Q: I have a question regarding niqab and i would be so grateful if you answered it for me.

What s the ruling concerning niqab according to the Hanafi rulings? I read its waj ib if there s fear of fitnah. Will I be committing si ns if I go in front of a strange male with my hands and hair covered but my face isn t? What if it s someone like the gardener or the postman and you know there s no fear o f fitnah possible there because you know these people inside out do I still have t o hide myface from them? Will I be committing sins if I do hijab in front them but i don t do niqab? Why do I have to follow the rulings of what the scholars of today say when Imam AbuHanifa did not say wearing niqab is wajib or farz?Why is wearing niqab wajib and not farz? What s the difference between something being wajib and something being farz. Farz means you have to do it so wajib means what, that its not a must? A: First and foremost I d like to put to you a very simple scenario if the Prophet Mu ha mmedPBUH were to see the condition of our society would he or would he not descr ibe it as atime of immense fitnah, I believe you know fully well the answer to t hat.Another point on seeing the condition of our society and the array of dress code, tell methis would the prophet SAW favor just the covering of the hair and wearing the cloak agreater and more virtuous act than wearing of the hijab and t he nikab. My sister we allknow the answer to these questions deep in our hearts. The veiling of the face is notsomething that has come about after the Prophet ( SAAW) it was there and practiced byour mothers the wives of the prophet SAW and the sahabiyya.Many a time people have argued whether the sahaabiyat used to obse rve hijab or not.Such arguments are predominantly centered around the actual vei ling of the face,proclaiming that such an act was not alive within the sahabbiya t (female companions).This argument however is merely false and bears no weight. There are many evidential ahadith and incidents which reinforce the observance o f hijaband actual veiling of the face within the era of the glorious prophecy.Ha zarat Ali (RA) narrates that once he was in yhe presence of the noly prophet saw whenthe the holy prophet saw questioned, "Tell me what is the most worthy act o f a woman?"Upon hearing this all the companions of the holy prophet SAW remained silent. Hazrat Ali (RA) further reports that when I returned home L forwarded the same question toHazrat Fatimah (RA) She replied " A woman should not see any man nor should a mansee her ." Hazrat Ali (RA) says " I then related this to the holy prophet SA W and hestated that " Fatimah is my beloved child for this reason she has unders tood.Hazrat Qais Ibne Shammas (RA) reports that Umme Khallad (RA) came to the Ho lyProphet SAW to enquire about one of her sons whom had been killed in one of th e battlesin the path of Allah. When she arrived she had a veil covering her face . Upon seeing thisone of the companioms of the holy Prophet SAW said "How is is that even under suchunfortunate conditions ( inspite of such grief and sorrow) y ou wear the hijab?"Hazrat Umme Khallad replied "If I have lost my son I have not lost my modestyFrom this we can learn how the sahabiyat remained firm upon the observence of hijabeven at times of difficulty and misery.Considering the fact t hat all female believers are the daughters of the prophet SAW andthat he himself was flawless, the above incidence are evident enough of the fact that thesahabi yyat were observers of hijab.There are 7 verses in the Quran concerning Hjiab ac oording to th tafsir of these 7 versesarise 3 grades of HijabThe highest of the 3 grades is that a woman should remain in her home as far as it ispossible.The 2 nd grade of Hijab is that if the need should arise that a woman must go out then thisshould be carried out in such a manner which conceals her entirely. Whilst observing thisgrade of hijab, the application of excess scent, the wearing of ti nkling jewellery, toexercise caution when walking so as not to enter the heart o

f a mixed crowd etc are alsopoints to be borne in mind.The 3rd and the lowest gr ade of hijab is in accordance to the ayyah of Surah Noor"Except that which is ev ident." This verse is one of dirrering interpretations. Somescholars believe tha t 'evident' connotates the actual burqa and niqaab whilst others haveinterpreted that 'except that which is evident refers to the face and the hands.From amongs t the 4 imams, Lmam Malik, Shafi and Ahned (RA) have unanimouslyagreed upon the first of the two interpretations. According to the schools of thoughtrelated to these Imams, no room has been given to the unveiling of the face and handsregard less of the fear of unlawful acts or not.Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) has differed in hi s opinion favoring the latter of the 2interpretations, however, he has only acce pted the unveiling of the face and hands whenthere is no fear of unlawful acts a rising in the process of this 3rd grade of Hijab However such unveiling within this day and age would obviously give rise to unla wfulways and so the necessity of entire concealment becomes much reienforced, co nsequentlythe great scholars after Imam-e-Aazam (RA) agree with the thoughts of Imam Malik Shafi and Ahned (RA)IN view of this the 3rd grade of Hijab has become invalidated and impermissible.Conclusively, Muslim women should observe either of the two valid and permittedgrades of hijabfuthermore how do we judge whether there is no fitnah from revealing the face in front of the postman the milkman e tc for we do not have the knowledge of what they posses inthere heart only Allah is aware of that so Why become A cause of fitnah yourself andcarry the heavy bu rden of being the cause of immodestyas for farz and wajib to deny or miss a farz makes one murtad (out of the fold of Islaam)whereas wajib command is incumbent and to leave it out renders a person sinful but doesnot come out of the fold of Islaam. Allah knows best.