Fatwa Number: 1192

Category: Fatwas about Clothes.

The ruling concerning removing An-Niqâb for a necessity.

Question:

I am a divorced sister and I have a son. I work as a teacher in a primary school, and I wear the An-Niqâb (1) considering it as recommended and not compulsory, and when I enter the school I remove it because it is illegal, and because we are bound to receive the parents and attend meetings with men. Thus I want to remove it for this reason, and for another reason, which is because the custom –in our society– is that every woman wearing a Niqâb is married; thus am I committing a sin if I remove it? May Allah bless you.

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection. This being so said:

Regardless of the ruling concerning women’s working which has been demonstrated in a previous fatwa(2), the ruling of An-Niqâb is accounted as recommended, combining between the hadiths narrated thereupon, which determine that it is preferable and desirable as a perfection for the woman’s appearance, and it is–in my opinion–the correct one among scholar’s two opinions.

Therefore, if a woman wears An-Niqâb –for this reason– to obey Allah then she must not remove it in order to get married or for anything as such, following his saying–سبحانه وتعالى–:

﴿وَلَا تُبۡطِلُوٓاْ أَعۡمَٰلَكُمۡ﴾ [محمَّد: 33].

The meaning of the verse:

“And let not your deeds go vain.” [Muhammed: 33]

Thus Allah rewards his good servant by his loyal, honest intention, and He facilitates for him the matters that he wishes for. Hence when she is with her Maharim ( family members whom she cannot marry) or little children under the age of puberty there is no harm if she removes her Niqâb, but in other situations, the preferability remains persistent with regards to her. And she should not –in this case– let her deed go to waste unless in case of necessity or urgency even if she was not committing a sin thereby. For racing to what is good is better for her, and Allah  سبحانه وتعالىwill compensate her with good, and Allah allows not the reward of those who are reformers and righteous to perish.

And perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ; and our last prayer is all the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers of Allah are to Mohammad and his Family, Companions and Brothers until the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers on: Al-Muharram the 7^th, 1439 H.
Corresponding to: September the 7^th, 2017G.