Why do those who mandate covering the face and hands not cite the hadith of Safiyyah bint Huyayy, may Allah be pleased with her, which includes the Prophet's, peace and blessings be upon him, statement: "Indeed, Satan circulates in the human being like blood, and I feared that he might cast something into your hearts," even though the Prophet's, peace and blessings be upon him, lack of need to inform them of her identity if they had seen her face makes this a strong proof for that?

There is no doubt that the Mother of Believers, Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, used to cover her face from non-mahram men due to her marriage to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, after the revelation of the verse of Hijab, and her compliance with the words of Allah the Almighty: (O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their outer garments [jilbabs] over themselves). The women of the Companions also used to cover their faces after the revelation of the verse of Hijab.

Some people's use of Safiyyah's hadith to deduce the obligation of covering the face might be countered by the possibility of the darkness of the night. Furthermore, this was an action of hers, not a prophetic command. There is no disagreement regarding the obligation of complete hijab for the Mothers of Believers, but the disagreement lies in its obligation for others. Therefore, scholars did not use this as proof for the obligation of a woman covering her face from non-mahram men, as there are other clearer and more explicit evidences.