Censuring Uncovered Faces Where the Matter Is Disputed الإنكار على كشف الوجه مع الخلاف في المسألة

[This follows the answer in The Causes of Weak Protective Jealousy (Ghayrah). Where the attendee's words end and the Shaykh's begin is not entirely clear in the recording.]

Questioner: Our Shaykh, may Allah bless you, (audio unclear) they do not censure uncovering [the face]? The matter has disagreement in it, of course. The brothers do not censure because the matter has become widespread, and they do not censure in one place rather than another. I mean, if a woman appeared in this street — like the road by the house — and a woman nearby was uncovered, they would not leave her alone. But in the public streets they leave her, on the basis that this is a matter that has become widespread, not something rare — I mean, it would occupy the Hay'ah [the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue] away from what is greater.

(audio unclear) To the extent of their capacity, they forbid the like of this. Yes — it may be that in Makkah and in Madinah you are not able to censure. But it remains within its limits and regulations. Because you know that this matter, as you mentioned, is a matter of disagreement. But even with the disagreement — I mean, if it is in a land where (audio unclear), or most of the land (audio unclear) do not wear the Shar'i hijab... But in a land that preserves the hijab, we cannot allow these [women] to corrupt what we have. [If] we enable these girls to uncover their faces, they will tempt the women of the land; and so [it goes] by way of a beginning — by way of the niqab and uncovering the eyes and cheeks, then by way of partial uncovering, then by way of complete uncovering. Therefore, if harm results from it, yes, it is censured, even if there is disagreement over the matter.

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