Wearing Niqab During Hajj and 'Umrah

Wearing Niqab During Hajj and 'Umrah

 

Question 490. What is the ruling on covering the face with a Niqab in Hajj, because I have read a Hadith whose meaning is that a woman in the state of Ihram should not cover her face, nor should she wear gloves.  And I have read another statement attributed to ?Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, when they were in Hajj, in which she said: ?When men passed by us, we used to cover our faces and once we had passed by them, we would uncover our faces.? How may we reconcile these two statements?

 

Shaykh Ibn al-'Uthaymeen رحمه الله answered:

 

The correct view in this is what is proven by the Hadith, and that is the Prophet?s prohibition to a woman in the state of Ihram from covering her face.  So, the woman in Ihram is forbidden to wear a Niqab in any circumstances, whether unrelated men pass by her or not: accordingly, it is unlawful for a woman in a state of Ihram to wear a Niqab, whether she is performing Hajj or ?Umrah.

 

The Niqab is well-known to women:  It is to cover the face with a veil which has two holes for the eyes.  As for the Hadith of ?Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, it does not contradict the prohibition of wearing a Niqab, because the hadith of ?Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, it is not mentioned that the women wore the Niqab, it only says that they covered their faces, without using a Niqab.  This is something which is essential if men pass by women, they must cover their faces, because veiling the face from unrelated men is obligatory, so based upon this, we say that wearing the Niqab is unlawful for a woman in the state of Ihram in any circumstances; as for covering her face, It is better for her to uncover her face, it is obligatory for her to cover it, however, she should do so with something other than a Niqab.? 

 

[Fatawa Arkanul-Islam, page 731, question 490]

 

______________

 

Is it permissible for the woman in Ihraam to cover her face?

 

It is permissible for the woman who is in a state of Ihraam to cover her face with an adjoining/alternative (cloth) other than the niqaab and the burqa’.

 

Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله

 

Ikhtiyaaraat al-Fiqhiyyah min Fataawaa Shaikh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah page 117

 

Translated by Aboo Haatim Muhammad Farooq

WOMEN CLOTHES FOR IHRAAM

WOMEN CLOTHES FOR IHRAAM

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah رضي الله عنها  said: “We used to go out with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when we were in ihraam. If we met the riders we would lower our garments over our faces.

 

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1833; Ibn Maajah, 2935)

 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen رحمه الله  said:

 

It is not narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the woman in ihraam to cover her face; rather he forbade the niqaab only because it is worn on the face. He differentiated between the niqaab and covering the face. Based on this, if a woman in ihraam covers her face, we say there is nothing wrong with that, but it is better for her to uncover it so long as there are no non-mahram men around her, in which case she should cover her face from them. Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/153

 

عن عائشة قالت : كنا نخرج مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ونحن محرمات فإذا التقينا الركبان سدلنا الثوب على وجوهنا سدلاً . رواه أبو داود ( 1833 ) وابن ماجه ( 2935 ) .

 

يقول الشيخ ابن عثيمين :

 

لم يرد عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه حرّم على المحرمة تغطية وجهها وإنما حرم عليها النقاب فقط لأنه لباس الوجه وفرق بين النقاب وتغطية الوجه وعلى هذا فلو أن المرأة المحرمة غطت وجهها لقلنا : هذا لا بأس به ولكن الأفضل أن تكشفه ما لم يكن حولها رجال أجانب فيجب عليها أن تستر وجهها عنهم . " الشرح الممتع " ( 7/153 )

 

Hajj of a minor

Hajj of a minor

 

Question: If I want to take my son, who has not yet reached adolescence, with me to Hajj, should I dress him in ihraam clothes and do all the rituals on his behalf, such as doing tawaaf on his behalf, etc., or should I dress him in regular clothes and not do anything on his behalf since he is little and does not have to do Hajj?

 

Answer: If a child has reached the age of discernment but has not yet reached adolescence and his father or guardian wants to take him for Hajj, he should tell him to put on ihraam garments and the child should do all the rituals of Hajj for himself, starting with entering ihraam from the meeqaat, until the end of the actions of Hajj, and his father or guardian should stone the Jamaraat on his behalf if he cannot do that himself. He should tell him to avoid the things that are forbidden whilst in ihraam. But if the child is below the age of discernment, then his father or guardian should make the intention of entering ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah on his behalf, and do Tawaaf and Sa’ee with him, and take him with him for all the other rituals, and stone the Jamaraat on his behalf.

 

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad.

 

Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Iftaa’ – Fataawa al-Lajnah, 11/22.

 

حج الصغير

 

إذا أردت أن يحج معي ابني الذي لم يبلغ الحلم، هل ألبسه ملابس الإحرام وأقوم نيابة عنه بجميع المناسك كأن أطوف عنه..إلخ، أم ألبسه ملابسه العادية ولا أقوم عنه بشيء طالما أنه صغير ولا حج عليه ؟.

 

 الصبي المميز الذي لم يبلغ الحلم إذا أراد وليه أن يحج به فإنه يأمره بأن يلبس ملابس الإحرام، ويفعل (الصبي ) بنفسه جميع مناسك الحج ابتداءً من الإحرام من الميقات إلى آخر أعمال الحج، ويرمي عنه ( وليه ) إن لم يستطع الرمي بنفسه، ويأمره بأن يجتنب المحظورات في الإحرام ، وإذا لم يكن مميزاً فإنه ( أي وليه ) ينوي عنه الإحرام بعمرة أو حج ، ويطوف ويسعى به ويُحضره معه في بقية المناسك ويرمي عنه.

 

 وبالله التوفيق وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم .

 

 اللجنة الدائمة للبحوث العلمية والإفتاء (فتاوى اللجنة 11/22).