Fatwa ID: 02026

Answered by Ustadha Maimoonah

Question:

Do women have to cover their faces in front of dewar and behnoyi and can 
women wear fancy clothes on Eid and family weddings jazakallah

Answer:

1) Dewar, (husbands brother)                                                                                                Behnoyi, (Husbands sisters husband)

Both these are ghair mahram; hence the laws of hijab must be observed in front of them both.

Uqba ibn Amir Radiallahu Anh narrates that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam said “beware upon entering women”, a man from the Ansar said “Oh Rasulullah, what about the in-laws?” The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam replied, “The in-laws are death.” [1]

Imam Nawawi Rahimuhullah has commentated regarding this hadeeth that the word in laws mentioned is referring to the closest relatives of the husband, who are not mahram to the wife.

As the ghair mahram in laws are not strangers, easy interaction between such relatives is possible; hence the probability of fitna (corruption) is greater between such relations also. Therefore, extra caution must be taken and the laws of hijab should be closely adhered to.

2) It is permissible for women to wear nice clothes on such occasions, provided it is worn as an expression of Allah’s blessings and not done for arrogance or display in front of ghair mahrams.

Allah Ta’ala has said in the Qur’aan “Eat and drink, and do not be wasteful” [2]

The course of moderation is very desirable in wearing what one wears and living where one lives, in almost everything. Abdullah ibn Abbas Radiallahu Anh said “Eat and drink what you wish and wear what you like. But, take care of two things: One, that there be no israaf (excess from the measure of need) in it, two, that there be no pride and arrogance about it.” [3]

Furthermore, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud Radiallahu Anh narrates that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam is reported to have said that a person who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride will not enter paradise.[4] Hence, one should be careful that by adorning such clothes, the heart remains free of arrogance and pride.

If the above mentioned precautions are taken heed of, there will be nothing wrong with wearing nice clothes, Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam once said to a sahaabi who possessed an abundance of wealth,  “If Allah has given you wealth, then let the effect of Allah’s blessings and generosity be seen on you.” [5]

And Allah knows best

Ustadha Maimoonah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1]

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْخَيْرِ، عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالدُّخُولَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَفَرَأَيْتَ الْحَمْوَ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ الْحَمْوُ الْمَوْتُ ‏"‏‏.

(Saheeh Al- Bukhari v2/p787, qadeemi kutub khana)

[2]

يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُواْ زِينَتَكُمۡ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسۡجِدٍ۬ وَڪُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ وَلَا تُسۡرِفُوٓاْ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ

(Surah A’raaf, verse 31)

[3]

(Ma’ariful Qur’aan, v3/p570, Maktaba e Darul uloom Karachi)

[4]

حَدَّثَنَا مِنْجَابُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ التَّمِيمِيُّ، وَسُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُسْهِرٍ، – قَالَ مِنْجَابٌ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، – عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ لاَ يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ أَحَدٌ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ حَبَّةِ خَرْدَلٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ وَلاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ أَحَدٌ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ حَبَّةِ خَرْدَلٍ مِنْ كِبْرِيَاءَ

(Saheeh Muslim, v1/p91, maktaba rahmaniyyah)

[5]

أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي ثَوْبٍ دُونٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ أَلَكَ مَالٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ نَعَمْ مِنْ كُلِّ الْمَالِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ مِنْ أَىِّ الْمَالِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قَدْ آتَانِيَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الإِبِلِ وَالْغَنَمِ وَالْخَيْلِ وَالرَّقِيقِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَإِذَا آتَاكَ اللَّهُ مَالاً فَلْيُرَ عَلَيْكَ أَثَرُ نِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ وَكَرَامَتِهِ ‏

(Sunan Nasa’ee, v2/p290, qadeemi kutub khana)