Ruling concerning ridiculing a woman who wears the proper hijaab and covers her face

Question: What is the ruling concerning one who ridicules those who wear the proper hijaab and cover their faces and hands?

Response: Whoever ridicules a Muslim woman or man for sticking to and applying the teachings of Islaam is a disbeliever. This is regardless of whether it is concerning woman's hijaab or any other matter of the Sharee'ah. This is based on the following narration from ibn 'Umar: At a gathering during the Battle of Tabuk, one man said, "I have not seen anyone like our Qur.aanic readers who is more desirous of food, more lying in speech and more cowardly when meeting the enemy." A man said, "You have lied and you are a liar. I shall definitely tell the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) about that." That news was conveyed to the Messenger of Allaah and the Qur.aan was revealed. 'Abdullaah ibn 'Umar added, "I saw the man holding on to the bag of the camel of the Messenger of Allaah and the dust was striking him while he was saying, 'O Messenger of Allaah, we were just joking and playing. The Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) was simply saying the verse of the Qur.aan], {Was it Allaah, and His Signs and His Messenger you were mocking? Make no excuse, you have disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you because they were sinners}, [Soorah at-Towbah, Aayahs 65-66]. So ridiculing believers has been equated with ridiculing Allaah, His Signs and His Messenger.

And with Allaah lies all success and may Allaah send prayers and salutations upon our Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and his family and his companions.

The Permanent Committee for Islaamic Research and Fataawa
Fataawa al-Mar.ah