The Niqaab in light of the Holy Quran and Sahih Hadith and in the Opinions of the great scholars....



From the Quran.....(This tafseer is Agreed upon by Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtabi and At-Tabari)

The Noble Qur'an ........

Surah Al-Ahzaab, Verse 59
O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (Jalabib) veils all over their bodies (screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way Tafseer Al-Qurtabi) that is most convenient that they should be known (as such) and not molested: and Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

Surah An-Nur, Verses 30 and 31
And Say to the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal s*xual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, head cover, apro n), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)

From the Hadith.....

Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Hadith 282
Narrated Safiya bint Shaiba (Radhiallaahu nha) Aisha (Radhiallaahu nha) used to say: When (the Verse): They should draw their veils over their necks and bosoms, was revealed, (the ladies) cut their waist sheets at the edges and covered their faces with the cut pieces.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 1, Book 8, Hadith 368
Narrated 'Aisha (Radhiallaahu nha) Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) used to offer the Fajr prayer and some believing women covered with their veiling sheets used to attend the Fajr prayer with him and then they would return to their homes unrecognized . Shaikh Ibn Uthaimin in tafseer of this hadith explains This hadith makes it clear that the Islamic dress is concealing of the entire body as explained in this hadith. Only with the complete cover including the face and hands can a woman not be recognized. This was the understanding and practice of the Sahaba and they were the best of group, the noblest in the sight of Allah (swt) with the most complete Imaan and noblest of characters. so if the practice of the women of the sahaba was to wear the complete veil then how can we deviate from their path? (Ibn Uthaimin in the book Hijaab page 12 and 13)

Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 1, Book 4, Hadith 148
Narrated 'Aisha (Radhiallaahu nha): The wives of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) used to go to Al-Manasi, a vast open place (near Baqia at Medina) to answer the call of nature at night. 'Umar used to say to the Prophet Let your wives be veiled, but Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) did not do so. One night Sauda bint Zam'a the wife of the Prophet went out at 'Isha' time and she was a tall lady. 'Umar addressed her and said, I have recognized you, O Sauda. He said so, as he desired eagerly that the verses of Al-Hijab (the observing of veils by the Muslim women) may be revealed. So Allah revealed the verses of Al-Hijab (A complete body cover excluding the eyes).

Tirmidhi with a SAHIH chain reports...
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) said All of a woman is awrah. (Shaikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid quotes this hadith narrated by Tirmidhi with a sahih isnaad and says this is a direct hadith from Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam ) and has made it clear that a woman must cover everything including the face and hands!)

Abu Dawood Book 14, Hadith 2482
Narrated Thabit ibn Qays (Radhiallaahu nhu): A woman called Umm Khallad came to the Prophet (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) while she was veiled. She was searching for her son who had been killed (in the battle) Some of the Companions of the Prophet (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) said to her: You have come here asking for your son while veiling your face? She said: If I am afflicted with the loss of my son, I shall not suffer the loss of my modesty. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) said: You will get the reward of two martyrs for your son. She asked: Why is that so, oh Prophet of Allah? He replied: Because the people of the Book have killed him.

Abu Dawood Book 32, Hadith 4090
Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin (Radhiallaahu nha): When the verse That they should cast their outer garments over their persons was revealed, the women of Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads by wearing outer garments.

Abu Dawood Book 32, Hadith 4091
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin (Radhiallaahu nha) May Allah have mercy on the early immigrant women. When the verse That they should draw their veils over their bosoms was revealed, they tore their thick outer garments and made veils from them. Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalanee, who is known as Ameer Al-Mu'mineen in the field of Hadith, said that the phrase, covered themselves, in the above Hadith means that they covered their faces. [Fath Al-Bari].

Imaam Malik's MUWATTA Book 20 Hadith 20.5.16
Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that Fatima bint al-Mundhir (Radhiallaahu nha) said, We used to veil our faces when we were in Ihram in the company of Asma bint Abi Bakr As-Siddiq (Radhiallaahu nha). This again proves that not only the wives of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) wore the Niqaab and that even though in Ihram women are not supposed to wear Niqaab but if men are there they still have to cover the face.

