Asalamu Alaykum

I would like to know whether the niqab is wajib or not. Please tell me your thoughts and reason why.

                                                               Salaam.

I don't think its a sunnah? or wajib? in fact it seems more of an innovation (biddah)........if you look at the niqaabs that sisters wear nowadays, they are nicely stiched, with buttons at the back etc? I have never heard of any women from the sahabah or being described as wearing such garments. (when did they find the material and time to stitch?)...All i've heard of is covering of the one eye with the veil...ie drawing it forward to hide the face........anyhow, may allah reward the sisters that choose to wear the nikaabs!

 Asalamu Alaykum

Jazakullah Sister Jenni and Queenie for your point of view. But can you tell me why you think that it is sunna,wajib or an innovation?Like with saying of the Prophet PBUH. Again Jazakullah!

 Asalamu Alaykum

Sister Aisha I am a bit confused. You said that the Prophet said that the hands and face can be see.Then why do some Muslim argue if it is wajib if the Prophet said it's ok.I wish to learn the sanad to this hadith, not that I am doubting or anything, I just want to memorize it.

 Sisters please remember Sumayya bint Khayyat the first Muslim martyr. It was dangerous to become a Muslim at that time yet it didn't stop no one man nor woman.Now a days people think that because of the danger of being a Muslim woman that you can take of the hijab. Have you heard the story?

this isnt about hijab,we all know hijab is compulsory,this is about niqab,the hadith goes "...if the women reaches the age of puberty,no part of her body should be seen but this-and he pointed to his face and hands."the information is from a book called ,The muslim woman's dress,according to the qur'an and sunnah,compiled by jamal A.Balawi.hope this helps,everyone has there own ideas about niqab,some say that if your very beautiful then you should wear it,but is that not vain? i mean thinking that your more beautiful than another,then some people say it makes them feel like they have more deen when they wear it,which i guess is good for them,i belive that i do what the prophet (swa)says and i have seen no hadith to say wear niqab until i do then i'll keep to hijab.

"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except that what ordinarily appears of them...." Quran 24:31. The bit about what ordinarily appears of them is where the difference of opinion arises I think,about covering or uncovering the face. So I don't think we can call it a sunnah if there's a difference of opinion.

"....They should draw their veils over their bosoms...." Quran 24:31

Could not find any examples saying to cover the face!

The niqab seems extreme if you live in a Western country. I think it is extreme in any country. Women as well as men need sunlight on their bodies daily to make enough vitamin D. HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE PREFERRED IF IT IS LIKELY HARMFUL TO OUR BODIES AND HEALTH? AS WELL AS SOCIALLY, HOW WILL THE KIDS THINK OF WOMEN IF THEY THINK WOMEN SHOULD WEAR NIQAB BECAUSE THEY CAN'T KEEP THEIR GOOGLY EYES IN THEIR POCKETS.

.....JUST MY OPINION, i THINK IT LOOKS ????, AND TO ME IT UNDERMINES OUR HUMAN ABILITY TO RESPONSIBLE ADULTS. i AM NOT YELLING IN CHAT ROOM, JUST TECH ERROR.

sALAM

I kind of agree with you here sis. It does seem extreme. The only reason I say this is because I think living here in the West it attracts soooo much attention. I'm sure hijaab is for our protection but I know from experience that verbal abuse and even physical has been mounted upon niqaab wearing sisters. So its having the opposite effect. I also have found that some of the niqaab wearing sisters mashallah are lovely, but it seems like once they start wearing it they form part of some sort of cult .

But then again I think if you are a sister with an extremely beautiful face that is just luring all the men and you don't want the attention and choose to wear it then its her choice.

