Hijab in Islam
        
        
          Hijab in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith
        
        
          ~ 15 ~
        
        
          unintentionally. They will be excused for that. Thus
        
        
          the face and the hands are the parts that are
        
        
          forbidden to be exposed unnecessarily.
        
        
          22
        
        
          Maulana Shabbir Ahmad ‘Usmani gives the
        
        
          following commentary pertaining to this verse of
        
        
          the Qur’an:
        
        
          To this writer the interpretation of
        
        
          zinah
        
        
          (beauty) as adornment would be more
        
        
          appropriate and comprehensive in this
        
        
          context. The word adornment encompasses all
        
        
          kinds of beauty, whether natural or acquired;
        
        
          whether inborn beauty or that of beautiful
        
        
          garments or make-up. In short, a woman is
        
        
          forbidden to display adornment of any kind
        
        
          before anyone not permitted by the
        
        
          shari‘ah.
        
        
          If
        
        
          a woman cannot keep these parts veiled as
        
        
          ordained for reasons beyond her control, or
        
        
          for any compelling reason, she cannot be held
        
        
          responsible for that (provided it is not likely
        
        
          to generate any mischief.)
        
        
          It is evident from the Hadith and
        
        
          athar
        
        
          (the
        
        
          sayings and deeds of the Prophet’s
        
        
          Companions) that the face and hands are