Fatwa ID: 05619

Answered by: Maulana Syed Johir Miah

Question:

I have a friend who really wants to wear the niqab and she says she would feel safe wearing it in the city that she lives in, but when she would visit the city that her parents live in she wouldn’t be comfortable as people could be racist and she would fear for her safety.

Is this allowed that she wears it in her city, but not in the city where she feels unsafe but still wears a hijab?

Another question regarding the niqab was that she is looking into starting a YouTube channel just about general day to day life and what she gets up to so that she can feel motivated to get out and about and do things and help other people go out and do things whether it be going to museums, the park taking on challenges to improve one’s health and talking about some of the struggles some of the Muslim women may face and how to overcome it so she says that she would like to wear a niqab to help keep her identity private and to not have men thinking of her beauty if they were to come across any of her videos and so that she can still give a positive influence to the younger Muslimahs.

Is she allowed to wear the niqab online but does not wear it day to day but she lets her viewers know that she only wears the hijab offline and not niqab so that she is not deceiving anyone?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

It is rejoiceful news to hear your friend wants to wear the niqab, which is amongst the commandment of Allah (عز و جل)and there is great reward in doing so, especially due to the trials and tribulations nowadays more than ever before.

May Allah (عز و جل)enable her to do so. Ameen.

She can start wearing the niqab in her own city where she feels safe and as for any place where she feels she will not be safe, the best thing to do is to wear the niqab around family or friends and when she is not alone. This will be a deterrent from any attacks, Insha Allah.

However, by any means, if coincidentally she is alone and fears that her life will be in danger and she wants to remove the niqab only momentarily until it is determined that she is not under any threat, then she might do so.

You mentioned that your friend wants to start a YouTube channel just about general day to day life and what she gets up to so that she can feel motivated to get out and about and do things and help other people go out and do things whether it be going to museums, the park taking on challenges to improve one’s health and talking about some of the struggles some of the Muslim women may face and how to overcome it. However, she must realise once she is on any social platform, her voice, appearance etc. is easily viewed by people around the world and that is against the ruling of the hijab, as a woman’s voice and appearance are restricted in Islam for her health being.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Syed Johir Miah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham