An Analytical View on the Ruling of Face Covering (Part 16)
The View of the Imams and Jurists of the Shafi‘i School
In the Shafi‘i school, there are three scenarios regarding the uncovering of the face and hands and looking at them:
First Scenario: If there is a fear of temptation (fitnah), or it is likely that it may lead to seclusion (khalwah), intercourse, or its preliminaries, then in this case, looking at a woman’s face and her uncovering it is unanimously forbidden (haram).
Second Scenario: If looking at the face and palms is done out of lust and the purpose is mere enjoyment—even if there is no danger of fitnah—in this case, too, uncovering the face is haram, and it is obligatory for the woman to cover her face and hands along with the rest of her body.
Third Scenario: If there is neither fitnah nor lust, then two opinions exist:
1. First Opinion: It is not permissible to uncover the face, even if there is no fear of temptation.
2. Second Opinion: If there is no fitnah and no lust, then it is not haram to uncover the face and hands.
However, the predominant and fatwa-given opinion in the Shafi‘i school is the first one: even in the absence of temptation and lust, it is haram for a woman to show her face and hands to non-mahram men.
Now, let us examine the statements and opinions of the Shafi‘i imams on this matter: 1. Imam Nawawi al-Shafi‘i (MABH), who lived in the 7th century AH, states in Rawdat al-Talibin: «ووجهه الإمام باتفاق المسلمين على منع النساء من الخروج سافرات، وبأن النظر مظنة الفتنة، وهو محرك للشهوة» Translation: The Imam stated that the Muslim scholars are in consensus that women must not leave their homes with uncovered faces, because non-mahram gazes at their faces can lead to temptation and stir up lust.
2. Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali al-Shafi‘i (MABH) said: «أن كشف وجه المرأة للأجنبي حرام وأن نهي الأجنبية عنه واجب» Translation: Uncovering the woman’s face in front of a non-mahram man is haram and forbidding her from doing so is obligatory.
3. Ibn al-Raslan al-Shafi‘i (MABH) reports: «اتفاق المسلمين على منع النساء أن يخرجن سافرات الوجوه، لا سيما عند كثرة الفساق» Translation: There is a consensus among Muslims that women should not go out with uncovered faces, especially when there is an abundance of immoral individuals in the markets.
4. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani al-Shafi‘i (MABH), who lived in the 7th century AH, said: «ولَم تَزَل عادَة النِّساء قَدِيمًا وحَدِيثًا يَستُرنَ وُجُوههنَّ عَن الأَجانِب» Translation: From the past until now, the custom of women has always been to cover their faces in front of non-mahram men.
5. Imam al-Mawza‘i al-Shafi‘i (MABH) stated: People’s practice throughout history, in all cities and Islamic countries, has been to allow elderly women leniency in matters of hijab. However, such allowance has never been granted to young women, and uncovering the face has been considered reprehensible. I do not believe anyone has issued a fatwa permitting a young Muslim woman to show her face without necessity. Likewise, it is not permissible for a Muslim man to look at a Muslim woman without a valid Shariah reason.
Based on these statements, the dominant opinion in the Shafi‘i school is that Muslim women must not reveal their faces to non-mahram men, even if there is no fear of temptation or lust.
The View of the Imams and Jurists of the Hanbali School
In the Hanbali school, the well-known opinion is that covering the face is obligatory for women. However, some scholars of this school have expressed differing views, which are detailed below:
1. The Well-Known Opinion: Obligation to Cover the Face
Prominent scholars such as Ibn Qudamah, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, and Ibn Najjar al-Fatouhi (may Allah have mercy on them) consider covering the face obligatory—especially when there is fear of temptation. This view is based on the interpretation of verse 31 of Surah Al-Nur and verse 59 of Surah Al-Ahzab.
1. Al-‘Allamah Ibn Muflih (MABH) quotes the statement of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (MABH): «وكشف النساء وجوههن بحيث يراهن الأجانب غير جائز» Translation: It is not permissible for women to uncover their faces in a way that allows non-mahram men to see them.
2. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (MABH) said: «ولهذا أمر النساء بستر وجوههن عن الرجال، فإن ظهور الوجه يسفر عن كمال المحاسن، فيقع الافتتان» Translation: Therefore, women were commanded to cover their faces from men, because the appearance of the face reveals the fullness of beauty and leads to temptation.
3. In the book Al-Mughni, it states: A free woman must cover her entire body, because her whole body is ‘awrah—except her face during prayer. However, outside of prayer, she must also cover her face and hands from non-mahram men.
4. Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) writes in Majmu‘ al-Fatawa: Wearing the niqab is obligatory for a woman, especially if there is a potential for temptation, because the face is among the adornments that Allah prohibited from being displayed in the Qur’an.
5. Ibn Najjar al-Fatouhi (d. 972 AH) says in Muntaha al-Iradat: If a young woman is not safe from temptation, it is obligatory for her to cover her face, as the face is the place of beauty and attraction.
2. The Less-Known Opinion: Covering the Face is Recommended (Not Obligatory)
Some Hanbali scholars believe that covering the face is not obligatory but recommended. They base this on the following:
• Ibn Qudamah in Al-Mughni, discussing a woman’s ‘awrah during prayer says: A woman’s entire body is ‘awrah except for her face. She must cover her body in prayer, but the face need not be covered, as it is excluded in both Hajj and prayer.
• Some jurists generalize this reasoning, stating that if the face is not covered during Hajj and prayer, then it need not be covered in other contexts either.
• Ibn Muflih (d. 763 AH) in Al-Adab al-Shar‘iyyah writes: Some women at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not cover their faces, which indicates that it was not obligatory.
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