Surah An-Noor (24) — Ayah 31

(Ayah 31) ➊ { وَ قُلْ لِّلْمُؤْمِنٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ اَبْصَارِهِنَّ … :} Women are also commanded in the same way to lower some of their gazes and to guard their private parts, just as men are commanded, but the restriction on women not to look at men is not as strict as the restriction on men regarding looking at women. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says: "I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) while he was covering me with his cloak and I was watching the Abyssinians, they were playing (with spears), until I myself became bored, so imagine the state of a young girl who is fond of watching play." [ بخاري، النکاح، باب نظر المرأۃ إلی الحبش… : ۵۲۳۶ ] That is, imagine how long the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) must have stood for my sake. When Fatimah bint Qais (may Allah be pleased with her) was divorced by her husband for the third time, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to her: "Spend your waiting period in the house of Umm Sharik." Then he said: "Many of my companions come to this woman (because she was wealthy and very hospitable), so spend your waiting period in the house of Ibn Umm Maktum, for he is a blind man, and you can put down your clothes in his presence." [ مسلم، الطلاق، باب المطلقۃ البائن لا نفقۃ لھا : 1480/38 ] From these hadiths, it is understood that if there is no lustful thought, women can look at men. The command of veiling is for women so that men do not look at them, not for men so that women do not look at them. However, if it is with lust, then it is also forbidden for women to look at men, as is apparent from the verse.

➋ In Sunan Abi Dawood and some other books of hadith, it is narrated from Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) that I was with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Maimunah (may Allah be pleased with her) was also with him, when Ibn Umm Maktum (may Allah be pleased with him) came, and this incident is after the command of hijab. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Observe hijab from him." We said: "O Messenger of Allah! Is he not blind, he neither sees us nor recognizes us?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: [ أَ فَعَمْيَاوَانِ أَنْتُمَا؟ أَلَسْتُمَا تُبْصِرَانِهِ ! ] [ أبوداوٗد، اللباس، باب في قولہ عزوجل : «و قل للمؤمنات … » : ۴۱۱۲ ] "Are you also blind? Do you not see him!" From this hadith, it is proven that it is forbidden for women to look at not only sighted men but also blind men, but Imam Abu Dawood (may Allah have mercy on him) explained that this is specific to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered Fatimah bint Qais (may Allah be pleased with her) to spend her waiting period in the house of Ibn Umm Maktum (may Allah be pleased with him). One of our sheikhs explained that a blind man may not be careful about his private parts, nor can he know if his private parts are exposed, so the command of hijab was given for this reason, but in reality, this narration is not established; thus, Shaykh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) also declared it weak. The reason is that in it is a narrator, Nabhan Mawla Umm Salamah, who is called "maqbul" in Taqrib, and Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) himself said in the introduction to Taqrib that if he calls a narrator "maqbul," then if there is corroboration for him in a hadith, he is acceptable, otherwise, he is "layyin al-hadith." Therefore, this narration is weak. [ ہدایۃ المستنیر بتخریج ابن کثیر ]

➌ { وَ لَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا :} Since there is no greater trial for men than women, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: [ مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدِيْ فِتْنَةً أَضَرَّ عَلَی الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ] [بخاري، النکاح، باب ما یتقي من شؤم المرأۃ… : ۵۰۹۶، عن أسامۃ بن زید رضی اللہ عنھما ] "I have not left after me any trial more harmful to men than women." Therefore, Allah Almighty commanded women, in addition to lowering their gazes, to conceal their adornment, so He said: Tell the believing women that (as required by their faith) they should lower some of their gazes and guard their private parts and not display their adornment except what appears thereof. The meaning of adornment is beauty and elegance. It is of two types: one is natural beauty and elegance, and the other is that which is acquired through adornment, beautification, and jewelry, etc. Clothing is also adornment. Allah Almighty said: «{ خُذُوْا زِيْنَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ }» [ الأعراف : ۳۱ ] "Take your adornment at every place of prayer." In this, adornment means clothing. The command of Allah Almighty is that women should not display any of their adornment except what appears by itself, i.e., they are not allowed to display any part of their body or its adornment except those clothes which cannot be concealed, or that adornment which is unintentionally revealed due to some work or movement. In {’’الصحيح المسبور من التفسير بالمأثور‘‘} it is said: "Al-Tabari narrated with authentic chains from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: {’’ « وَ لَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا» قَالَ هِيَ الثِّيَابُ‘‘} That is, what Allah Almighty said, 'They should not display their adornment except what appears thereof,' refers to clothing." Al-Hakim narrated it and declared it authentic, and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. (Al-Mustadrak al-Hakim: 2/397, Hadith: 3499) and al-Tabarani (9116) also narrated it. Al-Haythami said in Majma' al-Zawa'id (7/82): "Al-Tabarani narrated it with several chains, both long and short, among which one chain's narrators are those of the two Sahihs (Bukhari and Muslim)."