MayPB wrote: The niqab seems extreme if you live in a Western country. I think it is extreme in any country. Women as well as men need sunlight on their bodies daily to make enough vitamin D. HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE PREFERRED IF IT IS LIKELY HARMFUL TO OUR BODIES AND HEALTH? AS WELL AS SOCIALLY, HOW WILL THE KIDS THINK OF WOMEN IF THEY THINK WOMEN SHOULD WEAR NIQAB BECAUSE THEY CAN'T KEEP THEIR GOOGLY EYES IN THEIR POCKETS. .....JUST MY OPINION, i THINK IT LOOKS ????, AND TO ME IT UNDERMINES OUR HUMAN ABILITY TO RESPONSIBLE ADULTS. i AM NOT YELLING IN CHAT ROOM, JUST TECH ERROR.   sALAM

I can't find any words to say....

Apologies, I may have come off as too harsh. I don't beleive it is more pious than wearing hijab which allows the face and hands to be uncovered. By wearing hijab I am dressed modestly and able to work and study amongst men as well as women. I know that because of my dress and mannerisms men will know that I am not "available" and am to be respected. It is the opinion of a scholar that it is more pious to be dressed head to toe, skin to skin no pants. But this limits a woman's ability to be involved in any activities, school , work. We must make the best decisions when faced with the everyday trials of normal life. That is it. Is it not an escape mechanism to stay in the house all day and away from society in attempt to avoid any temptations? How will we learn to work with people, muslims and non-muslims if this is a typical way of life. How about the fun activities missed out on that show children the greatness of Allah by exploring natural sites. You need to wear comfortable clothing that won't cause a woman to fall off a mountain! Is riding a bike importand in Islam?

MAYPB

Salaams

sister you make it sound like wearing the niqab makes you handicap and that you can't do much.In fact I know several women who wear it and are very involved in their communities.

I totally agree with MayPB. In all honesty Saido, some of my friends wear niqaab and as to this day I am confused as to where they get their rulings from. For example, when their brother in laws come in to their homes they hide their face. They eat in seperate rooms from their in-laws. Common now? Why can a family not sit around a table and eat dinner because someone is wearing a niqaab? Islam encourages family building etc. Where in the qu'ran does it say to hide our faces from our male relatives. Do any of the schools of thought tell us this? Because I don't know.

I understand women in desert countries wearing it, because I've been there and I noticed men can't stop looking at your face. So you end up wearing it to prevent such embarassment. Also many of those women have drivers, don't work they are ladies of leisure (lucky for some). Don't get me wrong I'm not knocking the sisters who wear niqaab, but I'm a young muslim woman and I know if I started wearing niqaab will get in the way of things. What allah has prescribed for me is enough. It is perfect. It is neither too much nor too little and for that I am grateful.

Involved in their communities? So everyone is accepting of their way of dress? How about the cashier at Vons? Of course they think it is strange looking and it makes for an uncomfortable situation. When does Islam require us to be so completetly unique from most people in the world. And although it is accepted in their community, it's not everywhere else. I am not saying that people should be like everyone else and compromise what they beleive in but be somewhat normal and give your kids some chance at fitting it.

Peace

Asalamu Alaykum

Jazakallah for your thought regarding the niqab but can you give me more daleel and evidence regarding it being wajib or sunnah? Is there any member on this forum who thinks the niqab is wajib?why?

Seems jennie mission is to get sisters away from what is sunnah or wajib.

As we know from the Prophet peace be upon hims hadith that the feet should be covered. And wives of the Prophet peace be upon hims all wore Niqab.

If someone wants femanism them islam is not for them. And no matter what one says these femanist  usually do not change tehir minds and eventually revert back to their old religion.

I have know brothers who married sisters who were femanist. Due to their love for these woemn they even made what is haram  as halal and vice versa and this is kufr. yet eventually these women still left them and  such women leave islam no matter how much you compramise and change islam for them.

As their love for kaffir idiology of femanism is greater than their love for islam.

And the brothers loose tehir children eventually that they ahve with such women. You see the daughter smoking and living with her boyfriend. And this is punishment for the husband for supporting and backing a women who has such kaffir ideas. Best for him to stick to Islam and run away from such women to save hmself and his offspring.

beautiful Niqab story of a revert sisters http://www.shariahway.com/sisters - www.shariahway.com/sisters

maypb so ur calling the prophet peace be upon him (and his wives) extreme as he approved of His wives wearing Niqab.

