Q679 :May I point out some statements given in the
answers by you which do not seem to tally with each other. They concern
the way Muslim women should dress in public. At one point, you say that
a woman’s dress must not be an attraction and that its colors should
not be such as will attract the attention of other people. This is
perfectly understandable. However, you have said on several occasions
that a woman’s face need not be covered. In my humble view, both dress
and face can be highly attractive. Indeed, the face can be much more
so. I request clarification.
A679 : I must admit that the question of whether a
Muslim woman should cover her face or not is a thorny one, not because
we do not have clear instructions by the Prophet about it, but because
people choose to take inflexible stands on it. However, it is not up
to any person to impose on another something which Allah has not
required of him as a duty. There may be all the right arguments
supporting the view that what is advocated by some people is of benefit
to the individual and the netmunity. But the fact that Allah has not
chosen to make it netpulsory means that no one can make it so. Any
Muslim who chooses not to do it violates no rule or principle of Islam.
Having considered the question of women’s dress in all its aspects and
having read all the arguments supporting the view that a woman must
cover her face, I can state categorically, without any equivocation,
that Muslim women are not required by their religion to cover their
faces. That is my clear belief and I can say that this is what I have
learned from great and famous scholars, past and contemporary. When we
describe the dress of a Muslim woman and outline what is required, we
also state clearly that the dress itself must not be eye-catching. The
very concept of propriety, which must always be observed by Muslim
women, makes it clear that the outfit of a Muslim woman must not be
eye-catching. In other words, when she passes by, she should not make
other people’s faces turn to look at her. You are confusing this
requirement with a woman having an attractive face. It is the simple
fact that she cannot do anything about how Allah has created her. If
she is attractive she should thank Allah for that. But we do not read
anywhere in Islamic teachings that a woman with an attractive face must
cover her face. What we read is that a Muslim woman should maintain the
normal Islamic standards of propriety. Whether she is attractive or
not, the fact that she maintains these standards is sufficient to
ensure that she is treated with respect and that people recognize that
there is a virtuous woman who implements a profound faith. May I say
that there are some women who look more attractive when they cover
their head than when they put their head-dress off. Could we say to
such women that they should not cover their heads? It is not the
attraction which makes the rule. The rule is there to be implemented by
all women. They should not take a positive action in order to attract
men to look at them. That is what is meant by having a dress which is
not eye-catching. But a woman’s face is the one which Allah gave her.
She must not wear makeup when she goes out in public so that she does
not positively attract the attention of others. Similarly, she does not
wear an eye-catching dress. When she has observed the rules, that is
all that is required of her. I hope this clarification is satisfactory.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )