Is it permissible for a wife to wear the niqab at university for fear of temptation and harassment from students, then remove it upon her return to the village?
Scholars differed regarding the obligation of a woman covering her face when there is no fear of temptation, and what is given as a fatwa by us is that it is obligatory. If the woman believes it is obligatory to cover her face, or if the husband believes so, then she must cover it. If a woman does not feel safe from temptation, then she must cover her face in all circumstances. The fact that she cannot cover her face in her village does not prevent her from covering it at the university, for "what is attainable should not be abandoned due to what is difficult to attain," and "what cannot be attained entirely, should not be abandoned entirely."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/165679