You know, I didn’t even know you took it off. But your situation isn’t an easy one. I will tell you, that even those scholars who didn’t consider the face `awrah and the hands, still had conditions for covering. The other madhahib who disagreed said if a woman was beautiful she has to cover. If there is fitnah she has to cover. Fitnah is when men no longer lower their gaze or when there is fear of lust. The Malikiyyah (from those who held the face not to be `awrah) said that if the woman is ugly then she doesn’t have to cover it.
Also, even those scholars who very firmly believed that the face wasn’t awrah, said that in front of a kaafir, she had to cover her face and hands.
And you know Mariyah… as one who strives to become a mu’minah, one should avoid the doubtful. You know the hadeeth about avoiding the doubtful. And this issue is definitely a doubtful one. It isn’t one where you can clearly say it is just permissible, or it’s only mustahabb. No. Like I said above, there are conditions even laid out by the scholars. The malikis said that if a woman has ANY suspicion that a man is looking at her, with lust, she has to cover her wajh. But honestly, how do we know? If the face isn’t `awrah, why do men have to lower their gaze to begin with? Who is to say what beauty is? These questions make these opinions, weirder to me because of all of the ra’ee.
also, what about the ayah of Jilbaab? It wasn’t commanded only for the wives. It was commanded for the daughters, and the believing women. We know there are many and many proofs for what they understood Jilbaab to mean.
Btw, I am more tolerant now but we need to know that even as a follower of lets say a hanafi opinion, it isn’t as black and white as people make it. Even the hanafis of today say women must cover entirely, even though they are the most soft on the issue.
Actually, I am sure you are thinking about it. It would eat at me all the time afterwards, if I did that and I’m pretty sure it eats at you.
But like you said, unfortunately, with all the lack of encouragement in this world and hatred upon the muslimah who covers, it is hard to stay encouraged without knowing “why” it is fardh. It shouldn’t have to be because we know it is waajib, but because you just know it is the thing to do. But I went through that myself and learning why, is why I hold on too. It used to be enough one day to see sisters covered to do it. Or enough to know it was just recommended… but even today, knowing it is waajib for those who follow this way, find it hard.
So definitely, learn why. May Allaah help us all, aameen
Sister, why do you have to love it to wear it? Every command of Allah isn’t easy to do, as Allah tells us that in the Quran how certain deeds are disliked (i. e jihad, giving charity though you love money etc) but yet they should be done. That’s the wrong type of attitude, to say ” I’ll do it when I like it” That’s not reality, that’s not life. You don’t realy have a choice when Allah commands you something.
In this particular case, yes, there may be difference of opinion, but from what I know, once you put on niqaab, you can’t take it off. Deen has be taken seriousily, but not succumb to our whims and desires. “Hmm, i don’t feel like doing this and that today, so I’ll leave it for the day I would love to do it” When you will be raised on Yaum Al Qiyamah, you would wish that your body was sliced in half in the cause of Alllah…so compare to that…what’s a simple veil over your face….?
Each one of us struggles, sometimes we succeed, sometimes we stagger, sometimes we pause…
May Allah make is easy for each one of us. With encouragement and patience and perseverence, we will succeed every day just a little more, and a little more, and a little more….Insha’Allah.
Umm layth you said
“The other madhahib who disagreed said if a woman was beautiful she has to cover. If there is fitnah she has to cover. Fitnah is when men no longer lower their gaze or when there is fear of lust. The Malikiyyah (from those who held the face not to be `awrah) said that if the woman is ugly then she doesn’t have to cover it.”
So what if you feel you are *not* a fitnah? Does that mean you dont have to cover?
I don’t wish to respond to that because you know that I believe firmly that a woman must cover, whether she thinks she is ugly or not. I will say - beauty is in the eye of the beholder -.
You need to decide what your arguments for the many proofs that covering the face is waajib, are. You can make taqleed of any other scholars, who are indeed fewer then those who say the face is `awrah, but do you feel secure with it?
What do the scholars you follow that say the face isn’t awrah, say for the hadeeth of the Nabi (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) who said, al mara’tu `awrah?