And islam requires a Muslimah to be diffrent from the kaffir women. The problem is some Muslim women dont want to be diffrent. want to say were just like you. Dont mind these scarve son our heads. See you can see our face just liek we can see your face. Accept us as being teh same.

But in islam one of the puposes of the Islamic dress code is to make it vissible that you are diffrent from a kaffir women.

Yes Jenni, what is wrong with you thinking women should have their own opinions or know their own mind. They were made just to serve and have babies. *rolls her eyes at Brother 123's posts*

I mean really, Kadijah had her own buisness and had her own money before she knew that she was supposed to be a woman, right? Of course Mohammed did not look at that, did he? He encouraged her. Of course, Brother 123 thinks he is higher that this because, after all, he is male and knows how women should act, behave and what they should say.

Actually, if you want to know what is wrong with men, any men, these days, it is what their mother taught them when they were young, the level of respect and the way to behave. So, in this I think women who cater to their sons and tell them to be self important are at fault here.

Lameese

A  thinking Muslim women (or man) is one who has things the way Allah and His messenger (peace be upon him ) wants her to think.

Do you two diagree with that?

A kaffir women doesnt think with her mind. She thinks with her body and privates.

She will go as far as stripping naked to sell more candy bars than her rivals. Even if she has a phd . She still cnat think with her mind only with her underwear.

Brother123 wrote: A  thinking Muslim women (or man) is one who has things the way Allah and His messenger (peace be upon him ) wants her to think. Do you two diagree with that? A kaffir women doesnt think with her mind. She thinks with her body and privates. She will go as far as stripping naked to sell more candy bars than her rivals. Even if she has a phd . She still cnat think with her mind only with her underwear.

Wow! You are the epitimy of ingnorance about Wester women. Of course you probably watch the daytime talk shows........oh, I guess that would be un-Islamic of you.

Lameese

Dearest Brother 123, i know that the brother in law is non-mehram. But where does it say you have to cover your face in front of him? I'm talking about niqaab, not the hijaab bit!bring daleel!

Also brother 123 not all kufaar women are what you percieve them to be. There are many muslim women out there that are just as bad if not worse. but who are we to judge? i think comments like the ones you made are really bad da'wah. if you think all non-muslim women think with their privates and underwear, you need to change your non-muslim crowd or you need to get out more!

I personally think Khadijah (ra) is my role model, beautiful, intelligent, pious, patient, truthful, and yes may be she wore a niqaab but she was a business woman......hey she even proposed. You said that all the prophets (pbuh) wives wore niqaab. But did the prophet (saw) not say that that the mothers of the believers are not like any other woman?

i'm still getting over your ignorance brother 123. i am amazed !!!!!!!

queenie if you do not even know about khadija then doesnt it make you ignorenet ?

Your knowledge of our mother khadijah is extremely poor and yes she was very inteligent women but your inteligence is completelly lacking.

What is amazing is a grown women who does not know diffrence between pre islamic and Islam days. Pre hijab and hijab period.

To Allah the worst Muslim women is better than the best kaffir kaffir women. But i guess you could not understand tht since your inteligence is completelly lacking.

Dawah is done through honesty not by lying.

Brother123 wrote: queenie if you do not even know about khadija then doesnt it make you ignorenet ? Your knowledge of our mother khadijah is extremely poor and yes she was very inteligent women but your inteligence is completelly lacking. What is amazing is a grown women who does not know diffrence between pre islamic and Islam days. Pre hijab and hijab period. To Allah the worst Muslim women is better than the best kaffir kaffir women. But i guess you could not understand tht since your inteligence is completelly lacking. Dawah is done through honesty not by lying.

Oh Please! Aren't you the pot calling the kettel black! Look in the mirror before you ever call anyone else ignorant!

Also, please do not tell us what Allah thinks!

Lameese

Brother 123.......you are so JAAHIL.

you said.....

