~Niqab~

Salam'alaik. My dearest friends, this is an article that i got in the internet regarding with the issue of Niqab. I hope with this article will make us understand about Niqab. Insya Allah u will get some benefits from it.

By UmAmir
All too often Muslim women in niqab are ridiculed and called names regardless of time and place. Unfortunately, a woman who wears niqab in the United States will get better reception from the kafir than from Muslims. Muslim women often call women in niqab “ninjas” and “fitna on the face”, only failing to realize that they have wronged themselves.
Allah said: “If you do good, you do good for your own selves, and if you do evil, you do it against yourselves.” (17:7)
“Whosoever does righteous deeds it is for the benefit of himself, and whosoever does evil, it is against his own self.” (41:46)

This paper was written in response to those people who say things like "The niqab is not in Islam”, or niqab is "bad for dawa", as well as those individuals who scoff at it too lightly. People should understand that the niqab is from the Qur’an and Hadith. Even if you hold the view of it not being wajib it is still THE BEST thing and anyone who wears it is to be respected. Anyone who discourages the wearing of niqab or denies it being in Islam or makes fun of someone who wears it should fear ALLAH and reexamine their hearts and intentions.

"Allah has sent us to deliver whomsoever chooses, from the worship of
men to the 'uboodiyah (worship and servitude) of Allah. And from the
narrowness of this world, to the vastness of this world and the Hereafter. And from the oppression of the (false) religions, to the justice of Islam." - Sahabee Rab`ee ibn Aamir [Ibn Katheer's al-Bidayah wa an-Nihaayah]

Religious Reference to Niqab
“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the
believers to draw their cloaks (veils, screen themselves completely except the eyes ) all over their bodies.” (Surah Al-Ahzaab – Verse #59 This tafseer is Agreed upon by Ibn Kathir, Qurtabi and At Tabrani )
“And Say to the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, head cover, apron), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) (Surah An-Nur, Verses 30-31, This tafseer is Agreed upon by Ibn Kathir, Qurtabi and At Tabrani )

Generally there are two opinions regarding covering the face. One view held by the Ulema is that the niqab (covering the face) is wajib (compulsory) and other Ulema hold the view it is Mustahab (recommended and the best thing to do but not compulsory). Both scholarly opinions are dependent upon the concept of perceiving Ummul Mu’mineen, the wives of the prophet, as being an example to all Muslim women, or in a category of their own.

Be that as it may, following the etiquettes Allah taught the Prophet’s wives was the way of his companions and those that came after them. And, the best way is to follow Rasulullah’s, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, practice as well as his companions. Ibn Kathir holds that these commandments are applicable to all Muslim women. (Tafseer Ibn Kathir, Vol. 3, p. 483)

This following hadith explains when and under what circumstance the verses of hijab was revealed. The wives of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to go to Al-Manasi, a vast open place (near Baqia at Medina) to answer the call of nature at night. 'Umar used to say to the Prophet "Let your wives be veiled," but Allah's Apostle did not do so. One night Sauda bint Zam'aradi Allahu anha the wife of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam went out at 'Isha' time and she was a tall lady. 'Umarradi Allahu anhu 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). (Hadith -Sahih Bukhari 1:148)

After the verses of hijab were revealed certain changes took place within the society at the time. For instance, women were carried on camels in a covered Haudaj, and they only went out if their faces and bodies were fully covered as explained in the following hadiths:
'A'isha radi Allahu anha 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." (Hadith - Sahih Bukhari 6:282)

“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.” (Hadith - Abu Dawud, Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin radi Allahu anha)

Narrated 'A'isha radi Allahu anha who said, "The riders would pass us while we were with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). When they got close to us, we would draw our outer cloak from our heads over our faces. When they passed by, we would uncover our faces.” (Hadith - Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and ibn Majah, Narrated 'A'isha. [In his work Jilbab al-Marah al-Muslimah, al-Albani states (p. 108) that it is hasan due to corroborating evidence. Also, in a narration from Asma {who was not the wife of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Asma also covered her face at all times in front of men.)

