Important Advice for Sisters Attending Uni & The Niqab

Here are two extremely important answers given by most beloved and dear Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim sahib with regards to the status of Niqab in Islam and the wearing of it in university.

Tafseer Raheemi

Question 1:
Assalamu-alaikum. A teacher of mine is of the opinion that veil/niqaab is optional. He says: this is to cater for those women who want to adopt such professional fields which may involve relating with others e.g. Doctors, dentists a business woman etc hence it is optional. As a result the vast majority of people here do not where veil. Furthermore, whenever i would attempt to speak on the issue of veil and its obligation , i am often attacked with comments such as : you are being fanatical or that is not within hanafi teachings and the face is no part of the awrah . Can you please comment on this?

Answer:

The veil is indeed obligatory in Islam. There is no doubt about it. A verse was revealed about it:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا 59
O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks round them. That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.

The event behind this revelation was when Umar Radhiyallahu Anhu requested the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam to order women to wear the veil. This hadith is in Bukhari:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّ أَزْوَاجَ النَّبِىِّ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – كُنَّ يَخْرُجْنَ بِاللَّيْلِ إِذَا تَبَرَّزْنَ إِلَى الْمَنَاصِعِ – وَهُوَ صَعِيدٌ أَفْيَحُ – فَكَانَ عُمَرُ يَقُولُ لِلنَّبِىِّ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – احْجُبْ نِسَاءَكَ . فَلَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – يَفْعَلُ ، فَخَرَجَتْ سَوْدَةُ بِنْتُ زَمْعَةَ زَوْجُ النَّبِىِّ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – لَيْلَةً مِنَ اللَّيَالِى عِشَاءً ، وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةً طَوِيلَةً ، فَنَادَاهَا عُمَرُ أَلاَ قَدْ عَرَفْنَاكِ يَا سَوْدَةُ . حِرْصًا عَلَى أَنْ يَنْزِلَ الْحِجَابُ ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ آيَةَ الْحِجَابِ بخارى – كتاب الوضوء – باب خُرُوجِ النِّسَاءِ إِلَى الْبَرَازِ – حديث 146 – ص 26 ج1 – قديمى كتب خانه

Likewise, there are other verses of the Quran and ahadeeth which show that the veil was to be worn and that all the Sahabiyyaat practised upon it: The women wore it and the men encouraged it. And this practice has been adopted from Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam’s era through the centuries until this age. Therefore, this is also classed under Ijmaa’ (the type of evidence where something has been agreed upon by all the learned people).

Even if a command is not given in the Quran, we must still act upon it because Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has commanded so, and Allah has instructed us to obey His messenger’s every command:

قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ آل عمران:31
Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

وَمَا آَتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ الحشر:7
And whatsoever the messenger giveth you, take it. And whatsoever he forbiddeth, abstain (from it). And keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is stern in reprisal.

وَحَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِىٍّ الْجَهْضَمِىُّ وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُوسَى الأَنْصَارِىُّ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ عَمْرَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ إِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- لَيُصَلِّى الصُّبْحَ فَيَنْصَرِفُ النِّسَاءُ مُتَلَفِّعَاتٍ بِمُرُوطِهِنَّ مَا يُعْرَفْنَ مِنَ الْغَلَسِ. وَقَالَ الأَنْصَارِىُّ فِى رِوَايَتِهِ مُتَلَفِّفَاتٍ. (مسلم – كتاب المساجد – باب اسْتِحْبَابِ التَّبْكِيرِ بِالصُّبْحِ فِى أَوَّلِ وَقْتِهَا وَهُوَ التَّغْلِيسُ وَبَيَانِ قَدْرِ الْقِرَاءَةِ فِيهَا – حديث 1491)
المتلفعات : مستترات الوجوه والأبدان
المروط : جمع المرط وهو الكساء من صوف وغيره

To say ‘that is not within hanafi teachings’ and other similar comments, disproving what Islam has said is totally wrong. One needs to be very careful in these matters, particularly when refuting what has been said in the Quran as this could lead to one losing his faith in Allah. It is important for us to remain steadfast on deen and endeavour to have faith like that of the Sahabah, who would say:

سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا البقرة:285
We hear, and we obey.

With regards to the face, it is not considered part of the ‘awrah. This is due to the mas’alah of salah, as she is allowed to keep her face and hands up to the wrists open during salah. The rest of her body is awrah and thus if any part of it is exposed the salah will be void.