Some people say that {’’ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ‘‘} refers to the face and hands, and they have even included earrings, bangles, rings, kohl, and henna, and said that a woman's face and hands along with jewelry and adornment are the adornment that women are allowed to display in front of both relatives and strangers. These people present as evidence the statement of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that {’’ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ‘‘} refers to the face and hands. Unfortunately, these people neither present the full statement of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) nor consider his other statements regarding hijab. Regarding the covering of the face, the position of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) is narrated by al-Tabari with the famous good chain (Ali ibn Abi Talhah from Ibn Abbas), and interestingly, the interpretation of {’’ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ‘‘} which the deniers of face covering incompletely quote from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), is also narrated with this same chain. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) explained the words of Allah Almighty: «{ يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِّاَزْوَاجِكَ وَ بَنٰتِكَ وَ نِسَآءِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ يُدْنِيْنَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيْبِهِنَّ۠ ذٰلِكَ اَدْنٰۤى اَنْ يُّعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ غَفُوْرًا رَّحِيْمًا }» [ الأحزاب : ۵۹ ] (O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks over themselves. That is more likely that they will be recognized and not be harmed. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful) by saying: [ أَمَرَ اللّٰهُ نِسَاءَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ إِذَا خَرَجْنَ مِنْ بُيُوْتِهِنَّ فِيْ حَاجَةٍ أَنْ يُّغَطِّيْنَ وُجُوْهَهُنَّ مِنْ فَوْقِ رُءُوْسِهِنَّ بِالْجَلَابِيْبِ وَ يُبْدِيْنَ عَيْنًا وَاحِدَةً ] [ طبري :۲۸۸۸۰] "Allah Almighty commanded the believing women that when they go out for some need, they should cover their faces with their large cloaks from above their heads, leaving one eye uncovered." How can a person who considers it Allah's command for believing women to leave only one eye uncovered when going out of the house, allow women to keep their faces and hands uncovered in front of both relatives and strangers?

The reality is that there is no difference between the positions of Ibn Mas'ud and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them all). Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) interpreted {’’ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ‘‘} with regard to strangers, and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) interpreted { ’’ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ‘‘ } with regard to their own people. Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) means that in front of strangers, nothing should be displayed except the outer garments, and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) means that "apparent adornment" (face and hands) can be displayed in front of one's husband and mahrams, which includes kohl, henna, earrings, bangles, necklaces, everything. The mention of these mahrams is given ahead: «{ وَ لَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَ لْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلٰى جُيُوْبِهِنَّ وَ لَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا لِبُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَآىِٕهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَآءِ بُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اَبْنَآىِٕهِنَّ۠ اَوْ اَبْنَآءِ بُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ اَوْ بَنِيْۤ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ اَوْ بَنِيْۤ اَخَوٰتِهِنَّ اَوْ نِسَآىِٕهِنَّ اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُنَّ }» [ النور : ۳۱ ] However, the hidden adornment (abdomen, chest, thighs, and private parts) can only be displayed in front of the husband. Now read the complete interpretation of "illa ma zahara minha" by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), of which only the beginning is usually quoted. Al-Tabari narrated (from Ali ibn Abi Talhah from Ibn Abbas) with a good chain that regarding the verse: «{ وَ لَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا }» Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: [ وَالزِّيْنَةُ الظَّاهِرَةُ : الْوَجْهُ وَ كُحْلُ الْعَيْنِ وَ خِضَابُ الْكَفِّ وَ الْخَاتَمُ، فَهٰذِهِ تَظْهَرُ فِيْ بَيْتِهَا لِمَنْ دَخَلَ مِنَ النَّاسِ عَلَيْهَا ] [ طبري : ۲۶۱۷۰ ] "By apparent adornment is meant the face, kohl of the eye, henna of the hand, and the ring, so she may display these things in her house in front of those who enter upon her." What greater injustice can be done to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) than to attribute to him the statement that he is talking about displaying this adornment in the house in front of one's own people, while these people claim that kohl, henna, necklaces, bangles, and rings along with the face and hands can be displayed in front of both relatives and strangers. [ فَیَا لِلْعَجَبِ وَلِضَیْعَۃِ الْأَدَبِ ]

