Is Niqab Compulsory? Question and Answer

Question: Is wearing Niqab one of the conditions of Islamic dress for women?

Summary of answer: Women in ihram and otherwise are obliged to cover their faces in front of non-mahram men, because the face is the center of beauty and it is the place that men look at… and Allah knows best. (Fatawa al-Marah al-Muslimah, 1/396, 397)

What is hijab?

Hijab in Arabic means covering or concealing. Hijab is the name of something that is used to cover. Everything that comes between two things is Hijab. Hijab means everything that is used to cover something and prevent anyone from reaching it, such as curtains, door keepers and garments, etc. .

What is khimar?

Khimar comes from the word khamr, the root meaning of which is to cover...

Difference between khimar and hijab

The difference between the Hijab and the Khimar is that the Hijab is something which covers all of a woman’s body, whilst the Khimar in general is something with which a woman covers her head.

What is Niqab?

Niqab is that with which a woman veils her face...

Difference between Hijab and Niqab

The difference between Hijab and Niqab is that the Hijab is that which covers all the body, whilst Niqab is that which covers a woman’s face only.

Is niqab compulsory?

But the Niqab or burqa’ – which shows the eyes of the woman – has become widespread among women, and some of them do not wear it properly...

What is the prescribed hijab in Islam?

Shaykh Muhammad al-Salih al-‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The Hijab prescribed in shari’ah means that a woman should cover everything that it is haram for her to show...

Should a woman cover her face?

Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan (may Allah preserve him) said: “The correct view as indicated by the evidence is that the woman’s face is ‘awrah which must be covered...

Evidence for niqab from the Sunnah

In the Sunnah, there are many ahadith, such as: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The woman in ihram is forbidden to veil her face (wear Niqab) or to wear the burqa’...”

And Allah knows best.

Author: Khadijah Usman for NiqabTribe Blog