COVERING THE FACE

According to the Shari’ah, in principle/as a rule, a woman should cover her face. She is not allowed to expose it in front of a male stranger. If she does so, then it should be noted that she will be sinful. 

Nevertheless, we know that merely covering the face does not render a woman Deendaar. Together with the covering of the face, there are other aspects that need to be included to consider a person Deendaar. This is something that no one can claim the contrary. Nonetheless, it is also true that a Deendaar woman cannot go out without covering her face as she will be neglecting a command of Allah Ta’ala. A person who disobeys Allah Ta’ala cannot be a Deendaar person. 

It is like the four wheels that a car needs in order to drive. Only one wheel is not sufficient. However, this does not mean that that one wheel does not contribute and is not important. Similarly, merely covering the face is not sufficient to render a woman Deendaar. There must also be other matters. Nonetheless, it does not mean that covering the face is not important.

Another Bid'ah

An act or a practice that has been practiced openly in public in the era of the Sahaabah, Taabi'in, and Tabi Taabi'in, without being contested, is a proof that it is permissible. Otherwise, it would have been contested. Besides these three epochs, the Shari’ah did not give this guaranty in regards to any country or place. If something is being practiced in a country or a place without any problem, it is not a proof of its permissibility. To believe in such a principle will be a novelty and a Bid'ah as it is not a principle of the Shari’ah. 

Therefore, if a country does not say anything about exposing the face, it does not mean that it is permissible. During the season of Hajj, many things against the Shari’ah take place without the slightest contestation. Does it mean that these are permissible because the country does not say anything concerning it?

Tawfeeq-e-Ilaahi

Tawfeeq-e-Ilaahi is the willpower to practice Deen that Allah Ta’ala inspires to His servant. We must ask Allah Ta’ala to grant us this Tawfeeq. If we find something difficult to practice, we should not try to prove that it is not important. This is something very grave. We should accept our weakness of not being able to put it into practice. We must make Dua to Allah Ta’ala to get the Tawfeeq and the willpower. When Allah Ta’ala grants the willpower, even difficult things also become easy. However, without this Tawfeeq, things which are very easy also become very difficult. 

Similarly, when we find that keeping the beard according to the Sunnah and covering the face is difficult or it does not form part of our life, we should not say that keeping the beard or covering the face is not important. This is called concealing one’s shortcomings behind false arguments. And this is labelled as Kibr (pride) in the Shari’ah as it prevents a person from accepting the truth. 

The facts of the Shari’ah must not be distorted in order to justify one’s shortcomings. A good Muslim must always accept the truth. The willpower to accept the truth is a means for Allah Ta’ala to pour His favour. Through this favour, things which were difficult, will become easy, Insha-Allah!

[English version of "Couvert figure" – Al Jamiat – Vol.1 No.13]