The Ruling on the Niqab According to the Four Schools of Thought

حكم النقاب بحسب المذاهب الأربعة

The Ruling on the Niqab According to the Four Schools of Thought

Translated by: Reza Ervani bin Asmanu

This article, “The Ruling on the Niqab According to the Four Schools of Thought,” is included in the English Article Category

تعريف النقاب

Definition of Niqab:

يُعرَّف النقاب بأنّه: قطعة من القماش متفاوتة الحجم تغطي بها المرأة وجهها وتستره، باستثناء العين، يُقال انتقبت المرأة أي وضعت نقاباً على وجهها فأخفته عن الغرباء، وأحكام النقاب عند المذاهب الأربعة، كما يأتي:

Niqab is defined as a piece of cloth of varying size with which a woman covers and conceals her face, except for the eyes. It is said a woman “wears a niqab” when she places a veil over her face and hides it from strangers. The rulings on the niqab according to the four schools of thought are as follows:

حكم النقاب أمام الأجانب في المذهب الحنفي والمالكي

The Ruling on Niqab in Front of Non-Mahram Men According to the Hanafi and Maliki Schools:

ويُقصد بالأجانب من ليس بزوج للمرأة ولا محرم، بمعنى أنَّه غير مُحرَّم عليها الزواج منه، فهي تحلُّ له إذا تزوجها، فذهب الحنفية والمالكية إلى أنَّ وجه المرأة ليس بعورة، وبذلك فإنَّه لا يجب عليها النقاب أمام الرجال الأجانب، أي لا يجب عليها تغطية وجهها أمام من لا يحرم أن تتزوج منه من الرجال الأجانب.

By “non-mahram men” (ajānib), it is meant those who are neither the woman’s husband nor her mahram—meaning those who are not forbidden for her to marry, making it lawful for her to marry them. The Hanafis and Malikis held the view that a woman’s face is not considered ‘awrah, and therefore it is not obligatory for her to wear the niqab in front of non-mahram men; that is, she is not required to cover her face in front of men whom she is lawfully permitted to marry.

أدلة المذهب الحنفي والمالكي على إباحة كشف الوجه للمرأة

Evidences of the Hanafi and Maliki Schools for the Permissibility of Uncovering the Woman’s Face

استدل الحنفية والمالكية بما يأتي: قول الله -عز وجل-: (وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا)، فالآية الكريمة استثنت ما ظهر من المرأة، ومعنى ما ظهر منها أي ما دعت إليه حاجة المرأة إلى أن تكشفه وتُظهره، وهذان الأمران المستثنيان هما الوجه والكفين، وقد قال بهذا بعض الصحابة -رضوان الله عليهم-، وبعض التابعين -رحمهم الله-.

The Hanafis and Malikis deduced their view from the following: the statement of Allah Almighty: “And not to display their adornment except that which [normally] appears thereof.” (Surah An-Nur: 31). The noble verse excluded what naturally appears of a woman, which means that which necessity dictates she uncover and expose; these two exempted parts are the face and the hands. This opinion was expressed by some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and some of the Successors (may Allah have mercy on them).

بحديث أن أسماء بنت أبي بكر -رضي الله عنها-، دخلت على رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وعليها ثياب رقاق، فأعرض عنها رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم-، وقال:

They also deduced from the Hadith that Asma’ bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wearing thin clothes, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) turned away from her and said:

(يا أسماءُ إنَّ المَرأةَ إذا بلغتِ المَحيضَ لم يَصلُحْ أن يُرى منها إلَّا هذا وَهَذا، وأشارَ إلى وجهِهِ وَكَفَّيهِ).

“O Asma’, when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not appropriate that anything should be seen of her except this and this”—and he pointed to his face and hands. (Narrated by Abu Dawud)

بالقياس على الإحرام والصلاة؛ فقالوا أبيح للمرأة كشف وجهها في الصلاة والإحرام، ولو كان النقاب واجباً، لبطلت صلاة المرأة؛ لأنَّ الصلاة إذا فُقد أحد واجباتها؛ فإنها تبطل.

They also reasoned by analogy with ihram and prayer. They stated that a woman is permitted to uncover her face during prayer and ihram, and if the niqab were obligatory, a woman’s prayer without covering her face would be invalid, since a prayer becomes invalid if one of its mandatory conditions is omitted.