➍ Now, some evidences for the covering of the face from the Qur'an, hadith, and reports are presented:

(1) First, look at the verse under discussion itself, in which after {’’ وَ لَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ‘‘} Allah Almighty said: «{ وَ لْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلٰى جُيُوْبِهِنَّ }» "And let them draw their veils over their bosoms." There is already the shirt covering the bosom, yet the command is given to cover it with a veil as well. Now, let the deniers of face covering reflect: the main center of a woman's beauty, the face, along with kohl and jewelry, is allowed to be left uncovered, which is a great trial for men, while the chest, which was already covered by the shirt, is further commanded to be covered with a veil.

(2) Al-Tabari, with a good chain from the way of Ali ibn Abi Talhah, narrated a statement of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) regarding the words of Allah {’’ اَوِ التّٰبِعِيْنَ غَيْرِ اُولِي الْاِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ ‘‘}, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: [ فَهٰذَا الرَّجُلُ يَتْبَعُ الْقَوْمَ وَهُوَ مُغَفَّلٌ فِيْ عَقْلِهِ لَا يَكْتَرِثُ لِلنِّسَاءِ وَلَا يَشْتَهِيْهِنَّ فَالزِّيْنَةُ الَّتِيْ تُبْدِيْهَا لِهٰؤُلَاءِ قُرْطَاهَا وَ قِلَادَتُهَا وَ سِوَارُهَا وَ أَمَّا خَلْخَالُهَا وَ مِعْضَدَاهَا وَ نَحْرُهَا وَ شَعْرُهَا فَإِنَّهَا لَا تُبْدِيْهِ إِلَّا لِزَوْجِهَا ] [ طبري : ۲۶۱۹۴ ] "This is the man who lives with some people and is a fool, he has no concern for women nor any sexual need for them, so the adornment that she can reveal in front of such people is her earrings, necklace, and bangles, but her anklet, arm, chest, and hair can only be revealed in front of her husband."

(3) In {’’ وَ لَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِاَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِيْنَ مِنْ زِيْنَتِهِنَّ ‘‘} women are forbidden from striking their feet on the ground so that men do not become aware of their hidden adornment by the sound of their jewelry, which may arouse lustful thoughts. Now, a woman whose age or beauty is unknown, the sound of her anklet causes corruption in hearts and she is commanded to conceal it, so how can it be permissible to leave the face uncovered, which is the basis for judging a woman's beauty or lack thereof?

(4) «{ ٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِّاَزْوَاجِكَ وَ بَنٰتِكَ وَ نِسَآءِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ يُدْنِيْنَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيْبِهِنَّ ذٰلِكَ اَدْنٰۤى اَنْ يُّعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ غَفُوْرًا رَّحِيْمًا }» [ الأحزاب : ۵۹ ] "O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks over themselves. That is more likely that they will be recognized and not be harmed." The interpretation of this verse by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) has already been mentioned above, that Allah Almighty commanded believing women that when they go out for some need, they should cover their faces with their large cloaks from above their heads, leaving one eye uncovered (if there is a need to see the way, otherwise not even that). For further details on the evidence from this verse, see Surah Al-Ahzab.

