al-Radd al-Mufham
- Author died
- 1420 AH
- Editions
- al-Maktabah al-Islamiyyah
al-Radd al-Mufham (in full: al-Radd al-Mufham ʿala man khalafa al-ʿulamaʾ wa-tashaddada wa-taʿassaba wa-alzama al-marʾata an tastura wajhaha wa-kaffayha wa-awjaba wa-lam yaqnaʿ bi-qawlihim: innahu sunnatun wa-mustahabb, lit. 'The Decisive Rebuttal Against Whoever Opposed the Scholars, Acted with Extremism and Fanaticism, and Obligated Woman to Veil Her Face and Hands and Was Not Content with Their Statement That It Is a Sunnah and Recommended') is a legal and hadith treatise by the Syrian-Albanian scholar Nasir al-Din al-Albani (1332–1420 AH / 1914–1999 CE) defending the view that covering the face and hands for Muslim women is recommended rather than obligatory .
Background and Composition
The book originated when al-Albani prepared a revised edition of his earlier work, Hijab al-Marʾah al-Muslimah (later printed as Jilbab al-Marʾah al-Muslimah), after surveying dozens of contemporary treatises written in response to his position that a woman's face and hands are not nakedness (ʿawrah) . As his handwritten drafts exceeded one hundred large pages, he realized that adding these specialized discussions to the introduction of the original book would double its volume . He chose to publish the material as an independent monograph to facilitate its circulation and provide a direct rebuttal to those who argued for the obligation of the face veil .
Content and Arguments
In the treatise, al-Albani systematically analyzes Quranic verses, prophetic traditions, lexical definitions, and classical juristic texts to argue that uncovering the face and hands is permissible, while maintaining that covering them remains preferable (afdal) and virtuous . His primary arguments include:
- Exegesis of Quranic terminology: Addressing the verse of the outer garment ( يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ , "to draw their cloaks close around them," Surah al-Ahzab 33:59), al-Albani argued against contemporaries such as Hamud al-Tuwayjiri who interpreted idnaʾ as covering the face . Relying on lexicographers such as al-Raghib al-Isfahani and narrations from Ibn Abbas, he maintained that the linguistic root denotes bringing close rather than veiling the face .
- Distinction between clothing verses: He differentiated between the verse of outer cloaks (Surah al-Ahzab 33:59), which applies to women venturing outside, and the verse of the screen ( فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ , Surah al-Ahzab 33:53), which pertains to women inside their dwellings .
- Definition of the headscarf (khimar): Examining the verse وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ ("and draw their veils over their chests," Surah al-Nur 24:31), he cited statements from more than forty classical exegetes, traditionists, jurists, and lexicographers to demonstrate that khimar strictly signifies a head covering rather than a face veil .
- Juristic authorities: He quoted classical jurists across the legal schools, noting for instance the Hanbali position documented by Ala al-Din al-Mardawi in al-Insaf and Ibn Qudamah in al-Mughni and al-ʿUmdah that a woman's face and hands are not considered ʿawrah .
In the book's conclusion, al-Albani cautioned against religious strictness (tashaddud), citing prophetic warnings such as the hadith إِنَّ الدِّينَ يُسْرٌ، وَلَنْ يُشَادَّ الدِّينَ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا غَلَبَهُ ("Indeed, the religion is easy, and no one overburdens himself in the religion except that it overcomes him") . He argued that obligating the niqab would hinder women from carrying out practical social and religious responsibilities as practiced by women in the early Muslim community .
Reception and Critique
The publication of al-Radd al-Mufham generated significant debate within Salafi and traditional juristic circles, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula where covering the face was widely held as mandatory . Several contemporary scholars criticized al-Albani's conclusions; for instance, Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad described al-Albani's position as mistaken and suggested that even if he believed face veiling was not obligatory, he ought to have remained silent to preserve modesty and avoid public discord . Detailed refutations were composed specifically against the book's arguments, including Turki Bilhamar's Kashf al-Asrar ʿan al-Qawl al-Talid and Amal Al Khamisah's Kashf al-Ghummah ʿan Adillat al-Hijab, which countered al-Albani's linguistic and exegetical interpretations and maintained that the consensus of early scholars required covering the face .
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