I work in a medical field for 12 hours daily. I have frequent headache because I wear the niqab (the niqab is a piece of clothes that is worn to cover the face of a Muslim woman). Can I substitute the niqab by wearing the medical mask?

Answer

Praise Be to Allah and Peace Be Upon His Messenger.

Wearing the niqab is not obligatory on Muslim women, but it is a desired act of Sunnah. Shaikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussain, the General Mufti (Muslim Legal Scholar), in the Palestinian Legal Verdict Council was once asked about a woman who started to wear the niqab after she had got married, and her mother does not want that, so she wanted to know what to do and whether she can take it off or not.

He started his answer by saying that showing off the face of a woman is not considered haram as it is not ‘Awrah as Allah says: “And not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent.” An-Nur: 31 (The addressees here are Muslim women.) Thus, Ibn Abbas RAA narrated what is meant by “except only that which is apparent” is the face, the hands, and the ring she wears.

The Hanafi scholars think that a young woman should cover her face not because it is ‘Awrah, but to avoid temptation.

The Maliki scholars think that if the woman is beautiful, she must cover her face so as not to be a source of temptation.

The Shafi’i scholars do not have a clear-cut opinion. Some of them think that a woman must wear it; others, however, think wearing it is only Sunnah.

Therefore, as there is no clear evidence which states wearing the niqab is obligatory, the Muslim woman can choose whether to wear it or to leave it.

In respect to the question which was sent to Shaikh Muhammad, he said that Allah ordains children to obey their parents as long as the parents do not order them to do illegal things. Allah says: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but dress them in terms of honor. And lower to them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: “My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young”. Al-Isra’: 23-24

Thus, a part of being respectful to your parents is to obey them by doing what is good and avoiding what is evil. Wearing the niqab is not a bad deed, so the girl must pay an effort convincing her mother. If the mother is not convinced, the girl must set her mother’s satisfaction as a top priority and take the niqab off as obeying the mother is a duty, but wearing the niqab is Sunnah. The duty should come first.

Finally, my advice is you should keep the niqab on your face, but if it causes harm, or if it makes your work harder, you can take it off.