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What is the ruling on uncovering the face to verify identity in places that require it, while being convinced of the obligation to cover it?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A woman must cover her face in front of non-mahram men. However, it is permissible to uncover it out of necessity, need, or for a legitimate interest, such as verifying identity, receiving medical treatment, or giving testimony before a judge. Necessity is estimated according to its extent and is restricted to what repels it. If a woman is compelled to uncover her face to verify her identity, then the uncovering is limited to the face only, without adornment or beautification. If it is possible for a woman to verify the identity, then it is not permissible to uncover it in front of a man. If it is not possible, then she is permitted to uncover her face in front of a man.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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