Are the hijab and niqab customs and not acts of worship, and is the gathering of people around a شيخ (sheikh) a sign of their trust in him?

There is no disagreement among scholars that the hijab is an obligatory religious duty. Those who claim otherwise have no valid basis for their assertions. However, scholars do differ on the obligation of the niqab and covering the face. Many Azharite scholars have chosen the opinion that it is not obligatory and that a woman's face is not considered 'awrah (that which must be covered) if she wears modest clothing that covers her body. They cited the hadith of Sayyidah Aishah, narrated by Abu Dawud, Ibn Mardawayh, and Al-Bayhaqi, in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) pointed to his face and hands when he said: "O Asma, when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not proper that anything should be seen of her except this." However, Al-Hafiz Al-Mundhiri and Al-Qurtubi stated that the hadith is mursal and disconnected, and Ibn Qudamah said that it might have been before the revelation of the hijab. Al-Shawkani emphasized that Muslims always tend towards the obligation of covering the face and hands in times when corrupt individuals are prevalent, and if a woman's face is beautiful and there is fear of temptation from it, then it must be covered.