THE INDISPUTABLE WUJOOB OF THE NIQAAB – BASED ON QUR’AAN & SUNNAH
THE NECESSITY OF FEMALES CONCEALING THEIR FACES FROM GHAIR MAHAREEM & IN PUBLIC
(Ghair Mahaareem: All males except those with whom nikaah is not permissible.)
Allah Ta’ala commands: “O Nabi! Say to your wives, your daughters and the women of the Believers that they draw over them their Jilbaabs (outer-cloaks). That (i.e. covering themselves with Jilbaabs) is the least (minimum requirement which they should adopt) so that they be recognized (as respectable and honourable ladies) and not be molested (by evil men)”. – (Surah Ahzaab, Aayat 59)
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said: “Woman is Aurah (i.e. an object of concealment). When she emerges (from her home) shaitaan casts surreptitious glances at her (to ambush her and manipulate her for fitnah).”
Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said: “The closest a woman is unto Allah is in the innermost corner of her home.”
Hadhrat Aishah (Radiyallahu Anha) narrates: “During the occasion of Hajjatul Wida when people passed near to us, we (the ladies) would draw the jilbaab over the head and the face. When they (the people) departed from us, we would open our faces”. – (Abu Dawood)
Allah Ta’ala has ordained the home-role for a woman. A woman is closest to Allah when she is in her own home – not at other places and not even in Allah’s House, i.e. the Masjid. However, despite her home-role, there might be certain valid circumstances of real need which compel her to leave her home. She may only leave her home for necessities which are deemed imperative in the Shariah. For example, she has to perform her Fardh Haj or visit her parents or due to illness she has to be taken to a doctor (female doctor is the first preference). In such circumstances, she needs to observe certain conditions which are Waajib upon her:
- She must be properly and thoroughly covered in a loose outer-cloak which totally conceals her entire body including her face. A Jilbaab is an outer sheet or cloak which during the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) was large enough to conceal two women. The way in which the ladies during the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and the Sahaabah wore the jilbaab covered them from head to feet including the face.Niqaab is a cloth which conceals the face and not a transparent veil. In a Hadith in Abu Dawood an incident is described in which a young man was martyred. His mother, wearing a jilbaab fully covering her face came into the battlefield to enquire about her son. With face fully covered she appeared in the presence of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). Some people were surprised to observe that the lady donned face-covering even during an emergency and on such a grave occasion. When she learnt of their surprise, the mother of the slain Sahaabi said: “My son is lost, but my shame and modesty are not lost”.Imam Ghazaali (Rahmatullah Alayh) mentions in Ihyaaul Uloom: “Women emerged (during the time of Nabi (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam)) with niqaabs on their faces”. The Niqaab will be explained in more detail further on.
- When circumstances compel her to leave the boundaries of the home, she is not allowed to apply perfume. This has been expressly forbidden by Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) who said: “Verily, a woman who applies perfume and passes by a gathering is like an adulteress”. – (Tirmizi) [Islam teaches women not to conduct themselves like prostitutes.]What then is Islam’s view of women who emerge from the home scantily dressed, adorned and decorated with perfume and jewels, showing off their bodies and charms to every Tom, Dick and Harry on the public roads? Such women are constantly under the la’nat (curse) of Allah Ta’ala, curse of the Malaaikah and the curses of all creation. This has been stated by Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam).
- She must not emerge in attractive garments. According to Islam, the dress of women also has to be concealed by an outer-cloak which should not be of attractive design. The aim of Hijaab is to make women as inconspicuous as possible. Attractive garments have the opposite effect. Attractive garments for women are confined to the home environment and for the pleasure of their husbands. Besides her home, all other places in relation to adornment are described by the Hadith as inappropriate places. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) criticizing women who adorn themselves for purposes and motives other than their husbands, said: “The likeness of a woman who is in adornment in a place other than her husband’s is that of the darkness which will prevail on the Day of Qiyaamah. There is no Noor for her”. – (Mishkaat) Negating attractive dress and exhibition by women outside the home, the Qur’aan states: “Do not make an exhibition (of yourselves) like the display of the former times of ignorance”. During the age of jaahiliyyah prior to Islam, immoral and lewd women paraded the streets displaying their adornment and finery.When Muslim women are obliged by circumstances (recognised by the Shariah and not by our feeble minds) to leave the home precincts, they should not imitate such evil ways of the kuffaar. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) ordered: “But, they should emerge in unattractive garments (should need force them to emerge)”. – (Abu Dawood)
- When they emerge on account of necessity, they must cast down their gaze and not stare audaciously nor cast surreptitious glances from behind the niqaab (face-covering veil). A niqaab is neither a license nor a cover for unlawful glances. The Qur’aan Shareef commands: “And, tell the believing women to cast down their gazes…” In this dignified and honourable manner Muslim women are permitted to emerge from their houses on account of genuine necessity.
THE NECESSITY OF THE NIQAAB
When a person requires a Shar’i Masalah, then the Masalah is obtained from the Kutub of the Fuqaha. Referring directly to Qur’aan and Hadeeth for deriving Masaail, is the sole function of the Mujtahideen.
Commenting on the aayat 59 of Surah Ahzaab, Abu Bakr Jassaas says: “In this verse is the indication that young women have been commanded to conceal their faces from strange males when they emerge.” [Ahkaamul Qur’aan]
Innumerable Fuqaha, Mufassireen, etc. have stated that this Aayat refers to women covering the face. According to all four Math-habs, women must conceal their faces from Ghair-Mahram men. Here are a few quotes from the four Mathaahib:
- Hanafi Math-hab: “It is mentioned in Al-Muntaqaa that women will be prohibited from exposing their faces so that it does not lead to Fitnah. And in our era, it is Waajib to prohibit them (from exposing their faces) – in fact it is Fardh due to the preponderance of Fasaad.” [Majma’ul Anhur] The Honourable Faqeeh was speaking about 400 years ago. Today, it is much worse! The Wujoob of females covering their faces appears in innumerable Kutub.
