السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
- There is an agreement among the four schools that it is obligatory for every accountable (mukallaf) female to cover her entire body, with the exception of her hands, face, and feet. The Hanafi school does not consider her feet to be awrah and it’s covering to be compulsory.
- The prevailing view within the Shafi’i school requires the covering of the face (niqab) and hands. However, the majority of Shafi’i scholars within our community follow the alternative non-official view in the Shafi’i school, which does not consider the covering of a lady’s hands and face as obligatory.
- In response to your question regarding the area beneath a female’s chin, scholars have defined the face that does not require covering as the part that is directly visible when facing someone. Consequently, the immediate area beneath the curvature of her chin, which faces downward, is considered part of her awrah and should be covered (see diagram below).
- Neglecting to cover this portion of the chin can have serious implications for the validity of her salah and tawaf. It is a precondition for the validity of salah and tawaf that her awrah remains covered. Intentionally exposing any part of her awrah during these acts renders them invalid.
- The only exception to the above discussion is the view of the Maliki scholar, Ibn Atiyyah, who held that if a small portion of her face becomes exposed due to her movements, it would be overlooked.
- Likewise, the Hanbali school also maintained that if a small portion of the awrah becomes exposed during prayer, it would be overlooked, and the prayer would not be considered invalid.
- Our sisters should exercise great care to ensure that the immediate area beneath their chin remains covered at all times, especially during acts of worship. A similar area that sisters often expose is their wrists. The wrists are considered part of their awrah, and if exposed during salah and tawaf, invalidate these acts of worship.
والله تعالى أعلم
And Allāh knows best
The red line demarcates the boundary of the face, and anything beyond it is considered part of the awrah for a mukallaf female.
النصوص المستندة إليها
بشرى الكريم
وحده – ﺃﻱ اﻟﻮﺟﻪ – ﻃﻮﻻ (ﻣﺎ ﺑﻴﻦ ﻣﻨﺒﺖ ﺷﻌﺮ ﺭﺃﺳﻪ) ﺃﻱ: ﻣﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺷﺄﻧﻪ ﺫﻟﻚ، (ﻭ) ﺃﺳﻔﻞ (ﻣﻘﺒﻞ ﺫﻗﻨﻪ) ﺑﻔﺘﺢ اﻟﻤﻌﺠﻤﺔ (ﻭ) ﻋﺮﺿﺎ (ﻣﺎ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺃﺫﻧﻴﻪ)؛ ﻷﻥ اﻟﻮﺟﻪ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻘﻊ ﺑﻪ اﻟﻤﻮاﺟﻬﺔ، ﻭﻫﻲ ﺗﻘﻊ ﺑﺬﻟﻚ
تحفة المحتاج
ﻭﻫﻮ ﻃﻮﻻ ﻇﺎﻫﺮ (ﻣﺎ ﺑﻴﻦ ﻣﻨﺎﺑﺖ) ﺷﻌﺮ (ﺭﺃﺳﻪ ﻏﺎﻟﺒﺎ ﻭ) ﺗﺤﺖ (ﻣﻨﺘﻬﻰ) ﺃﻱ ﻃﺮﻑ اﻟﻤﻘﺒﻞ ﻣﻦ (ﻟﺤﻴﻴﻪ) ﺑﻔﺘﺢ اللام ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﺸﻬﻮﺭ ﻓﻬﻮ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻮﺟﻪ ﺩﻭﻥ ﻣﺎ ﺗﺤﺘﻪ ﻭاﻟﺸﻌﺮ اﻟﻨﺎﺑﺖ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺎ ﺗﺤﺘﻪ
غاية المنى شرح سفينة النجاة
ويجب تغطية جزء من الوجه من أعلى الجبهة وجزء من لحييهالكي يتحقق تغطية الرأس وتحت الذقن
تفسير ابن عطية
“ويظهر لي في محكم ألفاظ الآية أن المرأة مأمورة بأن لا تبدي، وأن تجتهد في الإخفاء لكل ما هو زينة، ووقع الاستثناء في كل ما غلبها فظهر بحكم ضرورةِ حركةٍ فيمالا بد منه؛ أو إصلاح شأن ونحو ذلك، فما ظهر على هذا الوجه فهو المعفو عنه”.
الفروع وتصحيح الفروع
ولا تبطل [أي: الصلاة] بكشف يسير لا يفحش في النظر عرفاً، وقيل ولو عمداً
