As part of the hijab, Is covering the face a must or does it depend on your interpretations.?

Question

Some say you have to, Some say you don't

What is your understanding of the Hijab for women?

Do you think it differs for how a person interprets the Quran and Hadith. And do you think it is an extreme interpretation or a correct one?

Answer 1

There is no doubt that the concealment of her face and the concealment of the places of temptations are one of the greatest aspects of modesty…

So if the woman is commanded to draw the veil over her head consequently, when it is compulsory to cover her head, then the compulsion of covering the face will be to a greater extent…

Because the face is the centre of beauty and temptation… if you think about it, we find that when people search for a beautiful person, they ask only regarding the face, if the face is beautiful, they don’t attach so much important to the rest of the body…

So how can it be that the Islamic law command the covering of the head and permit the face to be left uncovered?

Answer 2

024.031 And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of s*x; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.

I suppose, if Muslim men would respect women and be modest as slaves described in the above verse, then there wouldnt be any need for it. Then, Muslim women could feel empowered and we could live like civilized people. But, some Muslim men insist on living as those with attitudes in the age of Jahaliat. So Allah keeps his gift of scientific discovery, democracy and political freedom from the islamic world and bestows it on non Muslims who act more like Muslims were suppose to be.

Answer 3

Covering  face is not mentioned in Quran.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 4

As Muslim women, we should strive to be like the wives of Muhammad(Salla Allahu alahi Wa Salaam) in everything we do.  That means covering like crows.  The Prophet(Salla Allahu alahi Wa Salaam) told his followers(The Muslim Ummah) to follow the strong Hadiths.  The strong Hadiths are important because they tell us how to pray, how much to give in Zakat, how to do Hajj, and general guidelines that the Qur'an many not explain clearly.  And calling Aisha one of the mother of the believers a liar is haraam.  Aisha is NOT a liar.  She is responsible for recording many of the Hadiths in Bukhari.  The face is the first thing a man sees when he looks at a woman.  A woman's face is part of her Awrah and should be covered at all times when around non mahram men, including her cousins, as she is permissable to her male cousins for marriage.  How can one say the face is not  a source of tempation?  This is blaspheme and misguidance.

'A'isha radi Allah anha 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."(Hadith-Shahi Bukhari 6:282)

A'isha radi Allahu anha says: "(during Hajj in the state of Ihram) when the male should walk in front of us while in the company of Rasulullah(salla allahu alahi wa salaam), then we would drop our veils from the head over the face."

Narrated 'A'isha radi Allahu anha who said, "The riders would pass us while we were riding with the Messenger of Allah (salla alahu alahi wa salaam).  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."(Hadith-Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and ibn Majah, Narrated 'A'isha[In his work Jilbab al-Marah al-Muslimah, al-Albani states (p.108) that it is hasan due to corroborating evidence.  Also, in a narration from Asma(who was not the wife of Rasulullah (sallahu alahi wa salaam), Asma also covered her face at all times in front of men.)

A'isha radi Allahu anha narrated: "May Allah bestow His Mercy on the first Muharjirat (emigrants).  When  Allah revealed, '...and they should draw their Khumar over their Juyubihinna...', they (i.e. the women) tore their material and covered themselves  with it."(Shahih Bukhari) Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalanee, who is known as Ameer Al Mu'mineen in the field of Hadeedth said that the phrase, "covered themselves", in the above Hadith means that they covered their faces". [Fath al-Bari].

Jamai'athul Ulema Junbi Africa state that the proper opinion for the Hanafi madhab is that "A woman must be properly and throughly covered in a loose outer cloak which totally conceals her entire body including her face!" (This is from the Islamic Hijab by Jamai'athul Ulema p.12)

The Mufassireen, such as Al-Qurtubi, cite their Tafseer of the Ayah on Jilbab (Al-Azhab 33:59), that the Jilbab is: "a cloth which covers the entire body... Ibn 'Abbas and 'Ubaidah As-Salmanni said it is to be fully wrapped around the women's body, so that nothing appears but one eye or both eyes so which she can see." [Tafseer Al-Qurtubi].

Imam Qurtubi in his Al-Jamia li Ahkaul Quran states:

"All women are in effect covered by the terms of the verse which embraces Shari'a principle that the whole of a woman is 'Awrah' (to be concealed) -her face, body and voice, as mentioned previously.  It is not permissable to expose those parts except in the case of need, such as the giving of evidence..."

