بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismillah, I'm one of the niqabis even though here in Malaysia we call is as "purda" but we still consider it as niqabis. I'm wearing the "purda" by my stand. Just for the sake of Allah, not to show the beauty-ness of the eyes and to show that I'm the 'alim among you. I'll wear it as long as the sheet of my purda does not prevents my daawah and my fard obligatory. As I've said before with most of the people who asked me about the niqab, I stick to my opinion that is on one of the sunnah of Ummul Mu'minin. In my personal daily life, sometimes I didn't wear it while I'm in daawah programme where we have to linked our heart to the ummah (audience, participant etc), and the priority is for the deen and I believe that, our niqabis sister out there have experienced this situation. InsyaAllah. As stated by Shaykh al-Albania, that the khimar (in surah An-Nur verse of 31) is head cover, none of them be seen,except for the circle of face. (al-Albanian, Hijab Muslim Mar'atil fii al-Sunnah wa Kitabi, 1412H, m / s. 14)
Now-a-days Muslims are divided on the issue of Niqab. Some says it's voluntary, some says it's fard. But if you study Quran and Ahadith with proper understanding, undoubtedly you'll realize the actual ruling on this matter. Let's see what does Quran and Ahadith command us regarding Niqab:
"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allaah is Ever Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful."
[Al-Quran; Surat Al-Ahzab; Chapter: 33; Verse: 59]{The translation used here is of Dr.Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali,Ph.D(Berlin) and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan ,Darussalam Publications}
Now lets see the translation of this Ayah according to Tafsir Ibn Kathir - Quran Tafsir
(59. O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their Jalabib over their bodies. That will be better that they should be known so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)
The Command of Hijab
Here Allah tells His Messenger to command the believing women, especially his wives and daughters, because of their position of honor -- to draw their Jilbabs over their bodies, so that they will be distinct in their appearance from the women of the Jahiliyyah and from slave women. The Jilbab is a Rida', worn over the Khimar. This was the view of Ibn Mas`ud, `Ubaydah, Qatadah, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and others. It is like the Izar used today. Al-Jawhari said: "The Jilbab is the outer wrapper." `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said that Allah commanded the believing women, when they went out of their houses for some need, to cover their faces from above their heads with the Jilbab, leaving only one eye showing. Muhammad bin Sirin said,
"I asked `Ubaydah As-Salmani about the Ayah:
(ذلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَيْنَ)
(That will be better that they should be known so as not to be annoyed. ) means, if they do that, it will be known that they are free, and that they are not servants or whores.
(وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً)
(And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) means, with regard to what happened previously during the days of Jahiliyyah, when they did not have any knowledge about this.
(يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَـبِيبِهِنَّ)
(to draw their Jalabib over their bodies.) He covered his face and head, with just his left eye showing.''
According to the commentary of Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi he says: In verse 59 the third step for social reform was taken. All the Muslim women were commanded that they should come out well covered with the outer garments and covering their faces whenever they came out of their houses for a genuine need. Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an
Ibn 'Abbaas {RA} said: "Allaah commanded the believing women, if they go out of their houses for some need, to cover their faces from the top of their heads with their jilbaabs, and to leave one eye showing."
Now lets analyse what type of garment is the jilbab? There are two opinions among the scholars on this matter:
1) That it is a loose outergarment like a coat or cloak.
2) That it is a sheet covering the entire body except for the eyes.
Some well-known modern scholars who support the first opinion:
1) Shaykh Yusuf Qaradawi (Shafi'i) - see Women's Awrah - Qaradawi describes the jilbab as "a loose outergarment"
2) Shaykh Muhammad Nasir ad-Din Albani (Salafi) - Shaykh Albani had written an essay called "Women's Dress"... He describes the jilbab as "an outergarment that is thick and opaque and covers the clothing under it and the woman's form".
Some well-known modern scholars who support the second opinion:
1) Syed Abu-Ala' Maududi (Hanafi) - see Introduction to Surah al-Ahzab - Maududi describes the jilbab as an "outergarment covering the face".
2) Shaykh Abdul-Aziz ibn Baz, Chief Mufti of Saudi Arabia (Salafi) - see The Danger of Women at Work - Ibn Baz describes the jilbab as "covering all of the body except the eyes".
Aa'ishah {RA} 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." [Sahih Bukhari 6:282]
"The wives of the Prophet {Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam} used to go to Al-Manasi, a vast open place (near Baqia at Madinah) to answer the call of nature at night. 'Umar used to say to the Prophet {Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam} "Let your wives be veiled," but Allah's Apostle {Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam}) did not do so. One night Sauda bint Zam'a the wife of the Prophet {Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam} went out at 'Isha' time and she was a tall lady. 'Umar addressed her and said, "I have recognized you, O Sauda." He said so, as he desired eagerly that the verses of Al-Hijab (the observing of veils by the Muslim women) may be revealed. So Allah revealed the verses of "Al-Hijab" (A complete body cover excluding the eyes)." [Sahih Bukhari 1:148]
When the verse "That they should cast their outer garments over their persons" was revealed, the women of Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads by wearing outer garments. [Abu Dawud, Narrated by Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin]
The Hijab is a garment that does not show the woman's figure. Jeans and certain obvious garments do not meet this requirement. Similarly, garments must not be transparent, or it will fail to fulfill the criteria of being Hijab.
"The Apostle of Allaah {Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam} was brought some pieces of fine Egyptian linen and he gave me one and said: Divide it into two; cut one of the pieces into a shirt and give the other to your wife for veil. Then when he turned away, he said: And order your wife to wear a garment below it and not show her figure." [Abu Dawud, Narrated Dihyah ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi]
When the Prophet {Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam} commanded that women should be brought out to the Eid prayer place, they said, "O Messenger of Allaah, some of us do not have jilbaabs." The Prophet {Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam} said, "Let her sister give her one of her jilbaabs to wear." [Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim]
This hadith indicates that the usual practice among the women of the Sahaabah was that a woman would not go out without a jilbaab, and that if she did not have a jilbaab she would not go out. The command to wear a jilbaab indicates that it is essential to cover. And Allaah knows best. It was narrated that 'Aa'ishah {RA} said: "The riders used to pass by us when we were with the Messenger of Allaah {Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam} in ihraam. When they came near us we would lower our jilbaabs from our heads over our faces, and when they had passed by we would uncover our faces." [Abu Dawood: 1562]
Abu Bakr al-Jassaas (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer: The apparent meaning indicates that it is permissible to show one’s adornment to one’s husband and to whose who are also mentioned in the verse, such as fathers etc. It is well known that what is meant is the places where adornments are worn, which are the face, hand and arm… this implies that it is permissible for those who are mentioned in the verse to look at these places, which are the places where hidden adornments are worn, as it says in the beginning of the verse that only outward adornments may be seen by strangers (non-mahrams), but the husband and mahrams are permitted to see hidden adornments. It was narrated from Ibn Mas’ood and al-Zubayr that this refers to earrings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets.
إن الْعُلُمَاءُ وَرَثَةُ اْلأَنْبِيَاءِ، إِنَّ اْلأَنْبِياَءَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوْا دِيْناَرًا وَلاَ دِرْهَماً إِنَّمَا وَرَّثُوْا الْعِلْمَ فَمَنْ أَخَذَ بِهِ فَقَدْ أَخَذَ بِحَظٍّ وَافِرٍ
"Indeed, scholars are the heirs of the prophets. It prophets do not bequeath dinars and dirhams. So they just pass on the knowledge that whoever took the heritage it has taken a lot of parts. "(Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Ad-Darimi, Abu Dawud. Validated by Al-Albani) Maasalama ;)