A'isha radi Allahu anha narrated: "May Allah bestow His Mercy on the first Muhajirat (emigrants). When Allah revealed, '...and draw their Khumur over their Juyubihinna...', they (i.e. the women) tore their material and covered themselves with it."(Sahih 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 Hadith means that they "covered their faces". [Fath Al-Bari].

A’isha radi Allahu anha says: “(during Hajj in the state of Ihraam) when the male should walk in front of us while in the company of Rasulullah (sallallahu Alayhi wa sallam), then we would drop our veils from the head over the face.”
In addition, women were no longer required or encouraged to participate in Jihad unless completely necessary. They were forbidden to travel without a Mahram. A man who did not apply these rules on his family was called a Dayyouth.
In order to shed more light on the issue, it is just as important to look at the opinions of the scholars about Niqab.
Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu, who was one of the most knowledgeable companions of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, states that the Muslim women are ordered to cover their head and faces with outer garments except for one eye.

Ibn Katheer said...
‘Women must not display any part of their beauty and charms to strangers except what cannot possibly be concealed.’

Imam Ghazaali(mentions in his famous book of Fiqh Ihyaal Uloom):
"Woman emerged (during the time of Rasulullah 'saw') with niqabs on their Faces"
Jami'atul Ulema Junbi Africa sate that the proper opinion for the Hanafi madhab is that "A woman must be properly and thoroughly covered in a lose outer cloak which totally conceals her entire body including her face!"
(This from the book Islamic Hijab by Jami'atul Ulema P.12)

It is also state in the Famous books of Fiqh Durrul Mukhtar...
"Young women are prohibited from revealing their faces in the presence of men."
The Mufassireen, such as Al-Qurtubi, site in their Tafseer of the Ayah on Jilbab (Al-Ahzab 33:59), that the Jilbab is: "a cloth which covers the entire body... Ibn 'Abbas and 'Ubaidah As-Salmaani () said that it is to be fully wrapped around the women's body, so that nothing appears but one eye with which she can see." [Tafseer Al-Qurtubi].

Imam Qurtubi in his Al-Jamia li Ahkaamul Qurãn states:
‘All women are in effect covered by the terms of the verse which embraces the Shari'a principle that the whole of a woman is ‘Awrah’ (to be concealed) – her face, body and voice, as mentioned previously. It is not permissible to expose those parts except in the case of need, such as the giving of evidence…’
In Fathul Bari, chapter Hajj, a tradition reported on the authority of A'isha radi Allahu anha says: "A woman in a state of Ihram (during Hajj and Umrah) should stretch her head - cloth over to her face to hide it."

Sheikh ibn Uthaimin ....
“The Islamic hijab is for the women to cover everything that is forbidden for her to expose. That is, she covers everything that she must cover. The first of those bodily parts that she must cover is her face. It is the source of temptation and the source of people desiring her. Therefore, the woman must cover her face in front of those men that are not mahram. As for those of who claim that the Islamic hijab is to cover the head, shoulders, back, feet, shin and forearms while allowing her to uncover her face and hands, this is a very amazing claim. This is because it is well-known that the source of temptation and looking is the face. How can one say that the Shari'a does not allow the exposure of the foot of the woman while it allows her to uncover her face? It is not possible that there could be in the Esteemed, Wise and Noble Shari'a a contradiction. "

Jamaal Zarabozo (a scholar of Islam in the United States)....
“In Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 59, Allah has ordered the believing women to wear a jilbab. A jilbab as defined in all the books of tafseer is a cloak that covers the woman's body from the top of her head to her feet. It is also described in those books, form the scholars of the earliest generation that after that verse was revealed, the women would completely cover themselves, leaving, for example, just one eye exposed so they can see the road. Hence, this is the outer garment of the woman that she must wear when she is in front of men she is not related to. “