Answer 5

do you have to cover your feet?

Answer 6

Depends on who you talk to. Most ulama say it is makrooh.  

Answer 7

as far as i heard from scholars, both religious and linguistic, covering the face is not mandatory in Islam.

Answer 8

Well, depending on the Qur'an and even authentic Ahadith, there is no such thing, as I've seen, that says that covering the face is obligatory.

First, women are commanded in the following verse to dress modestly and to cover their bosoms with their Khimar. The word Khimar is interesting as they say that it was used to mean "head-covering" or "head-scarf" and that's why the Qur'an states it.

024.031 وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الإرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ وَلا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

024.031 And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of s*x; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.

Al-Qur'an, 024.031 (An-Noor [The Light])

Now, I must admit, that I just frown upon those who put their own words into the translations and thus imply something that wasn't necessarily implied in the verse itself. Some people, when reaching the expression "that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof", they put in two parentheses (palms of hands, one eye or two eyes for seeing the road!!!). From where did they get that?! It is NOT in the verse.

However, the Arabic word is "Khumurihinna" which is the plural of "Khimar" and means a head-cover so the meaning of the verse appears to be "and that they should draw their head-scarves over to their bosoms" and thus implying the head and as well the chest.

Another verse tells women to wear something that would hide the figure of the body when they go out in order to be protected from molestation:

033.059 يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لأزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

033.059 O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Al-Qur'an, 033.059 (Al-Ahzab [The Clans, the Coalition, the Combined Forces])

Allah knows best.

Peace be unto you.

Answer 9

it depends on your interpretations

Answer 10

no u dont have to cover ur face  

Answer 11

no its not a must, in the quran it says to cover from your wrist to your ankles, and your hair, neck, and ears.

Answer 12

Hijab means that the woman is dressed modestly, with the body covered to the wrists and feet, the hair covered, and clothing not tight or suggestive.  The face is not covered.  Hadith are examples of behavior, and I don't think they need to be taken as law, but guides for good behavior.  There are stories of women covering their faces when traveling and meeting strangers.  In those days, it was a wise thing to do, as people were very unruly and warlike.  A pretty woman, no matter how modest, could be in danger.  I don't agree that the face is the center of temptation, as some people say above.  It is the way we see the true person shining through.  If a woman has a pure spirit and dresses modestly, her face will show that she expects respect.  To insist that she cover her face is punishing her for the bad intentions of people who see her.  Women are not to cover their faces during the hajj unless there is a specific reason for her to do that.  I would think that the dress of a woman making a holy pilgrimage would be acceptable to everyone.

Answer 13

the majority say its optional to cover face and i see it as that to cuz in the hadeeth the prophet pbuh said to cover all except at what he pointed and he pointed at the face and hands,

Answer 14

well actually u have to wear the Hijab ... but the niqaab(where u cover yur mouth and if u want yur nose too) depends on u.... 4 e.g. if u have on make -up wit the hijaab then u have to wear the niqaab too but there is no need 4 da niqaab if u have on no make-up

Answer 15

well it doesn't depend on *our interpretations.  But it does require for us to understand the two views and their proofs in the sunnah and follow the one we understand to be stronger in proof.

there is no disagreement that the prophet's family and women at the time of prophet wore the veil.

as Muslim we are to follow the religion as perfectly as we can by following the sunnah and therefore the niqab.

The diference comes with scholars in considering the niqab to be a must thing or better to do.  The hadith where the prophet told Asma to cover everything except the face and the hands is considered weak hadith by many scholars, yet scholar like nasiruddin al albaany considered it as a strong hadith because it was narrated by different chains of narrations.  This is the proof used by everyone who says the niqab is an option and only good to/better to do.  They consider it good to do it, because the women at the time of prophet practiced it.

The other scholars most of the time leave this hadith as weak and take all the other hadiths showing what the women in prophet's time did as soon as the verse about hijab was revealed (they teared part of their aprons to cover the face).  Also hadith saying how they covered the face when they were travelling and faced a caravan. and many other hadiths so to speak.

If you haven't chosen best answer by the time i log on next, I wil try to give you some of the hadiths, and links inshallah.  hope all the best in your search.

wa aleikis salaam wa rahmatullah

Edit: mashallah, sis wolf has posted up the hadiths already, therefore I won't post it again, but below are some links for farther reading inshallah.

wa aleikis salaam wa rahmatullah