to covering her face; therefore, it is not forbidden for her to cover it absolutely, like the 'awrah (private parts). The Qadi mentioned that the garment should be kept away from her face such that it does not touch the skin. If it does touch her skin, then moves away, or she moves it away quickly, there is nothing against her, just as if the wind blows a garment off the 'awrah of one praying, then it returns quickly; the prayer is not invalidated. But if she does not lift it while capable of doing so, she must offer a fidya (expiation) because she persisted in covering it. I have not seen this condition attributed to Ahmad, nor is it in the report, despite the fact that the apparent evidence is to the contrary; for a garment let down over the face is unlikely to remain free from touching the skin. If this were a condition, it would have been clarified (6). The woman is only prohibited from the burqu' (face veil) and niqab and the like, which are designed for covering the face. Ahmad said: "She is only permitted to let down [a garment] over her face from above, and she is not permitted to lift the garment from below." It is as if he is saying: "The niqab [is forbidden because it is worn] from below over her face."

Section: In the case of a woman in ihram, the obligation of covering the head and the prohibition of covering the face coincide. It is impossible to cover the entire head except by covering part of the face, and it is impossible to uncover the entire face except by uncovering part of the head. In such a situation, covering the entire head takes precedence because it is more confirmed, as it is an 'awrah, and its prohibition is not restricted to the state of ihram, whereas uncovering the face is the opposite. We have already permitted covering the entirety of the face for a contingent need, so covering a part of it to cover the 'awrah is more appropriate.

Section: There is no harm in a woman circumambulating while wearing a niqab (7) if she is not in the state of ihram, and 'Aisha performed circumambulation while wearing a niqab (7). 'Ata' disliked this, then retracted that view. Abu 'Abd Allah mentioned the hadith of Ibn Jurayj that 'Ata' used to dislike for a woman not in ihram to circumambulate wearing a niqab, until I narrated to him from al-Hasan ibn Muslim, from Safiyya bint Shayba, that 'Aisha performed circumambulation while wearing a niqab, so he accepted it.