(5) «{ وَ الْقَوَاعِدُ مِنَ النِّسَآءِ الّٰتِيْ لَا يَرْجُوْنَ نِكَاحًا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ اَنْ يَّضَعْنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّ غَيْرَ مُتَبَرِّجٰتٍۭ بِزِيْنَةٍ وَ اَنْ يَّسْتَعْفِفْنَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُنَّ وَ اللّٰهُ سَمِيْعٌ عَلِيْمٌ } » [ النور : ۶۰ ] "And those women who are past the age of childbearing and have no hope of marriage, there is no blame upon them if they put off their outer garments, provided they do not display any adornment, but to refrain is better for them, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing." For details of the evidence, see the commentary of this verse.

(6) «{ لَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِنَّ فِيْۤ اٰبَآىِٕهِنَّ وَ لَاۤ اَبْنَآىِٕهِنَّ وَ لَاۤ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ وَ لَاۤ اَبْنَآءِ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ وَ لَاۤ اَبْنَآءِ اَخَوٰتِهِنَّ وَ لَا نِسَآىِٕهِنَّ وَ لَا مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُنَّ وَ اتَّقِيْنَ اللّٰهَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيْدًا }» [ الأحزاب :۵۵ ] "There is no blame upon them (the women) concerning their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, and (O women!) fear Allah, indeed Allah is ever, over all things, Witness." Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "When Allah Almighty commanded women to observe hijab from strangers, He clarified that there is no hijab from these relatives, as explained in Surah An-Nur, verse (31): « وَ لَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَ لْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلٰى جُيُوْبِهِنَّ وَ لَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا لِبُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَآىِٕهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَآءِ بُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اَبْنَآىِٕهِنَّ اَوْ اَبْنَآءِ بُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ اَوْ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ اَوْ بَنِيْۤ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ اَوْ بَنِيْۤ اَخَوٰتِهِنَّ اَوْ نِسَآىِٕهِنَّ اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُنَّ اَوِ التّٰبِعِيْنَ غَيْرِ اُولِي الْاِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ اَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِيْنَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوْا عَلٰى عَوْرٰتِ النِّسَآءِ ». When there is no sin in not veiling from these relatives, it is understood that there is sin in not veiling from strangers."

(7) The command of veiling for women is also established from hadith. Here, a few hadiths are mentioned. Before this, the long hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) from Sahih Bukhari has already been mentioned, in which she says that Safwan bin Mu'attal (may Allah be pleased with him) was behind the army, and when he reached the place where I was lying in the morning, he saw a sleeping person, and when he came to me, he recognized me, because he had seen me before the command of hijab was revealed, so I covered my face with my large cloak. [ بخاري : ۲۶۶۱ ] This hadith is clear evidence that if he had not seen Umm al-Mu'mineen before the command of hijab was revealed, he would never have recognized her, because after the command of hijab was revealed, there was no question of seeing her.

(8) When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered women to go out for Eid, they said: [ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ! إِحْدَانَا لَيْسَ لَهَا جِلْبَابٌ، قَالَ لِتُلْبِسْهَا صَاحِبَتُهَا مِنْ جِلْبَابِهَا ] [ بخاري، الصلاۃ، باب وجوب الصلاۃ في الثیاب : ۳۵۱ ] "O Messenger of Allah! Some of us do not have a large cloak?" He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Let her sister lend her a large cloak to wear." If veiling was not obligatory, the answer to their question would have been that a scarf is sufficient, there is no need for a large cloak.

(9) Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says: "Riders on camels would pass by us while we were in the state of ihram, so when they came near us, each of us would let down her large cloak from her head over her face, and when they had passed, we would remove it." [ أبوداوٗد، المناسک، باب في المحرمۃ تغطي وجھھا : ۱۸۳۳ ] Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbad said in his commentary on Abu Dawood: "There is some criticism of a narrator in this hadith, so al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned it in Da'if Abi Dawood, but he called it 'hasan' in Mishkat and also in 'Hijab al-Mar'ah al-Muslimah,' and there is a sahih supporting narration from Asma' (may Allah be pleased with her), so this hadith is sahih due to its supporting narrations." So, in the state of ihram, when wearing a niqab is prohibited, if veiling was not obligatory, why would they let down their cloaks over their faces?