Abu Dawood Book 10, Hadith 1829
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: (Radhiallaahu nha) who said, The riders would pass us while we were with the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam). When they got close to us, we would draw our outer cloak from our heads over our faces. When they passed by, we would uncover our faces.
Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah, Narrated 'Aisha. [In his work Jilbab al-Marah al-Muslimah, al-Albani states (p. 108) that it is hasan due to corroborating evidence. Also, in a narration from Asma who was not the wife of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam), Asma also covered her face at all times in front of men.] Shaikh Ibn Uthaimin in his tafseer of this hadith explains This hadith indicates the compulsion of the concealing of the faces as an order of Shariah, because during the Ihram it is wajib (compulsory) NOT to wear the Niqaab. So if it was only mustahab (recommended) to cover the face then Aisha and Asma (Radhiallaahu nha) would have taken the wajib over the mustahab. It is well known by the Ullima that a wajib can only be left because of something that is also wajib or fardh. So Aisha and Asma (Radhiallaahu nha) covering the face even in Ihram in the presence of strange (ghairMahraam) men shows that they understood this to be an act that was wajib or fardh or they would not have covered the face in Ihraam.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 7, Book 72, Hadith 715
Narrated 'Ikrima (Radhiallaahu nhu) narrates Rifa'a divorced his wife whereupon 'AbdurRahman bin Az-Zubair Al-Qurazi married her. 'Aisha said that the lady (came), wearing a green veil. It is a very long hadith but the point is the women of Sahaba wore the full veil.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 1, Book 8, Hadith 347
Narrated Um 'Atiya (Radhiallaahu nha) We were ordered (by Rasulullah '(Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) to bring out our menstruating women and veiled women in the religious gatherings and invocation of Muslims on the two 'Eid festivals. These menstruating women were to keep away from their Musalla. A woman asked, O Allah's Apostle ' What about one who does not have a veil (the veil is the complete cover with only one eye or two eyes showing)? He said, Let her share the veil of her companion. Shaikh Ibn Uthaimin in tafseer of this hadith explained This hadith proves that the general norm amongst the women of the Sahaba (Radhiallaahu nhuma) was that no woman would go out of her home without a cloak, fully concealed and if she did not posses a veil, then it was not possible for her to go out. it was for this reason that when Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) ordered them to go to the Place for Eid Salah, they mentioned this hindrance. As a result Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) said that someone should lend her a veil, but did not say they could go out without it. If Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) did not allow women to go to a place like the Eid Salah, which has been ordered by Shariah for women and men alike, then how can people let women to out to market places and shopping centers without where there is open intermingling of the s*xes, without a veil. (by Shaikh Ibn Uthaimin in the book Hijaab page 11)

Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 8, Book 76, Hadith 572
In the end of this very long hadith it quotes Anas (Radhiallaahu nho) rates from Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) and if one of the women of Paradise looked at the earth, she would fill the whole space between them (the earth and the heaven) with light, and would fill whatever is in between them, with perfume, and the veil of her face is better than the whole world and whatever is in it. This show that even the women of Junnah have veils and the word veil is what covers the face (niqaab).

Abu Dawood Book 33, Hadith 4154, Agreed upon by Nasai
Aisha(Radhiallaahu nha) narrates that on one occasion a female Muslim wanted to give a letter to the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam), the letter was delivered to the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) from behind a curtain.
Note: Quoted in the famous book Mishkaat. Here the Mufasereen of hadith have explained that the hadith where women came up to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) face to face were before the ayah And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. (Surah AlAhzb ayah 53) And this hadith proves this order is for the whole Ummah not just for the wives of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam)!

Abu Dawood Book 2, Hadith 0641
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin (Radhiallaahu nha) Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) said Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached rty unless she wears a veil.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 9, Book 89, Hadith 293
Narrated 'Aisha (Radhiallaahu nha) Utba bin Abi Waqqas said to his brother Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, The son of the slave girl of Zam'a is from me, so take him into your custody. So in the year of Conquest of Mecca, Sa'd took him and said. (This is) my brother's son whom my brother has asked me to take into my custody. 'Abd bin Zam'a got up before him and said, (He is) my brother and the son of the slave girl of my father, and was born on my father's bed. So they both submitted their case before Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam). Sa'd said, O Allah's Apostle! This boy is the son of my brother and he entrusted him to me. 'Abd bin Zam'a said, This boy is my brother and the son of the slave girl of my father, and was born on the bed of my father. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) said, The boy is for you, O 'Abd bin Zam'a! Then Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) further said, The child is for the owner of the bed, and the stone is for the adulterer, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) then said to Sauda bint Zam'a, Veil (screen) yourself before him, when he saw the child's resemblance to 'Utba. The boy did not see her again till he met Allah. note: This hadith proves Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) did infact order the veil to be observed.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 7, Book 65, Hadith 375
Narrated Anas (Radhiallaahu nhu) I know (about) the Hijab (the order of veiling of women) more than anybody else. Ubai bin Ka'b used to ask me about it. Allah's Apostle became the bridegroom of Zainab bint Jahsh whom he married at Medina. After the sun had risen high in the sky, the Prophet invited the people to a meal. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) remained sitting and some people remained sitting with him after the other guests had left. Then Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) got up and went away, and I too, followed him till he reached the door of 'Aisha's room. Then he thought that the people must have left the place by then, so he returned and I also returned with him. Behold, the people were still sitting at their places. So he went back again for the second time, and I went along with him too. When we reached the door of 'Aisha's room, he returned and I also returned with him to see that the people had left. Thereupon Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) hung a curtain between me and him and the Verse regarding the order for (veiling of women) Hijab was revealed.

Abu Dawood Book 32, hadith 4100
Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin (Radhiallaahu nha): I was with Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) while Maymunah was with him. Then Ibn Umm Maktum came. This happened when we were ordered to observe veil. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) said: Observe veil from him. We asked: oh Rasulullah! is he not blind? He can neither see us nor recognize us. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) said: Are both of you blind? Do you not see him?