Bismillah-hir-Rahman-nir-Raheem
Assalamu-`alaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu
Refutation:
The Ulamah who are of the
opinion that it is permissible to look at the face and hands of a strange woman
(who is not mahrrum) say so mainly for the following reasons.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 4092 Narrated byAisha, Ummul Mu'minin
Asma, daughter of
AbuBakr, entered upon the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) wearing thin
clothes. The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) turned his attention from
her. He said: O Asma', when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it does
not suit her that she displays her parts of body except this and this, and he
pointed to her face and hands.
But this hadeeth is WEAK
because of 2 main weaknesses.
1.There is no link
between Ayeshah (Radhiallaahu Ánha) and Khalid bin Dareek, who narrated the
hadith from her. And in every chain of narrators Khalid bin Dareek is
mentioned.
2.In the chain of
narrators Sa'eed bin Basheer appears, who is known by most of the Muhaditheen
as being a weak narrator.
This has been mentioned
by Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal (Rahimahullah), An-Nasai (Rahimahullah), Ibn Madeeni
(Rahimahullah) and Ibn Ma'een (Rahimahullah). This is also why Imaam Bukhari
(Rahimahullah) and Muslim (Rahimahullah) did not except this hadeeth to be in
their books
We also have to see that
the Muhadith Abu Dawood when he quoted this hadeeth put with it that it is
Mursal (with a broken chain that does not lead up to the Sahabah).
(From The Book
"Hijaab wa Safur" under the fatwaa of Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Bazz on
Page #61. Also stated as being weak by Shaikh Nasiruddeen Al-Albaani in his
Daeef Sunan Abu Dawud in Kitab-ul-Libas under hadeeth number 4092 (which is the
original hadeeth number.)
An other thing that shows
the weakness of this hadith is that after the ayah for hijab (Surah Al-Ahzaab –
Verse #59) was revealed then the women of Sahaba wore a complete veil and
covered the faces and hands. This includes Asmaa (Radhiallaahu Ánha) the
daughter of Abu Bakr, who is supposed to have narrated this hadeeth. Asmaa
(Radhiallaahu Ánha) covered herself completely including the face, this has
been narrated in authentic hadeeth in Imaam Malik's "MUWATTA Book 20
Hadeeth # 20.5.16."
*Ayeshah (Radhiallaahu Ánha) Stated that in verse 30
and 31 of Surah An Noor "What has been allowed to be shown is the hands,
bangles and rings but the face must be covered. (Quoted in the book Purdah P#
195 and in his Tafseer of Qur'ân under the tafseer of Surah An Noor)
All of a woman is
‘awrah
Tirmidhi with a SAHIH
chain reports...
"Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) said “All of a woman is ‘awrah.*Note:for
non-mahram with few exceptions like eyes,hands,feet etc.& also in court
cases]
31:18-19 And turn not
your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth.
Verily, Allâh likes not each arrogant boaster.
And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking,
and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying)
of the ass.
Allah knows
best.