Written Fatwa

Is the face veil fard?

358
25.10.2021

Does the woman have to cover her face, that is, is the veil an absolute command of our religion? Today, face covering is not easy and attracts a lot of attention. Even if a woman does not cover her face, is she not in hijab? Is it an Arab culture for a woman to cover her face?

It is not an Arab culture for a woman to cover her face. It is a practice that falls within the lines drawn by our religion for women to cover their faces. We should know this. In general, we can identify the following points: 1. There is no harm in seeing the woman's face by strangers during an official transaction or shopping. 2. Except for the face and hands, the entire body of a woman is considered awrah. 3. All scholars have unanimously agreed that it would be better for a woman to cover her face. 4. If there is a risk of fitna, that is, coveting a woman's chastity in terms of the environment in which the woman is, we can determine that it is haram for a woman to reveal her face, and that it is permissible for a woman to reveal her face in environments where there is no such risk. 5. It has also been said that this rule can be kept a little more flexible for women who are in the position of elderly grandmothers. 6. In our time, there may be inconveniences such as attracting attention, being followed and being accused against women's veiling in general and covering their face in particular. This obliges every woman to create a license situation that she can decide by looking at her own special situation.

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