An Analytical View on the Ruling of Face Covering (Part 8)
2. Covering the Face Throughout History After the Age of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Covering the face after the age of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), during the time of the companions and Tabe’een, and throughout history has been a common and accepted practice among Muslim women. This is clearly supported by the following narrations and quotations:
1) Hazrat Jahfar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from his father: «أن عليا كان ينهى النساء عن النقاب وهن حرم ولكن يسدلن الثوب عن وجوههن سدلا» “Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) forbade women from wearing the burqa while in the state of Ihram; however, they would hang the veil over their faces.” This narration indicates that during the era of Hazrat Ali’s caliphate, women commonly wore the burqa and were accustomed to this practice. Their habit was such that they continued to hang the burqa over their faces even while in Ihram.
2) Allamah Hafez Ibn Hajar (died 852 AH) states: “The way of life for our past and present women has always included covering their faces in front of non-mahram men.”
3) Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali noted: “Men have always had their faces visible, while our women have veiled their faces.”
4) It appears that Muslim women also wore veils during the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, as indicated by various narrations.
5) During the Ottoman Caliphate, Muslim women donned full hijab with the burqa. Images of hijab and burqa worn by Ottoman women from the years 1900-1920 have been preserved and are available in historical sources.
6) It is documented that in 1919, French forces occupied the province of “Kahraman Marash,” located in southern Turkey. At that time, women were wearing veils (and Islamic hijab). One day, a French general observed women wearing veils in the street and demanded they remove their hijab, stating, “Your land is now under the rule of us Westerners and the French colony, so put aside your hijab!” The Muslim women refused to comply and did not remove their hijab. When the general attempted to forcibly remove the veils, he attacked them; one woman fainted, and others screamed for help. Market attendees gathered and threatened the French general, but he ignored their concerns. A man named “Imam Sacho,” selling milk nearby, felt a surge of Islamic zeal, seized the general’s weapon, and killed him, injuring his companion in the process.
7) Dr. Mohammad Arifi, a prominent contemporary scholar, states: “Covering the face has been a deeply rooted tradition among Muslim women throughout Islamic history. Photographs taken in various Islamic countries, such as Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, and Syria, have testified to this tradition. This indicates that Muslim women have consistently worn hijab and burqa covering their faces.”
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