But this does not mean that it is lawful to expose it in front of non-mahram males. To put it in an easier perspective, according to the laws of our countries the two main private parts and breasts for women are considered to be part of the ‘awrah. But you don’t see women going to work or other public places in a bikini on a daily basis. It is still considered inappropriate and most women would still feel ashamed to expose themselves that much. The reason why the face must be covered is that it is the most handsome and attractive part of the body and as such revealing it could lead to temptation, resulting in adultery.

( وَتُمْنَعُ ) الْمَرْأَةُ الشَّابَّةُ ( مِنْ كَشْفِ الْوَجْهِ بَيْنَ رِجَالٍ ) لَا لِأَنَّهُ عَوْرَةٌ بَلْ ( لِخَوْفِ الْفِتْنَةِ ) كَمَسِّهِ وَإِنْ أَمِنَ الشَّهْوَةَ لِأَنَّهُ أَغْلَظُ (الدر المختار)
الشَّرْحُ
قَوْلُهُ وَتُمْنَعُ الْمَرْأَةُ إلَخْ ) أَيْ تُنْهَى عَنْهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَوْرَةً ( قَوْلُهُ بَلْ لِخَوْفِ الْفِتْنَةِ ) أَيْ الْفُجُورِ بِهَا قَامُوسٌ أَوْ الشَّهْوَةِ ).
وَالْمَعْنَى تُمْنَعُ مِنْ الْكَشْفِ لِخَوْفِ أَنْ يَرَى الرِّجَالُ وَجْهَهَا فَتَقَعُ الْفِتْنَةُ لِأَنَّهُ مَعَ الْكَشْفِ قَدْ يَقَعُ النَّظَرُ إلَيْهَا بِشَهْوَةٍ رد المحتار

Question 2:
Can you shed some light on the need for our Muslim sisters to go more into the field of higher education in universities, to have Muslim women doctors, midwives, dentists and teachers in all subjects?

Answer:
Jazakallah for your detailed question which I have summarised. Please bear in mind that a lady is a wife and mother first and everything else second. Today we need good wives and mothers who care for their husbands and children fully and reap the rewards from Allah.

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam once saw some ladies approaching with children. He said:

حَامِلاَتٌ وَالِدَاتٌ رَحِيمَاتٌ لَوْلاَ مَا يَأْتِينَ إِلَى أَزْوَاجِهِنَّ دَخَلَ مُصَلِّيَاتُهُنَّ الْجَنَّةَ ابن ماجه ،كتاب النكاح، باب فِى الْمَرْأَةِ تُؤْذِى زَوْجَهَا، ص١٤٥، قديمى كتب خانه
“These ladies bear the child, give birth, then have mercy upon the children. If it was not for what they do to their husbands, they would definitely enter Jannah.”

In another hadith he, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said:

المرأة إذا صلت خمسها وصامت شهرها وأحصنت فرجها وأطاعت زوجها فلتدخل من أي أبواب الجنة شاءت حلية الاولياء ، الربيع بن صبيح ، ص٣٠٨ ج٦
“When a woman prays five times a day, fasts through the month of Ramadhan, is obedient to her husband and protects her modesty, then she may enter Jannah from whichever gate she wishes.”

Her kingdom is in her house. She should be provided with her basic needs and taken good care of. This is what Shari’ah teaches us. She should never be forced to earn livelihood or be put in a position where she has to do so.

Now, going into a professional field is of personal interest. Whoever wants to pursue a particular career will definitely do so. We would never discourage any individual from entering the field of her interest. There have been professional ladies in the past, they are available today and they will remain in the future.

What we do need to encourage is for them to study while guarding their modesty. There are limits to everything. They should study while holding onto those limits. Alhamdulillah many young women are doing this.

I once went to the University of Toronto, where I saw many girls in their hijab come to the prayer facilities, perform salah, do their Iftar and go back to the lessons.

Once, a girl who was punctual of her niqab sent in a question. Her superiors were extremely kind. They let her wear the niqab while studying medicine. She was a very bright student. When the time came to go on hospital rounds, the professor called her in office and explained, “I don’t mind you wearing niqab. However, all patients are not the same and some may cringe at seeing you in the niqab, so you should consider your position.” She was reluctant from removing the niqab as she had never opened her face in front of a non mahram.

After some consultation with my colleagues, I gave the answer that, when on hospital rounds, she should remove her black niqab and put on a facial mask. This way, her face will be covered and the patients won’t feel bad either.

The conclusion is that ladies should pursue with the course of their interest and stay within the limits. If unable to cover the face with niqab, they should at least avoid heavy make-up and avoid revealing parts of the body and hugging the opposite gender or any other kind of intimate contact with male students.