Hijab in the Light of the Quran and Hadith

HIJAB IN ISLAM society. Here is one of the traditions he refers to in order to support his argument. “Aisha says that Muslim women used to attend the morning prayer led by the Prophet wrapped in a sheet of cloth. Afterwards when they returned home, it was so dark that they could not be recognized.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 578) This narrative makes it clear that their faces were not covered. Had their faces been covered, the question of their being recognized would not arise. The phrase “because of the darkness, they could not be recognized” makes sense only if the faces by which individuals are recognized were uncovered. Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani takes a similar stand as regards the covering of a woman’s hands, quoting a famous tradition narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas that once the Messenger of God addressed the women to urge them to give alms (sadaqah). Afterward, Bilal ibn Rabah, a Companion of the Prophet, spread a sheet on which the women began throwing their rings. After quoting this tradition, the author quotes Ibn Hazm: “Ibn ‘Abbas saw the hands of women in the presence of the Prophet. This proves that the face, as well as the hands, are not included in the parts of the body to be covered. Indeed, all other parts except these have to be veiled.” (Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, Hijab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah fil Kitab was-Sunnah [1914], p. 31)