The Ruling concerning the Muslim woman who prays and fasts but does not wear the Hijaab

Subject: The Ruling concerning the Muslim woman who prays and fasts but does not wear the Hijaab

What is the Ruling in Islaam concerning the Muslim woman who prays and fasts but does not wear the Hijaab (head cover)? Answer: Her fast and her prayer are correct and all praise is for Allah. But she must repent for abandoning the wearing of the Hijaab. Disobedience does not invalidate her prayer or her fasting. Not wearing the Hijaab, speaking in a way that is not good like backbiting or slandering then this does not invalidate her prayer but it does decrease her Imaan (faith) and weakens it. She must repent to Allah for that. Likewise the wearing of the Hijaab, not wearing it in front of men is disobedience but her fast is not invalidated nor her prayer. Rather she must repent for it. Not wearing the Hijaab is considered a weakness in Imaan. Likewise other things such as backbiting the people or doing something from the acts of disobedience, etc all of this is a deficiency and weakness in Imaan. When she performs the prayer with its conditions and obligations on time then her prayer is correct. Likewise her fasting when she fasts from what is forbidden to her and performs it the way it should be then her fast is valid. When she performs the obligations but then she does some forms of disobedience there is deficiency in her act of fasting such as backbiting, lying and the like. It is a deficiency in her fasting and weakness in her religion. Questioner: Does his eminence want to present an explanation of the ruling of the Hijaab during the performance of the prayer in relation to the woman? Yes, it is obligatory for her to conceal every part of her body except for the face and palms. The obligation upon her is that the woman covers all of her body in the state of prayer even the legs and even the feet. It must be clothing that will cover her feet or she must wear leather or cotton socks. As for the face then she does not have to cover it based on the consensus of the Muslim scholars, rather it is better to be uncovered. The face is uncovered in prayer. If she is alone and there is no man there present she should uncover her face. She prays with the face uncovered. This is better and it is the Sunnah unless there is a man present who is not her Mahram (male relative that the woman cannot marry such as the father, brother, uncle, etc.) then she covers her face from him. As for the palms then it is better to cover them but if she uncovers them then there is no harm Allah willing. By ash-Shaykh Abdul-Azeez bin Baaz (rahimahullah) Translated by Aboo Imraan al-Mekseekee – may Allah guide him Source: http://www.ibnbaz. org.sa/mat/ 11091