➎ Now consider the evidences of those who do not consider covering the face and hands obligatory. Their greatest evidence is the interpretation of the words of the Qur'an {’’ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ‘‘} by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), that it refers to the face and hands, and the interpretation of a companion is proof. The full statement of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) and its explanation have already been mentioned above; Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) spoke about uncovering the face and hands in front of mahram relatives, not in front of strangers. And if someone insists that Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) allowed women to keep their faces and hands uncovered in front of everyone, remember that the interpretation of a companion is only proof when no other companion has interpreted it differently. Here, Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) allowed only the outer garments to be visible in front of strangers, and Allah Almighty says: « فَاِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِيْ شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوْهُ اِلَى اللّٰهِ وَ الرَّسُوْلِ» [ النساء : ۵۹ ] "Then if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger." That is, in case of dispute, no one's statement is proof; at that time, only the statement of Allah and His Messenger is proof, and according to the Qur'an and Sunnah, it is obligatory to cover the face and hands from non-mahram men, as you have read above.

Their second evidence is the narration in Sunan Abi Dawood from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the sister-in-law of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them both), came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wearing thin clothes, so he turned away from her and said: [ يَا أَسْمَاءُ! إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ الْمَحِيْضَ لَمْ يَصْلُحْ لَهَا أَنْ يُّرَی مِنْهَا إِلَّا هٰذَا وَ هٰذَا ] [ أبوداوٗد، اللباس، باب فیما تبدی المرأۃ من زینتھا : ۴۱۰۴ ] "O Asma'! When a woman reaches puberty, it is not proper that anything should be seen of her except this and this," and he pointed to his face and hands. From this hadith, it is proven that it is permissible for a woman to display her face and hands in front of non-mahrams. Regarding this evidence, Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbad said in his commentary on Abu Dawood: "This hadith is not sahih, because there is a break in the chain (Imam Abu Dawood himself said that Khalid bin Duraik did not hear from Aisha), and in it is Sa'id bin Bashir who is weak, and there is also tadlis by al-Walid, and there is also some objection to its text, because it is very unlikely that Asma', at an older age, would come before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in thin clothes, as at the time of the migration she was twenty-seven years old." Muhammad bin Salih bin Uthaymeen also declared the hadith weak in "Risalat al-Hijab" for these reasons. Even if this hadith is considered sahih, there is the possibility that this incident occurred before the command of hijab was revealed, and it is a well-established principle that when there is a possibility, it is not valid to use it as evidence. An author of an Urdu tafsir derived from this hadith that not in front of strangers, but a woman can uncover her face and hands in front of non-mahram relatives in addition to her mahram relatives, but when the narration itself is not established, how can it be used as evidence? These elders have also claimed that the cousin of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Umm Hani (may Allah be pleased with her), continued to come before him until the end, and at least she never covered her face in front of him. As evidence, they referred to a narration in Abu Dawood, in which it is mentioned that Umm Hani (may Allah be pleased with her) drank the leftover water of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but there is no mention of her face being uncovered. It is astonishing how some elders fabricate things and attribute them to the books of hadith and claim without any evidence that such-and-such woman never covered her face in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The reality is that there is absolutely no evidence that it is permissible for a woman to uncover her face and hands in front of non-mahram relatives, and this opens a great door to temptation.

Their third evidence is the narration in Sahih Bukhari from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Fadl ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was riding behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when a woman from the tribe of Khath'am came and Fadl began to look at her and she began to look at Fadl, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) turned Fadl's face to the other side. [ بخاري، الحج، باب وجوب الحج… : ۱۵۱۳ ] From this hadith, it is understood that the woman did not observe hijab in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and if hijab was necessary, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would have commanded her to observe it. The answer is that it is not mentioned that the woman was unveiled, and even if it is assumed that she was unveiled, it is not mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not command her to observe hijab. When the command of hijab had already reached the Ummah through verses and hadiths, then if on some occasion the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not explicitly emphasize it, it makes no difference.