I am not going to discuss it because honestly i just dont know the answers to your questions…infact i dont really know which “scholar” i follow. I do what ive been taught by my father.
And Im just not ready yet to concentrate on the niqaab issue…I have a heck of a lot other important issues to deal with in my life right now…
[...] There’s been a lot of chit-chat going on the past couple of days. The subject? Niqab. Like Mariya(h) mentioned in her blog, I was at her house when Umm Tayyab made the proposal. It wasn’t the proposal that really struck me. It was the other words Umm Tayyab said about what happens after the niqab is removed (for some - not all!). It is true that once a sister removes the Niqab, she will often slowly regress in their hijab. And I can testify to this… I removed my niqab around the same time I had my daughter (about 9 months ago). [...]
Umm Layth wrote,
You know, I didn’t even know you took it off. But your situation isn’t an easy one. I will tell you, that even those scholars who didn’t consider the face `awrah and the hands, still had conditions for covering. The other madhahib who disagreed said if a woman was beautiful she has to cover. If there is fitnah she has to cover. Fitnah is when men no longer lower their gaze or when there is fear of lust. The Malikiyyah (from those who held the face not to be `awrah) said that if the woman is ugly then she doesn’t have to cover it.
Also, even those scholars who very firmly believed that the face wasn’t awrah, said that in front of a kaafir, she had to cover her face and hands.
I posted one quote on my blog, http://ummlayth.muslimpad.com/2006/10/22/all-of-the-body-of-a-muslimah-is-awrah-in-front-of-a-disbelieving-man/
And you know Mariyah… as one who strives to become a mu’minah, one should avoid the doubtful. You know the hadeeth about avoiding the doubtful. And this issue is definitely a doubtful one. It isn’t one where you can clearly say it is just permissible, or it’s only mustahabb. No. Like I said above, there are conditions even laid out by the scholars. The malikis said that if a woman has ANY suspicion that a man is looking at her, with lust, she has to cover her wajh. But honestly, how do we know? If the face isn’t `awrah, why do men have to lower their gaze to begin with? Who is to say what beauty is? These questions make these opinions, weirder to me because of all of the ra’ee.
also, what about the ayah of Jilbaab? It wasn’t commanded only for the wives. It was commanded for the daughters, and the believing women. We know there are many and many proofs for what they understood Jilbaab to mean.
Btw, I am more tolerant now but we need to know that even as a follower of lets say a hanafi opinion, it isn’t as black and white as people make it. Even the hanafis of today say women must cover entirely, even though they are the most soft on the issue.
But just think about it.
Link | January 4th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
mariya wrote,
Thank you Umm layth =)
I *am* thinking about it….
Link | January 4th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Umm Layth wrote,
Actually, I am sure you are thinking about it. It would eat at me all the time afterwards, if I did that and I’m pretty sure it eats at you.
But like you said, unfortunately, with all the lack of encouragement in this world and hatred upon the muslimah who covers, it is hard to stay encouraged without knowing “why” it is fardh. It shouldn’t have to be because we know it is waajib, but because you just know it is the thing to do. But I went through that myself and learning why, is why I hold on too. It used to be enough one day to see sisters covered to do it. Or enough to know it was just recommended… but even today, knowing it is waajib for those who follow this way, find it hard.
So definitely, learn why. May Allaah help us all, aameen
Link | January 4th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Umm Layth wrote,
Btw, I don’t think it is a matter of loving to wear it or not. I’m sure you loved covering. It feels awesome.
Link | January 4th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
mariya wrote,
Good advice
Yeah it did feel awesome
..Sigh
Link | January 4th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Sister wrote,
Asalamu Alaikum
Sister, why do you have to love it to wear it? Every command of Allah isn’t easy to do, as Allah tells us that in the Quran how certain deeds are disliked (i. e jihad, giving charity though you love money etc) but yet they should be done. That’s the wrong type of attitude, to say ” I’ll do it when I like it” That’s not reality, that’s not life. You don’t realy have a choice when Allah commands you something.