حكم النقاب في المذهب الشافعي والحنبلي

The Ruling on Niqab According to the Shafi’i and Hanbali Schools

ذهب الشافعية والحنابلة إلى أنَّ وجه المرأة عورة أمام الأجانب، وبالتالي يجب عليها أن تلبس النقاب، أي يجب عليها تغطية وجهها، واستدلوا بما يأتي:

The Shafi’is and Hanbalis held that a woman’s face is considered ‘awrah in front of non-mahram men. Consequently, she is obligated to wear the niqab, meaning she must cover her face. They deduced their position from the following:

قول الله -عز وجل-:

The statement of Allah Almighty:

(وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا)،

“And not to display their adornment except that which [normally] appears thereof.” (Surah An-Nur: 31).

ووجه دلالتهم هي أنَّ الزينة على نوعين؛ خلقية خُلقت مع الإنسان، ومكتسبة لم تُخلق مع الإنسان، والوجه من الزينة الخلقية التي خُلقت مع الإنسان. وكذلك الوجه هو أصل الجمال ومصدر الفتنة، وهو المُعبر عن جمال المرأة، والزينة المكتسبة هي: ما تتزين به المرأة من الحُلي والكحل والخضاب، فالآية الكريمة حرمت إبداء الزينة مطلقاً، وقد حملوا قول الله -عز وجل-: (إلا ما ظهر منها)، أي ما ظهر منها دون تعمُّد ودون قصد غير مؤاخذة به، أما إن كان عن تعمد وقصد؛ فإنها مؤاخذة به.

The nature of their deduction is that adornment is of two types: natural adornment created with the person, and acquired adornment not created with the person; the face is part of the natural adornment created with the person. Likewise, the face is the center of beauty and the source of attraction, serving as the expression of a woman’s beauty. Acquired adornment refers to what a woman uses to beautify herself, such as jewelry, kohl, and henna. Thus, the noble verse prohibited displaying adornment in general, and they interpreted Allah’s statement “except that which appears thereof” to mean what appears unintentionally and without deliberate purpose, for which she is not held accountable. However, if done intentionally, she is held accountable.

استدلوا بحديث جرير بن عبد الله -رضي الله عنه-، قال: (سألت رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- عن نظر الفجاءة فأمرني أن أصرف بصري)، ونظر الفجأة هو أن يقع نظره على المرأة الأجنبية بالخطأ من غير قصد ولا تعمد.

They also deduced from the Hadith of Jarir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about an accidental glance, and he commanded me to turn my gaze away.” An accidental glance refers to inadvertently looking at a non-mahram woman without intent or deliberation.

استدلوا بقول الله -عز وجل-:

They also deduced from the statement of Allah Almighty:

(وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعاً فاسألوهن مِن وَرَآءِ حِجَابٍ)،

“And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition.” (Surah Al-Ahzab: 53).

فالآية الكريمة تُصرِّح بعدم جواز النظر، وهذا الخطاب لا يختص بأزواج النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم-، بل يتناول سائر نساء المسلمين، وبالتالي يجب على المرأة لبس النقاب.

The noble verse explicitly indicates the impermissibility of looking directly, and this address is not exclusive to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but applies to all Muslim women; hence, it is obligatory for a woman to wear the niqab.

المراجع

References:

1. Muhammad Rawwas Qal’aji, Hamid Sadiq Qunaybi (1408 AH), Mu’jam Lughat al-Fuqaha’ (2nd ed.), Vol. 1, p. 486. Adapted.
2. Muhammad Rawwas Qal’aji, Hamid Sadiq Qunaybi (1408 AH), Mu’jam Lughat al-Fuqaha’ (2nd ed.), Vol. 1, p. 44. Adapted.
3. Muhammad As-Sabuni (1400 AH), Rawa’i’ al-Bayan Tafsir Ayat al-Ahkam (3rd ed.), Damascus: Maktabat al-Ghazali, Vol. 2, pp. 154–155. Adapted.
4. (Surah An-Nur, verse 31)
5. (Narrated by Abu Dawud, no. 4104, on the authority of Aisha, Mother of the Believers; authenticated by Al-Albani)
6. (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2159, on the authority of Jarir bin Abdullah; authentic Hadith)
7. Musa Lashin (1423 AH), Fath al-Mun’im Sharh Sahih Muslim (1st ed.), Vol. 8, p. 460. Adapted.
8. (Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 53)
9. Muhammad As-Sabuni (1400 AH), Rawa’i’ al-Bayan Tafsir Ayat al-Ahkam (3rd ed.), Damascus: Maktabat al-Ghazali, Vol. 2, p. 156. Adapted.

Source: mawdoo3.com