What is the adopted opinion in the Shafi'i school of thought regarding the ruling on a woman covering her face and hands? Is it an absolute obligation, or does it vary based on the presence of temptation (fitna)? And what does "awrat al-nazar" (the 'awra of sight) mean in the context of this ruling?

The Shafi'i jurists differed regarding the ruling on looking at the face of a non-mahram woman without lust and without fear of fitnah (temptation/strife). Al-Nawawi preferred the absolute prohibition of looking, citing his statement: "And likewise, when there is security, according to the sounder opinion." This means that in his view, the difference of opinion is weak. Al-Juwayni supported this preference, considering that the consensus on preventing women from ostentatious display and unveiling strengthens the decisive closure of the matter and avoids detailing specific situations.

Al-Nawawi's preference was countered by the argument that most of the earlier Shafi'i jurists held a different view. Al-Shirbini and Al-Ramli pointed out the weakness of Qadi Iyad's statement that a woman is not obliged to cover her face when on her way. However, Al-Rashidi defended Al-Nawawi, arguing that the opposition is not between permissibility and prohibition, but between Al-Nawawi's view and the consensus on preventing women from ostentatious display.

Al-Iraqi mentioned this difference in his book "Tahrir al-Fatawa," clarifying that Al-Nawawi followed this rectification of the prohibition in "Al-Muharrar," while in "Al-Kabir" and "Al-Rawdah," he stated that most of his companions did not consider it prohibited.

It is worth noting that this difference relates to the ruling on looking, not to whether the face itself is awrah (private parts that must be covered). The majority hold that the face and hands are not awrah in prayer, but looking at them is unlawful because they are a source of fitnah. Some scholars differentiate between the awrah for looking and the awrah for prayer, stating that a woman is permitted to pray with her face uncovered but is not allowed to go out in the markets with it uncovered.