In this particular case, yes, there may be difference of opinion, but from what I know, once you put on niqaab, you can’t take it off. Deen has be taken seriousily, but not succumb to our whims and desires. “Hmm, i don’t feel like doing this and that today, so I’ll leave it for the day I would love to do it” When you will be raised on Yaum Al Qiyamah, you would wish that your body was sliced in half in the cause of Alllah…so compare to that…what’s a simple veil over your face….?
Link | January 4th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
UmmTayyab wrote,
Oh, Mariya, I didn’t pull the cable yet either!
Each one of us struggles, sometimes we succeed, sometimes we stagger, sometimes we pause…
May Allah make is easy for each one of us. With encouragement and patience and perseverence, we will succeed every day just a little more, and a little more, and a little more….Insha’Allah.
Link | January 4th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
UmmTayyab wrote,
LOL! (};{]]]
Link | January 4th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
Mariya wrote,
Umm layth you said
“The other madhahib who disagreed said if a woman was beautiful she has to cover. If there is fitnah she has to cover. Fitnah is when men no longer lower their gaze or when there is fear of lust. The Malikiyyah (from those who held the face not to be `awrah) said that if the woman is ugly then she doesn’t have to cover it.”
So what if you feel you are *not* a fitnah? Does that mean you dont have to cover?
Link | January 5th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Umm Layth wrote,
I don’t wish to respond to that because you know that I believe firmly that a woman must cover, whether she thinks she is ugly or not. I will say - beauty is in the eye of the beholder -.
You need to decide what your arguments for the many proofs that covering the face is waajib, are. You can make taqleed of any other scholars, who are indeed fewer then those who say the face is `awrah, but do you feel secure with it?
What do the scholars you follow that say the face isn’t awrah, say for the hadeeth of the Nabi (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) who said, al mara’tu `awrah?
Link | January 5th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
mariya wrote,
I am not going to discuss it because honestly i just dont know the answers to your questions…infact i dont really know which “scholar” i follow. I do what ive been taught by my father.
And Im just not ready yet to concentrate on the niqaab issue…I have a heck of a lot other important issues to deal with in my life right now…
Link | January 5th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Umm Layth wrote,
I don’t know what is more important than fulfilling your obligations with Allaah.
http://abulayth.muslimpad.com/2007/01/05/my-letter-to-the-sisters/
Link | January 5th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
mariya wrote,
…=)
Link | January 5th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
ummnour wrote,
Thats a nice article mashAllah Umm Layth =)
Link | January 6th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Jihad of a Woman » Friendly neighborhood niqabi… wrote,
[...] There’s been a lot of chit-chat going on the past couple of days. The subject? Niqab. Like Mariya(h) mentioned in her blog, I was at her house when Umm Tayyab made the proposal. It wasn’t the proposal that really struck me. It was the other words Umm Tayyab said about what happens after the niqab is removed (for some - not all!). It is true that once a sister removes the Niqab, she will often slowly regress in their hijab. And I can testify to this… I removed my niqab around the same time I had my daughter (about 9 months ago). [...]
Link | January 6th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
UmmZahra aka (ages ago) ... Vickypeach wrote,
This is a very difficult issue… and I feel for you. I agree with UmmTayyab… May Allah guide us all.
Link | January 6th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Umm Ubaydah wrote,
Asalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullaahi
Subhan Allaah, really sad to see you have taken your niqaab off.
I pray that Allaah makes your situaion easier. Ameen
Link | January 26th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
mariya wrote,
walaykom salaam warahmatullaah fish face =P
Link | January 26th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Ameena wrote,
dude…update
Link | January 31st, 2007 at 9:36 am
Traveller wrote,
as salaamu ‘alaykum khoori,
singa haal jaal deh? thought i’d pop by and give u my salaamuna, i ain’t forgotten ya.
umeed deh jaadki theek thaak di, iA. you must be busy (no updates innit)..hope everything’s well, iA.
until next time,
khudai pa amaan.
Link | February 26th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Maverick wrote,
Its like, March?
any updates?
Link | March 1st, 2007 at 12:41 am
UmmZahra wrote,
where are u girl
Link | April 7th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Traveller wrote,
eh jinaaaay! chirta laarli?
i’ve tagged you in the hope of reviving your blog..check out mine for details
as salaamu ‘alaykum
Link | April 12th, 2007 at 10:15 am