Question:
Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLah wa barakatuh Mufti
I hope you are fine bi idni Lah
I want to question you about the awra of women
In the hanafi school, Can a woman wear the hijab like this (photo attached, it’s a photo of a man)
We can see that the area between the chin and the neck (= the area that is perpendicular to the spinal cord) is uncovered
Jazakum Lah kheyr Mufti wa salam alaykum
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh..
The condition for women’s Salaah to be valid is that their hair and entire body should be covered. Hence, to perform the Salaah wearing such a cap will be permitted as the hair area and outer face is covered, however a proper, full covering and loose Hijaab should be worn. The face, hands till the wrists and feet (i.e. from below the ankles) do not have to be covered during Salaah.
As far as Hijaab in front on non Mahram males, it is compulsory for women to conceal their entire body, including the face. Allah Ta’ālā says in Surah al-Ahzāb, verse 53:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ
O prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they should draw down their jilbāb (shawls) over them.
Allah Ta’ala mentions in this Ayaah the command of Hijaab and the obligation for women to conceal themselves when they have a need to leave their house. The jilbāb here actually refers to a piece of clothing large enough that it covers the entire body from head to toe.
Thus, from this ayah and many other Ayaats and Ahadith it is Haraam for a female to expose her beauty to non Mahram males, regardless of her intention. Wearing a ‘cap style hijab’ in the presence of Non Mahram males will not fulfil the requirements of proper Hijab.
Rasûllullah (Sallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“A woman is an object of concealment. Thus, when she emerges (from her home) Shaitaan surreptitiously pursues her”. (And he lies in wait to create mischief & fitnah by leading her astray and others astray through her). (Tirmidhi)
You may further read The Issue of the Hijab of Women and its Boundaries
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best.
Mufti Arshad Ali
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)