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Cannot Wear Niqab at Work: What to Do?

31 January, 2017
Q As-Salamu alaykum. Alhamdulilah, I have made the intention to start wearing a niqab. But since the past few days I have been feeling very anxious and scared about a few things. I work part time in retail and study alongside. My shift that I work in is mainly girls and one boy and therefore is it permissible to take off the niqab during work and then wear it again once I have finished including in my Uni? I have been looking for other jobs but nothing suitable is available. Also what can I do to remove the anxiety because at times I feel really scared and start crying?

Answer

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.

Answering your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

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Niqab or face-veil is not a mandatory requirement in Islam. Nor is it recommended for you to wear it in Europe or North Ameria – where its people mostly associate it with the oppression of women. Therefore, I would urge you to follow the advice of eminent Muslim scholars who prefer not to wear it. If you insist on wearing, please choose to go to countries where it is practiced widely (i.e. Saudi Arabia). Muslims ought to pay attention to the message they are sending when we wear attire that is not mandatory in Islam. If it had been mandatory, then Allah and His messenger would have declared it explicitly. The fact that it is not compulsory is inferred from the mere fact, among others, that a woman is not allowed to cover her face in Prayer or state of Ihram for Hajj or `Umrah.

Allah Almighty knows best.

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada