Praise be to Allah.
It is obligatory on the husband to make his wife observe proper hijaab as prescribed in sharee’ah and cover her face. The evidence of the Qur’aan and Sunnah indicates that it is obligatory for women to cover their faces, for example, the aayah in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies…”
[al-Ahzaab 33:59]
The jilbaab (translated here as “cloak”) is a garment which a woman places on her head and lets it drop over her face.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands…” [al-Noor 24:31]
The focal point of beauty and adornment is the face, so it is ‘awrah. So he [the husband] should fear Allaah and not obey his parents in this matter. He should make his wife observe proper hijaab, for there is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience to the Creator, as it says in the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘To hear and obey is a duty unless there comes an order to commit sin. If there comes an order to commit sin, then there is no hearing and no obeying.” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Jihaad wa’l-Siyar, 2735). How can he anger his Lord by pleasing his parents? Let him fear Allaah and remember that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has made him responsible for his family, when he said, “Every man is in charge of his family and is responsible for those who are under his care.” (narrated by al-Bukhaari in al-Jumu’ah, 844). So praise Allaah for giving you a wife who is content to observe proper hijaab. May Allaah help us and you to do all that is good.
Fataawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 1/443-444
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