Saudi Wants Divorce After Husband Lifts Her Veil

**MidnightRose** · 09-24-2015

Although this is an old story, I thought I'd share it with everyone. It seems funny. However, at the same time I feel bad for everyone involved.

Article published on Monday, 08 October 2007 @ http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2007/10/08/40103.html

A 50-year-old Saudi woman asked for divorce after her husband lifted her face veil while she was sleeping, local press reported.

For 30 years, the wife said she never showed her face to her husband in conformity with the tradition of her native village near the south western Saudi city of Khamis Mushayt.

"After all these years, he tries to commit such a big mistake," the wife told Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadh, after she left the house in total disbelief.

She said the husband apologized and promised never to do it again.

This is not the first case of husbands who have not seen their wives' faces in decades.

In the past Al Arabiya has reported the case of Ali al-Qahtani, whose wife had been wearing the face veil for the entire ten years of their marrage. When he tried to take it off, she threatened to leave and only decided to stay after he swore never to try again.

Hassan Al-Atibi threatened to marry another woman if his wife didn't show him her face. The woman nominated one of her friends who doesn't observe this tradition as a possible new wife for him, saying this would be better than her showing her face.

And neither the husband or children of Om Rabea al-Gahdaray, 70, have ever seen her face. Al-Gahdaray says it is a family tradition, also followed by mother and sisters, which her husband accepted and never tried to change.

When asked how she could have kids without her husband ever seeing her face, she replied: "Marriage is about love, not faces."

The practice of always remaining veiled, even in front of your husband, is not an Islamic practice but a very old tradition practiced by a minority of people in Gulf countries.

**Abz2000** · 09-24-2015

i wonder, do their fathers or brothers get to ever see them?
i'm sure the husband would have more right!

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty;
that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof;
that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments.
And O Believers! turn you all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.
Quran 24:31

From Abu Hurayrah: “I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when a man came and told him that he had married a woman of the Ansaar.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him, ‘Have you seen her?’
He said, ‘No.’
He said, ‘Go and look at her, for there is something in the eyes of the Ansaar.”
(Reported by Muslim, no. 1424; and by al-Daaraqutni, 3/253 (34))

From al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah: “I proposed marriage to a woman, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Have you seen her?’
I said, ‘No.’
He said, ‘Look at her, because it is more fitting that love and compatibility be established between you.’”

According to another report: “So he did that, and he married her and mentioned that they got along.”

(Reported by al-Daaraqutni, 3/252 (31, 32); Ibn Maajah, 1/574)

From Sahl ibn Sa’d (may Allaah be pleased with him): “A woman came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, I have come to give myself to you (in marriage).”
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) looked at her closely, then he lowered his head.
When the woman saw that he had not made a decision about her, she sat down.
One of his Companions stood up and said, O Messenger of Allaah, if you do not want her, then marry her to me…’”
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 7/19; Muslim, 4/143; al-Nisaa’i, 6/113 bi Sharh al-Suyooti; al-Bayhaqi, 7/84)

The sayings of the scholars on the extent to which one may look at one’s fiancéeAl-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “If he wants to marry a woman, he is not allowed to see her without a headcover. He may look at her face and hands when she is covered, with or without her permission. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):*‘… and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent…’ [al-Noor 24:31].
He said: ‘The face and hands.’” (al-Haawi al-Kabeer, 9/34).

Imaam al-Nawawi said in*Rawdat al-Taalibeen wa ‘Umdat al-Mufteen*(7, 19-20):
“When (a man) wants to marry (a woman), it is preferable (mustahabb) for him to look at her so that he will have no regrets.

According to another view, it is not preferable but it is allowed. The first view is correct because of the ahaadeeth, and it is permitted to look repeatedly, with or without her permission. If it is not easy to look at her, he may send a woman to check her out and describe her to him.
A woman may also look at a man if she wants to marry him, for she will like in him what he likes in her.
What is permissible for him to look at is the face and hands, front and back. He should not look at anything else.”

Abu Haneefah permitted looking at the feet as well as the face and hands. (Bidaayah al-Mujtahid wa Nihayyat al-Muqtasid, 3/10)

“It is permissible to look at the face, hands and feet, and no more than that.”

Ibn Rushd also quoted it as above.

Among the reports from the madhhab of Imaam Maalik:
He may look at the face and hands only.He may look at the face, hands and forearms only.

Al-Zayla’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “It is not permissible for him to touch her face or hands – even if is sure that this will not provoke desire – because she is still haraam for him, and there is no need for him to do so.”

In*Durar al-Bihaar*it says: “It is not permitted for the qaadi, the witnesses or the fiancé to touch her, even if they are sure that this will not provoke desire, because there is no need for that…”
(Radd al-Muhtaar ‘ala’l-Durr al-Mukhtaar, 5/237)

**Ahmed2014** · 09-24-2015

Such jahiliya...

So he can't see his own wife in bed? I heard of these tribal customs where some men cannot even see their wife before marriage and only on the day of the nikkah. But to this extreme that they never remove their veil? What non-sense is this? SubhanAllah...