➏ {وَ لْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلٰى جُيُوْبِهِنَّ: ’’ خُمُرٌ ‘‘ ’’خِمَارٌ‘‘} is the plural of "veil." {’’جُيُوْبٌ‘‘ ’’جَيْبٌ‘‘} is the plural of "bosom." That is, women should bring their veils from their heads and place them over their bosoms, so that the chest and the jewelry of the neck remain concealed. In the pre-Islamic era of ignorance, women did not cover their chests at all; rather, they would let both ends of their scarves hang behind, so that sometimes their necks, hair, braids, jewelry, and chests were clearly visible. The state of ignorance in the present age is even worse than that. Allah Almighty forbade this. In Surah Al-Ahzab, verse (58), women are also commanded to let their large cloaks hang down. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: [ يَرْحَمُ اللّٰهُ نِسَاءَ الْمُهَاجِرَاتِ الْأُوَلَ لَمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ : « وَ لْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلٰى جُيُوْبِهِنَّ» شَقَقْنَ أَكْنَفَ مُرُوْطِهِنَّ فَاخْتَمَرْنَ بِهَا ] [ أبو داوٗد، اللباس، باب في قول اللہ تعالٰی : « و لیضربن بخمرھن علی جیوبھن » : ۴۱۰۲ ] "May Allah have mercy on the first emigrant women; when Allah revealed this verse: «وَ لْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلٰى جُيُوْبِهِنَّ » they tore their thickest cloaks and wore them."

➐ {لَا يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا لِبُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ … :} That is, the adornment that is unintentionally revealed, i.e., clothing is itself visible, whether inside or outside the house, there is no sin in the visibility of clothing, but apart from this, apparent adornment, i.e., the face and hands, can only be displayed in front of those mentioned in this verse, who are twelve (12) in total. Along with them are those mentioned in the hadith. The first among them is the husband, in front of whom a woman can display all her apparent and hidden adornment, because all her adornment is a trust for the husband. However, in front of the others mentioned, she can only uncover her face and hands.

In {’’ اَوْ اٰبَآىِٕهِنَّ اَوْ اٰبَآءِ بُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ ‘‘} "fathers" includes grandfathers, great-grandfathers, maternal grandfathers, and great maternal grandfathers. The same ruling applies to foster fathers and grandfathers. The verse does not mention uncles and maternal uncles. Some people said that they are not mentioned because if they see their niece, they might mention her beauty in front of their sons, so according to them, there should be hijab from uncles and maternal uncles as well, but this is incorrect. The reality is that uncles and maternal uncles are also considered as fathers, and they are metaphorically called fathers, as the sons of Yaqub (peace be upon him) said: « نَعْبُدُ اِلٰهَكَ وَ اِلٰهَ اٰبَآىِٕكَ اِبْرٰهٖمَ وَ اِسْمٰعِيْلَ وَ اِسْحٰقَ اِلٰهًا وَّاحِدًا » [ البقرۃ : ۱۳۳ ] "We will follow the religion of your fathers, Ibrahim, Ismail, and Ishaq, who is one God." In this, Ismail (peace be upon him) is called the father of Yaqub (peace be upon him), although he was his uncle. The same ruling applies to foster uncles and maternal uncles. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that her foster uncle came and asked permission to enter, but she refused to allow him without asking the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came and she asked him about it, and he said: [ إِنَّهُ عَمُّكِ فَأْذَنِيْ لَهُ، قَالَتْ، فَقُْلْتُ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ! إِنَّمَا أَرْضَعَتْنِي الْمَرْأَةُ وَلَمْ يُرْضِعْنِي الرَّجُلُ، قَالَتْ فَقَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ إِنَّهُ عَمُّكِ فَلْيَلِجْ عَلَيْكِ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ وَ ذٰلِكَ بَعْدَ أَنْ ضُرِبَ عَلَيْنَا الْحِجَابُ، قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ يَحْرُمُ مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ مَا يَحْرُمُ مِنَ الْوِلَادَةِ ] [بخاري، النکاح، ما یحل من الدخول… : ۵۲۳۹ ] "He is your uncle, let him enter." She said: "O Messenger of Allah! The woman nursed me, not the man." She said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "He is your uncle, let him enter." Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "And this incident is after the obligation of hijab." Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "All the relationships that are forbidden by birth are also forbidden by breastfeeding."

