be disobediant, I have just been thinking about this hijab thing.

Alright, In the Quran, it says "And O Prophet, enjoin the believing women to restrain their gaze and guard their private parts and not to display their adornment except that which is displayed of itself (their face and hands), and to draw their veils over their bosoms and not to display their adornment"

Now when it says... *except that which is displayed of itself* How exactly does that tell you it means *Their face and hands*?

and also, in that paragraph it says "and to draw their veils over their bosoms and not to display their adornment" Now a veil is something that Covers the face, isnt it?(because when I think of a veil that a catholic bride wears when she is in church, it goes over her head and covers her face) So would that mean that a hijab that does not cover the face, is something that the woman shouldn`t be wearing? Because in the Quran it says Veil...unless veil can mean both, a face cover AND a head cover, but I am not so sure!

I just want to make sure, because I am reading a book, and the sister that wrote it was explaining the dress of a woman and she strictly said that she should only have both eyes or one eye showing, nothing else, and she should cover her hands as best as possible as well. But when I came on this site, I didn`t find anythiing that said the face HAS to be covered as well, Unless the woman is really pretty and the hijab doesnt work, or she is in the presence of alot of males that do not lowertheir gazes. Please help me with this. Thank you!

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Cover face in hijaab veil

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Now when it says... *except that which is displayed of itself* How exactly does that tell you it means *Their face and hands*?

Your Question:So would that mean that a hijab that does not cover the face, is something that the woman shouldn`t be wearing? Because in the Quran it says Veil...unless veil can mean both, a face cover AND a head cover, but I am not so sure!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 59:

O Prophet, enjoin your wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons. It is expected that they will thus be recognized, and not molested. Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Nur verse 31:

(O Prophet) enjoin the believing woman to restrain their gaze and guard their modesty, and not to display their adornment except that which is displayed of itself, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to display their adornments except before their husbands, their fathers, …….and also forbid them to stamp their feet on the ground lest their hidden ornaments should be displayed.

There are two opinions amongst the scholars in Islam as to what does the phrase ‘except that which is displayed of itself’ mean and include. One opinion is that it means the face and the hands may be left uncovered, and the other opinion is that the face also has to be covered, and only the hands may be left uncovered.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4092 Narrated by Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin

Asma, daughter of AbuBakr, entered upon the Messenger of Allah (saws) wearing thin clothes. The Messenger of Allah (saws) turned his attention from her and said: ‘O Asma, when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it does not suit her that she displays her parts of body except this and this’, and he (saws) pointed to her face and hands.

The most accepted opinion is that if the women covers everything except her face and her hands, she would be following the Command of Allah; and if she chooses to cover her face, then it would be considered purest and closest to the Command of Allah Subhanah.

The difference between the covering and leaving uncovered the face of a believing woman in ‘hijaab’ is not one between right and wrong, but rather between what is best and what is good. If the believing woman covers her whole body and chooses to leave her face uncovered, it is good, acceptable and in accordance with the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah; but if she covers her whole body including her face with a ‘niqaab’, it would be best and closest to the Command of her Lord.

Your Statement: I just want to make sure, because I am reading a book, and the sister that wrote it was explaining the dress of a woman and she strictly said that she should only have both eyes or one eye showing, nothing else, and she should cover her hands as best as possible as well. But when I came on this site, I didn`t find anythiing that said the face HAS to be covered as well.

Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, there is none who ever walked on this planet earth who feared Allah more, or worshipped The Lord more, or understood and implemented the Commands of The Lord more perfectly than the Last and Final Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws)…..and the Prophet (saws) guided that when a believing women reaches her age of menstruation, in the presence of her non-mehrams it would be incumbent upon her to cover a minimum of her whole body, except her face and her hands.

We reiterate again that the difference between the covering and leaving uncovered the face of a believing woman in ‘hijaab’ is not one between right and wrong, but rather between what is best and what is good. If the believing woman covers her whole body and chooses to leave her face uncovered, it is good, acceptable and in accordance with the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah; but if she covers her whole body including her face with a ‘niqaab’, thus leaving only her eyes exposed, it would indeed be best and closest to the Command of her Lord.

The allowance for the believing woman to leave her face and her hands uncovered in the ‘hijaab’ when in the presence of non-mehrams is evident from the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) to the believing women during their state of ‘ehram’ in pilgrimage:

Bukhari and Ahmad have related that the Prophet (saws) said: "A pilgrim woman must neither cover her face nor wear gloves."

Hadrat Aishah (r.a.) wore a dress that was dyed with ‘Usfur’ (red dye) while she was in a state of ihram, and she said: "A (pilgrim) woman must neither wear a veil to cover her face, nor gloves, nor wear clothes that are dyed with saffron or other fragrant dyeing material."

Related by Bukhari.

Thus in conclusion sister, a believing woman who fears Allah and covers herself completely and appropriately, leaving only her face and hands exposed would be within her legal limits of ‘hijaab’, and none who fears Allah should accuse her of being in violation of her Lord’s Commands of ‘hijaab’. And if a believing sister wishes to cover herself completely, leaving only her eyes exposed, the most one may say or claim is that her dress is best, purest, and closest to the guidance of her Lord. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan