Asalam alaikum wr wb
Many times I hear people speaking about Niqab and it's deeply concerning. It gets me quite worried that Fiqh rulings are thrown out so easily - on the street, in the shops, at juice bars. This is fard, this is sunnah, that is haram.
No. It's a big thing to make these rulings. We can't just give them out.
We don't give out medical advice if we are not doctors. It may end up hurting someone. We are scared to speak in worldly matters on things we are not experts in, yet when it comes to Islam some people take on the role of the Faqi as if it is child's play.
A faqi is an expert in rulings of Islam. They learn this by studying the Quran, Hadith and Islamic Jurisprudence for many, many years. After studying at a level of scrutiny higher than universities and taking very harsh exams and pretty much memorising hundreds of books off by heart.
When people tell me Niqab is not fard and that I shouldn't wear it, I don't worry about what they say but rather I get so worried by the way they say it...so casually, like tossing an empty drink can on the road.
A muslim shouldn't be littering the roads and we shouldn't be littering the dunya with our opinions unless we have a sound backup of knowledge with Quran, Hadith and evidence from the Sahaba (ra).
Subhanallah we think that knowledge is looking up fiqh questions on Islamqa (great website by the way for all your Fiqh questions). That is good, but not enough to qualify us to hand out rulings.
To learn the terminologies of beginning to study takes about a year itself! There's a whole study of it for Hadith, like the Tafe course Medical Terminologies, there's a course in Islamic study called Hadith Terminologies!
Here is a hadith on this topic from the Book of Ibn Majah: Sunan Ibn Majah
Hadith no: 572
Narrated / Authority of: Ata bin Abu Rabah
said: “I heard Ibn ‘Abbas saying that a man was injured in the head at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw), then he had a wet dream. He was told to have a bath, so he took the bath, became rigid and stiff, and died. News of that reached the Messenger of Allah (saw) and he said: “They have killed him, may Allah kill them! Is not the sure for a lack of knowledge to ask questions?’” ‘Ata’ said: “We heard that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘If only he had washed his body and left his head alone where the wound was.’” (Sahih)
Subhanallah sisters our deen is not child's play. This goes for both sides. We can't say Niqab is Fard without knowledge and can't say Niqab is it Sunnah without knowledge.
(By the way Muhammad (saw) with the above hadith has asked for a special deal with Allah that if he curses on of his companions, it becomes a mercy for that person on the Day of Judgement. So the person he is reffered to by saying "May Allah kill them" - is actually going to be safe and nothing bad will happen to them because the Prophet (alayhis salam) is a person too and can say things out of intense emotion). The point however of not speaking without knowledge is still illustrated here.
If we have love and sincerity in our hearts and want the best for our sisters then we need to guide them in ways that will be beneficial regardless of our opinions. The most beneficial way is to lead the sisters to a book or to a sheikh who has knowledge.
I pray that Allah guides us to the right path. That we have love for each other and can advise each other with kindness and goodwill. Ameen.
Umm Musk :)
