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Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, 'Allah said:

My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works until I love him."'

[ Sahih Bukhari]

Niqaab is Mustahabb [Recommended]

The term mustahabb means ‘recommended’ i.e. something which is recommended to do because it draws a person closer to their Lord, their Creator and Sustainer. The above divine narration beautifully describes the way to seek the love of Allah. It is our service of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'ala) through our obedience of whatever He has commanded us that draws us near to Him. And by doing more than what has been commanded to us, we may draw nearer to Him even more, something which every believer should strive for. When a Sister is already covering everything but her face and her hands, and she would like to do something extra to seek the love of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'ala), the only things left for her to cover are her face and her hands.

I am an American woman who was born in the midst of America's "Heartland." I grew up, just like any other girl, being fixated with the glamour of life in "the big city." Eventually, I moved to Florida and on to South Beach of Miami, a hotspot for those seeking the "glamorous life." Naturally, I did what most average Western girls do. I focused on my appearance and appeal, basing my self-worth on how much attention I got from others.

I worked out religiously and became a personal trainer, acquired an upscale waterfront residence, became a regular "exhibiting" beach-goer and was able to attain a "living-in-style" kind of life.

...How much do you really know about the niqab? An insider guide to common misconceptions...

None of the niqab-wearing women who I know, wear it because they have been forced to. They see it as an act of devotion to their Creator: the culmination of a spiritual journey. In fact most of them are women who were born and brought up in the UK; many are White or Afro-Caribbean Muslim converts to Islam who have chosen to observe it. The hijab, niqab and abaya are outer garments and are worn only when outdoors or in the presence of men who are not close relatives and so, contrary to popular belief, underneath their robes, in family and female-only settings Muslim women are often very fashion conscious and outgoing. They dress in everyday clothing; they get their hair done, go on holiday and even buy lingerie!

There is a lot of debate among Muslims as to whether or not it is required for a Muslim woman to cover her face and hands in addition to the rest of her body when appearing in public or in front of non-Mahram [i.e. men who is not a close-relative, to whom marriage is allowed] men. The purpose of this article is not to fall on either side of that debate, but to urge all Muslims to show respect for sisters who have chosen to wear either the khimaar (head-cover which covers the hair, ears, neck and chest properly) or the niqaab (face-veil.)

London, 1984: A dark, triangular figure emerged from the door of a limousine parked directly in front of Harrods' Department Store. It was the body of a woman, covered from crown to ankles in the darkest of garments, so black that it stood stark against the overcast horizon. When she turned, I saw no face. Instead, a slit in a black gauze cloth revealed only a glimpse of brown skin and black eyes rimmed with kohl. As she and two similarly costumed companions moved steadily towards the door, other shoppers moved out of their way.

In a speech delivered on the 22nd of June the President of France said, “the burqa is not a religious sign — it’s a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement. It will not be welcome on the territory of the French republic.”

Having already banned the Hijaab in public schools, France seems eager to move even further with a complete ban on the Niqaab and as a result we feel it is necessary to provide some advice on the matter so that Muslims living in the West are not caught unaware and unable thereby to articulate an accurate Islamic perspective on the issue.