"To Allah the worst Muslim women is better than the best kaffir kaffir women. But i guess you could not understand tht since your inteligence is completelly lacking"

May be you are right. I was merely making the point of who are we to judge? we are not allah. because many muslims are hypocrites and the hypocrites are worse than the kufaar and so is their punishment. and Allah knows best!

As a non muslim woman, I can say, I've never stripped naked to sell more candy bars than someone else.    Brother123, you should understand that a pious christian woman is also forbidden to have sex before marriage and to engage in lewd behavior.  That is, if you're in a denomination that's worth something.  There are denominations that accept sinful things like homosexuality and such, but even other christians denounce them.  Islam has its darker sides too.  Not all "practices" are accepted.  There was a great thread here that had a link to the Pakistani laws on zina and their regards to rape. 

Brother123, my suggestion is if you are going to keep posting in the sister's area, you need to be less judgemental and more informative.  You have yet to post scripture backing up many of your claims...and the few you have posted in others are full of commentary or editing. 

If you think that the Nijaab is wijab or sunnah, then you need to post a scriptural arguement rather than insulting western women.  Trust me, if I was seriously looking into Islam as a possible convert, your words would cause me to turn away.  The women here are faithful and valiant, the western sisters have an even greater jihad as they must fight past the bigotry and prejudice to practice their faith.  Your attitude diminishes their struggles by insulting their devotion to Islam and their obedience to Allah. 

One must HUMBLE themselves before God.  A humble man does not judge others, that's God's job.

Angela... Just wanted to know what you mean by "islam has its darker sides"?

Saido wrote:   Asalamu Alaykum I would like to know whether the niqab is wajib or not. Please tell me your thoughts and reason why.                                                                Salaam.

I do not believe niqab is wajib/fard.  To my understanding only the wives of the prophet  s.a.w had to wear it.  But they were not like other women.  Allah s.w.t clearly states this in Quran.  There are some restrictions/rules that apply only to the wives of the Prophet s.a.w .  For example, widows are allowed to remarry however, the wives of the prophet were not allowed to marry after him.  wallahu a'lam

Personally, I think niqab is a beautiful thing.  With the amount of fitna we have in the muslim communities any woman that wants to wear it and is able to should.  

Salaam

Saido wrote:   Asalamu Alaykum I would like to know whether the niqab is wajib or not. Please tell me your thoughts and reason why.                                                                Salaam.

I don't believe niqab is wajib/fard.  To my knowledge it was only mandatory for the wives of the prophet s.a.w.  However, his wives were not like other believing women.  Allah has clearly stated this in the Quran.  There are some restrictions/rules that apply only to the wives of the prophet s.a.w.  For example, his wives were not allowed to marry after him; however, widows are allowed to remarry in Islam.

Personally, I think niqab is a beautiful thing.  With all the fitna we have in the world there is a need for it.  Any woman that wants to wear it and is able to wear it should wear it.  But just because it's good doesn't mean it's fard.

Salaam

Asalamu Alaykum

ok some of you are going of topic and starting to insult each other for some reason when all I asked for was just to give me a simple daleel stating if the niqab was wajib or sunnah, and I personally can't understand what's with all these off topic arguments. In the Name of Allah, if I knew that this thread would cause problems at all I would have never mentioned the niqab. I wanted to know if it was wajib or sunnah because I was interested in wearing it and also I had to write an essay about it over the summer with evidence from the Prophet's sayings. One thing that I forgot to do was close this thread after I got what I wanted and that's my fault and forgive me for that. All I'm asking write now is for the moderators to close this thread, please, it's causing problems.

From the 4 Madhabib (4 madhabs).......

