Fatwa ID: 06660
Answered by: Maulana Mohammed Dilwar Hussain
Question:
When ulama say that it is permissible to look at women’s faces when talking provided there is no desire or fear of desire. Does that apply nowadays if some women dont even wear hijab?
And will it be permissible to just glance once at a cousin while talking out of necessity to make clear who the addressee is? Even if she dosent wear hijab.
I do my best never to look at a strange woman but since I live with my uncle many interactions with cousins happen
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Allāh Ta’ālā says: “And tell the believing women that they must lower their gazes and guard their private parts, and must not expose their adornment, except that which appears thereof, and must wrap their bosoms with their shawls, and must not expose their adornment…” [Surah An-Noor; 24:31] [1]
Allāh Ta’ālā further states: “O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves part of their Jalābīb (outer garments).” [Surah al-Aḥzāb; 33:59] [2]
The entire body of a free woman is her Awrah, except her face and hands. [Al-Bināyah: vol. 2, pg. 137-138] [3]
Allāh Ta’ālā implores us: “Do not even go close to fornication. It is indeed a shameful act and an evil way to follow.” [Surah Al-Isrā; 17:32] [4]
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads (ways).” The people said; “There is no way out of it as these are our sitting places where we have talks.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “If you must sit there, then observe the rights of the way.” They asked: “What are the rights of the way?” He ﷺ said: “They are the lowering of your gazes (on seeing what is illegal to look at), refraining from harming people, returning greetings, advocating good and forbidding evil.” [Ṣāḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: Hadith 2465] [5]
The ruling on lowering one’s gaze stands as a preventative measure to protect us. The evils of which are clearly visible in our societies when this ruling is exploited. A woman’s face is the pinnacle of her beauty; thus, many scholars of our time have necessitated the use of a Niqāb as a means of protection for all those around her including herself.
If one fears lust or even a hint of possibility towards any Fitnah occurring then he must lower his gaze. Maintaining eye contact with the opposite gender is not a requirement for conversational.
Caution must be stressed when addressing one’s cousins as they are not Mahram. If you are living with them, then that holds its own difficulties as Hijāb will be mandatory between yourselves. All efforts should be exhausted to ensure that the rights of Shariah are not exploited.
May Allāh Ta’ālā ease your affairs. Ameen
Only Allāh Ta’ālā knows best.
Written by Maulana Mohammed Dilwar Hussain
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
}[1]وَقُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ يَغۡضُضۡنَ مِنۡ أَبۡصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحۡفَظۡنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَاۖ وَلۡيَضۡرِبۡنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّۖ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِيٓ إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِيٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوۡ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيۡرِ أُوْلِي ٱلۡإِرۡبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفۡلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَظۡهَرُواْ عَلَىٰ عَوۡرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِۖ وَلَا يَضۡرِبۡنَ بِأَرۡجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعۡلَمَ مَا يُخۡفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّۚ وَتُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ {
[2]﴿يَاأَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لأزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلابِيبِهِنَّ﴾
[3]وبدن الحرة كلها عورة إلا وجهها وكفيها لقوله عليه السلام المرأة عورة مستورة واستثناء العضوين للابتلاء بإدائهما
}[4]وَلَا تَقۡرَبُواْ ٱلزِّنَىٰٓۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَٰحِشَة وَسَآءَ سَبِيلا {
[5]حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عُمَرَ، حَفْصُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْجُلُوسَ عَلَى الطُّرُقَاتِ ”. فَقَالُوا مَا لَنَا بُدٌّ، إِنَّمَا هِيَ مَجَالِسُنَا نَتَحَدَّثُ فِيهَا. قَالَ ” فَإِذَا أَبَيْتُمْ إِلاَّ الْمَجَالِسَ فَأَعْطُوا الطَّرِيقَ حَقَّهَا ” قَالُوا وَمَا حَقُّ الطَّرِيقِ قَالَ ” غَضُّ الْبَصَرِ، وَكَفُّ الأَذَى، وَرَدُّ السَّلاَمِ، وَأَمْرٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَنَ
