And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. Quran (24:31)
There is no mention of hijab in the sense of covering face in Qur’an at all. All Muslim jurists and theologians agree that according to verse 4:31 women can keep their face open and apply collyrium to their eyes and can also keep their hands open and wear rings in their fingers.
This verse 24:31 makes an exception for covering and says, “…do not display their adornment except what appears thereof”. Throwing light on this exception Tabari, one of the noted early commentator on the Qur’an says what she may not cover under this exception 1) adornment of dress or the clothes that a woman wears i.e. she need not cover the clothes she wears; 2) also she is not required to cover adornment like collyrium, rings, bracelets and her face. In support of his view Tabari also says while praying a woman does not cover her face and her hands up to her elbow while she covers rest of her body.
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. Quran (24:31)
There is no mention of hijab in the sense of covering face in Qur’an at all. All Muslim jurists and theologians agree that according to verse 4:31 women can keep their face open and apply collyrium to their eyes and can also keep their hands open and wear rings in their fingers.
This verse 24:31 makes an exception for covering and says, “…do not display their adornment except what appears thereof”. Throwing light on this exception Tabari, one of the noted early commentator on the Qur’an says what she may not cover under this exception 1) adornment of dress or the clothes that a woman wears i.e. she need not cover the clothes she wears; 2) also she is not required to cover adornment like collyrium, rings, bracelets and her face. In support of his view Tabari also says while praying a woman does not cover her face and her hands up to her elbow while she covers rest of her body.