- Maaliki Math-hab:“And verily the two (i.e. face and palms) are not Aurah, even though it is Waajib to conceal them (i.e. the face and palms) due to the fear of Fitnah.” [Jawaaahirul Ikleel – Haashiyaa Saawi & other Maaliki Kutub]
- Shaafi Math-hab: “Yes, that woman who is certain of the gaze of a strange man falling on her, it is incumbent upon her to cover her face from him (i.e. the Ghair-Mahram man). Otherwise (if she does not conceal her face), then she will be assisting him towards Haraam. Thus, she will be committing a sin.” [Tuhfatul Muhtaaj] The Wujoob of females covering their faces is mentioned in Nihaayatul Muhtaaj and many other Shaafi Kutub as well.
- Hambali Math-hab: “And the face is Aurah outside Salaah as far as gazes (of ghair-Mahram men) are concerned just like the rest of the body.” [Al-Iqnaa’ and other Hambali Kutub] In fact, Imaam Ahmed Bin Hambal has mentioned that even the finger-nail of a woman is Aurah (i.e. it is Waajib to conceal). What then should be deduced regarding the face???
The scope of this article precludes us from presenting all the Qur’aanic Aayaat, Ahaadeeth, names and quotes of the authorities of the Shariah which prove that women should cover their faces. The Aimmah-e-Mujtahideen, Fuqaha of the four Math-habs, Muhadditheen, Mufassireen, etc. have mentioned that it is Waajib upon women to conceal their faces from ghair-Mahram men. Their consensus is sufficient for the sincere seeker of the truth.
MISINTERPRETING HADEETH & QUR’AAN – THE SHAITAANI FUNCTION AND JOB OF THE MODERNIST ZINDEEQS, MUDHILLEEN & MURTADDEEN
As explained earlier, we have no right whatsoever to refer directly to the Qur’aan and Hadeeth. It has been observed that miscreants and deviates are ‘referring’ directly to the Qur’aan and Ahaadeeth, tearing them crudely out of their contexts, submitting the Aayaat and Ahaadeeth to their corrupt personal opinions and stupid interpretations, and then consequently make themselves Murtads because of bending and mutilating the Qur’aan and Sunnah to conform to their whims and fancies. They conveniently ignore all the Aayaat and Ahaadeeth which prove the Wujoob of women covering their faces, but pick and choose like morons only what suits their Shaitaani desires. Thus, in this way, do they tread the path to Jahannam – Hell-fire!
The fundamental blunder committed by deviated morons is that they consider themselves capable of formulating a law by means of direct reference to the Qur’aan and Ahaadith. These ignorant Shayaateen are in no position to cite a Hadith and issue a fatwa on the basis of their corrupt understanding of the Hadith. These ignoramuses grab hold of a translation, cite a hadith and proclaim that specific hadith as the ‘fatwa’ to be followed. Undoubtedly, they are too duncical and arrogant to grasp and understand simple issues which appear irrational to their Kufr ideologies.
Their stupidity does not permit them any better understanding. There are many elements of Ilm to which narrations and Qur’aanic verses have to be submitted before a specific ruling could be formulated. But being ignorant of the various academic branches of Deeni Knowledge, ignoramuses and nutjobs acquit themselves most audaciously because ‘fools rush in where angels dread to tread’. Accordingly, they make pompous fools of themselves by displaying so blissfully their own jahaalat. Indeed, how stupid and ignorant are they not!
The whole aim and objective of these cranks is to forge a ‘basis’ – albeit baseless – for the hallucinated and imagined permissibility of discarding the Niqaab and for females to expose their faces to the immoral lusts of one and all. Without realising how immoral and shameless they are, they are incapable of understanding simple facts or they are downright stupid to accept or even realise the amount of evil Zina gazes – the precursors to the real act of Zina – girls and women attract from ‘Muslims’ and even non-Muslims which makes them qualify for the Divine Curse stated by Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam: “The curse of Allah, the Malaaikah and of all people is on a woman who removes her jilbaab (outer-cloak) in any place which is not the home of her husband.”
Furthermore, the Aayat of Jilbaab is conclusive. The Mufassireen have explained that this Aayat refers to women covering their faces. The quotes are just too many to mention in this brief article. The Qur’aanic Law is that women should remain at home and not emerge unnecessarily from their homes. Kindly view the following link for more details: https://jamiatnc.co.za/category/hijaab/.
Insha Allah, if Allah Ta’ala grants us the Tawfeeq, several booklets shall be prepared on the topic of the Niqaab, Jilbaab and the concept of Hijaab which will Insha Allah demolish the putrid and baseless arguments of the deviated modernists and the Shaitaani Zindeeqs.
ACCORDING TO THE QUR’AAN, THE SUNNAH, THE AIMMAH-E-MUJTAHIDEEN, THE MUFASSIREEN, MUHADDITHEEN, FUQAHA AND THE FOUR MATH-HABS, IT IS WAAJIB UPON FEMALES TO COVER THEIR FACES WHEN LEAVING THEIR HOMES AND TO CONCEAL THEIR FACES FROM GHAIR MAHAAREEM. THERE IS COMPLETE CONSENSUS ON THIS MASALAH.
MAY ALLAH GRANT US ALL THE TAWFEEQ TO UPHOLD THE LAWS OF HIJAAB. MAY ALLAH REWARD THOSE WHO OBSERVE PROPER SHAR’I HIJAAB. AAMEEN