In {’’ اَوْ اَبْنَآىِٕهِنَّ۠ اَوْ اَبْنَآءِ بُعُوْلَتِهِنَّ ‘‘} "sons" includes all offspring, sons, grandsons, great-grandsons, and all descendants. In {’’ اَوْ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ اَوْ بَنِيْۤ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ اَوْ بَنِيْۤ اَخَوٰتِهِنَّ ‘‘} brothers and sisters include full siblings (from both parents), paternal siblings (from the father only), and maternal siblings (from the mother only). Such brothers, nephews, and their sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons, and anyone down the line, there is no hijab from any of them, rather all men with whom marriage is forbidden, there is no hijab from any of them, such as son-in-law and mother-in-law, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: [ لَا يَحِلُّ لِامْرَأَةٍ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللّٰهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ تُسَافِرَ مَسِيْرَةَ يَوْمٍ وَ لَيْلَةٍ لَيْسَ مَعَهَا حُرْمَةٌ ] [ بخاري، التقصیر، باب في کم یقصر الصلاۃ ؟: ۱۰۸۸ ] "It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel for a day and a night without a mahram." In {’’ اَوْ نِسَآىِٕهِنَّ ‘‘} "their women" not being veiled from them indicates that there is hijab from those who are not their own. Abdul Rahman Kilani (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "By 'their women' is meant Muslim women who meet each other, know each other well, and trust each other. As for other non-Muslim, suspicious, and unknown women, the command to conceal adornment and observe hijab is the same as for non-mahram men. The reason is that it is women who act as pimps, ensnaring young girls and leading them astray, and fully represent Satan. They spread indecency by revealing secrets from one house to another and pave the way for it. There is a severe need to avoid such wicked women. Therefore, all unknown and non-Muslim women or other strange women are also commanded to observe hijab, and it is necessary to restrict their entry into homes just as it is necessary for non-mahram men." (Tayseer al-Qur'an)

In {’’ اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُنَّ ‘‘} a woman can display to her slave what she displays to other mahrams. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) brought a slave to Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), whom he had gifted to her. Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) had a garment, with which if she covered her head, her feet would not be covered, and if she covered her feet, her head would not be covered. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw her difficulty, he said: [ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكِ بَأْسٌ إِنَّمَا هُوَ أَبُوْكِ وَ غُلَامُكِ ] [ أبوداوٗد، اللباس، باب فی العبد ینظر إلی شعر مولاتہ : ۴۱۰۶، قال الألباني صحیح ] "There is no harm upon you, here is only your father and your slave." From this hadith, the command to cover the head and feet in front of strangers is also established. {’’ اَوِ التّٰبِعِيْنَ غَيْرِ اُولِي الْاِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ ‘‘} Its interpretation from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) is mentioned under benefit number (4) of the verse under discussion.

In {’’ اَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِيْنَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوْا عَلٰى عَوْرٰتِ النِّسَآءِ ‘‘} are meant those children who are not yet mature and do not know about the matters of husband and wife. From this, it is understood that hijab should be observed from those minor children who are aware of such matters and can perceive a woman's beauty or lack thereof. This is indicated by the hadith narrated from Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: [ مُرُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَ هُمْ أَبْنَاءُ سَبْعِ سِنِيْنَ وَاضْرِبُوْهُمْ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ عَشْرِ سِنِيْنَ وَ فَرِّقُوْا بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ ] [ أبوداوٗد، الصلاۃ، باب متی یؤمر الغلام بالصلاۃ : ۴۹۵، قال الألباني حسن صحیح ] "Command your children to pray when they are seven years old, and beat them for it when they are ten years old, and separate them in their beds."

