Difference of opinion on niqab among scholars

[Banu_Hashim]

Does anyone know of any articles by scholars giving an overview of this issue that I could quote from? I am trying to put together an answer to send to these people and I keep hitting a brick wall every time because it is so complicated with the differences of opinion, I don't know how to summarize it. There is that fatwa I found giving an overview of the difference of opinion, but I feel that I need something more than that because there are so many videos out there of people saying it is not part of Islam or downplaying the significance. I found an extract of a text by Sheikh al-Albaani which had a section refuting those who say it is not part of Islam, but you have to buy the full text if you want to cut and paste from it. So I don't know if it would be wrong to type it out myself even though I can see that part? Please help if you can, brothers and sisters, this issue gets discussed by these people regularly, I feel that I will be failing in my duty if I don't give them a thorough explanation. Jazakum Allahu khair

The scholars of our ummah may Allah reward them immensely spent countless years, following the death of the Prophet (saws) to compile the authentic narrations and derive usool al-fiqh (principles of jurisprudence) from a7adith and the Qur'an. As I understand it, there is a split down the middle as to whether niqab is fardh/wajib (An act btw, if left, preludes to sin!), and it comes down to classical interpretations of texts, as well as incidents narrated in a7ahith, interpreted using usool al-fiqh.

I have not studied the issue at a basic level, let alone at a scholarly one and therefore am in no way qualified to even suggest whether it is fardh or musta7abb or otherwise and I doubt there is anyone on this forum who is.

However, below is a discussion with opposing views. I think it's a balanced discussion.

I think at the end of the day, we need to accept that varying opinions do exist and each have their own merits! Insha Allah there is no need to get heated up about this issue. Sincerity is the key brothers and sisters!

 

[tearose]

Jazakum Allahu khair for the links to articles, in sha Allah they will be useful for this purpose.

Personally, i think it may be good to just send them an article from a reliable source, vs trying to put an answer together by yourself.
As we are not scholars in this field, we are not obliged to do so (in fact, many may say, that it is actually better, NOT to do provide such answers by ourselves).

I agree with you completely sister. I would rather not even attempt such a thing. As I have been unable to find any one article exactly summarizing or giving an overview of this issue, I did find that one fatwa explaining that there is a valid difference of opinion, but most other fataawa and articles tend to argue for their position on fard or mustahabb, understandably. I don't really want to go into that issue, I just want to show that niqaab is part of Islam. However, that fatwa doesn't include much in the way of daleel, so I don't know how helpful it will be to someone who has heard a lot of misinformation. Now that, alhamdulilah, you have all responded with some more articles, perhaps I could send them the fatwa along with the links to give them the overview and some more information on different aspects.

 

[facethetruth]

Sister, you have to know that these "scholars" who live in the west under a lot of pressure. Intelegence visit them all the time, when I used to live in the U.S. Alhamdolilah I lift, FBI used to visit our 2 bedroom mosque every week!!! They have to say what ever to please them. The Jilbab in the quran is what we call it "Niqab" these days and the wives of the prophets were ordered to wear them. Now the whole Wajib or Mostahab it is debated and to go through the evidences will take too long but if you really want to I would do it another time. But read the expliantion tafseer of Surat alnur for the verse of Jilbab and also in Surat alhzab