Mufti Anwar Ali Adam Al Mazahiri (Mufti A'azam (Head Mufti) of Madrasa Madinatil Uloom Trinidad & Tobago.)
"Imam Shafi, Malik and Hanbal hold the view that niqaab (covering the face and the hands completely with only a small area for the eyes to see) as
being compulsory (fard).  Imam Abu Hanifa says that niqaab is Wajib and the face and hands can be exposed provided that there is not fear of desire if one looks at the female face, otherwise if there is the slightest chance of desire developing in the looker (the meaning of desire is that the looker would see the female face and think that she is beautiful, sexual thaught is not what is meant) then exposing the face and hands is Haraam.
(This is from the fatwaa issued by  Mufti Anwar Ali Adam Al Mazahiri on 13/9/99.  He derived the opnions of the 4 Imaams  from these sources Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Tafseer Ma'rifatul Qur'aan, Durre Muhtaar, Fatawa Shami, Al Mabsoot, Fathul Qadeer. And the opinion of Imaam Abu hanifah is a directly derived from his statements in the Famous book of hanafi Fiqh Fatwaa Shami)

I found this website. It has loads of daleel, hadiths etc about niqaab. Most of them are inclined towards niqaab being compulsory or recommended. it might be useful in helipng you to decide what to do inshallah.

http://members.tripod.com/~ibnfarooq/niqaab.htm#quran - http://members.tripod.com/~ibnfarooq/niqaab.htm#quran

as salaamu alaykum

Angela that is also called a niqaab there is a half niqaab that shows the eyes it is made with elastic in the back or ties and there is full niqaab that most sisters wear that has the flap that allows them to flip that part down to shield thier eyes if they want more privacy. As for everyone elses talk about niqaab I have read some really good post and some really subhana Allah posts that I would never want to actually hear coming out of a muslims mouth. If the women of the prophet's Sallawho Alayhe wa Salaam Days didnt wear the niqaab why did he go out of his way to say not to wear it during hajj. Also When Surah Nur Was revealed the women tore the bottom of the skirts off and came from the tents unreconized.

When the ayah in Surah an Nur (24:31) was revealed, 'Aaisha (RAA) narrated: "May Allah bestow His Mercy on the first Muhajirat (emigrants). When Allah revealed, '...and draw their Khumur over their Juyubihinna...', (i.e. the women) tore their material and covered themselves with it." [Saheeh al Bukhari]. Ibn Hajar al Asqalanee, who is known as Ameer al Mu'mineen in the field of hadeeth, said that the phrase, "covered themselves", in the above hadeeth means that they "covered their faces." [Fath al Bari]

Clearly many of our contemporary 'Ulama, such as Shaikh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin Baaz, Shaikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah give them both life (ameen), feel that the Niqaab is indeed Waajib upon the believing women and their argument is strong and convincing, in my humble opinion. Others from amongst our 'Ulama, such as the Muhaadith of our time, Shaikh Muhammad Nassirudeen al Albaanee, may Allah give him life (ameen), clearly feel that the Niqaab is not Waajib but rather Mustahaab (highly recommended). Refer to his book, "Jilbaabul Mar'atul Muslimah". This argument is also strong and convincing.

I found this statement and I thought masha allah I should share this as it kinds of sums up what is being said here:

Regardless of which opinion one follows, I would say that there is no doubt concerning the benefits of Niqaab, and the scholars do not differ in this regard. In fact, today we hear many cries against the Niqaab for many reasons which do not make much sense. For example, the argument that the Niqaab is counterproductive to Da'wah in non-Muslim lands. After having established that the Niqaab is indeed an authentic part of Islam, we must then conclude that to hide it is what is counterproductive to Da'wah. No one would dare think that the Sahabah spread Islam throughout the lands of the earth by concealing the practices they learned from the Messenger of Allah (saaws); thus, as Umar ibn al Khattab (raa) declared: "LET THE SUNNAH GO FORTH AND DON'T STOP IT WITH OPINIONS." Other modernist Du'at claim that Niqaab is in fact Makruh or disliked!! How strange! They stand upon their own 'Aql (intellect) which is weak in light of the authenticated reports we have above

If I have said anything haraam then truly it is from Shaitan and If I have said anything good That is truly from Allah

Have a blessed Ramadan

umm yasmeen

Thank you, Umm Yasmeen.

I appreciate the clarification.  Its hard sometimes to follow threads like this when you don't know what the differences are.