In {’’ وَ لَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِاَرْجُلِهِنَّ …‘‘} al-Tabari narrated with a good chain (from Ali ibn Abi Talhah from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both) that it means a woman makes one anklet jingle against the other in the presence of men. She has anklets on her feet, which she moves in the presence of men, so Allah, the Exalted, forbade this, because it is the act of Satan. [ طبري : ۲۶۲۱۷ ] Here, those who do not consider face covering obligatory should reflect: when women are forbidden from striking their feet to make the sound of their anklets lest men become aware of their hidden adornment, which may arouse evil thoughts in their hearts, is this sound more attractive and tempting to men, or the face, which is the mirror of a woman's beauty? Justice is required when making a decision.

➑ It is apparent from this verse that Allah Almighty wants to close every door through which indecency may enter. Therefore, just as expressing adornment by striking the feet is forbidden, so is any action that reveals hidden adornment. Thus, it is forbidden for a woman to go out wearing perfume, she is forbidden from walking in the middle of the road and is commanded to walk on the side. For details, see Ibn Kathir. In addition to displaying adornment, she is forbidden from speaking to non-mahram men in a soft and alluring tone, which may arouse desire in their hearts. [ دیکھیے الأحزاب : ۳۲ ] Even in prayer, instead of saying "Subhan Allah," she is commanded to clap her hands to alert the imam to his mistake. (See Bukhari: 1203) However, when there is no fear of any evil thought, a woman can, while observing hijab, advise men and teach them knowledge, as the Mothers of the Believers and the women of the best generations used to narrate hadiths to men.

A woman is forbidden to travel without a mahram or husband, and seclusion with a non-mahram is forbidden, even sitting alone with her husband's brother is forbidden, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called the brother-in-law "death." (See Bukhari: 5232) Although she is allowed to go to the mosque for prayer and Jumu'ah, prayer in her home is considered better for her, but since in the mosque she can listen to the Qur'an and sermons and gain knowledge, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: [ إِذَا اسْتَأْذَنَتْ أَحَدَكُمُ امْرَأَتُهُ إِلَي الْمَسْجِدِ فَلَا يَمْنَعْهَا ] [ مسلم، الصلاۃ، باب خروج النساء إلی المساجد… : ۴۴۲۔ بخاري : ۸۷۳ ] "If any of your wives asks permission to go to the mosque, do not prevent her."

Women are allowed, rather commanded, to beautify themselves for their husbands, but not to engage in deception that changes their natural form. Women usually do such things to attract non-mahram men, such as thinning the eyebrows, plucking facial hair, adding hair to the head, changing Allah's creation; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed all these. (See Bukhari: 4886)

Similarly, wearing high heels to appear taller was the custom of the women of Bani Israel during their period of corruption. Alas! Now Muslim women, in imitation of the disbelievers, have adopted every method to appear attractive to others, and the sense of honor and dignity of their men has diminished to the extent that they tolerate all this and even encourage it.

➒ {وَ تُوْبُوْۤا اِلَى اللّٰهِ جَمِيْعًا :} From the beginning of the surah until here, since there is always some shortcoming in adhering to the commands, and indeed in every action there is error, therefore, by saying "O believers!" Allah commands turning to Him and repenting from sins, i.e., the requirement of your faith is that for whatever sins you have committed or may commit in the future, repent to Allah and continue to do so. By saying {’’ جَمِيْعًا ‘‘} both men and women are commanded to repent, and as a result of repentance, the glad tidings of success and prosperity are given.

There are three obligations of repentance: (1) Regret for having disobeyed Allah, the Lord of Majesty and Honor, by committing the sin, not for any physical or financial loss. (2) To immediately desist from the sin as soon as possible. (3) To resolve never to commit the sin again. If, due to the evil of the soul, the sin is committed again, then repent again.

There are three etiquettes of repentance: (1) To confess the sin with utmost humility. (2) To supplicate for forgiveness as much as possible with humility. (3) To do as many good deeds as possible to erase past sins. (Al-Tasheel)