Can a husband permit his wife to uncover her face?

The husband
has to realize that he is responsible for his wife, sons and daughters.
According to the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased
with them both), he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, Each of you is a shepherd and each of
you is responsible for his flock. The ruler is a shepherd and is responsible
for his flock.  A man is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A
woman is the shepherd of her husband’s household and is responsible for her
flock. The servant is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible
for his flock. A man is the shepherd of his father’s wealth and is
responsible for his flock. Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for
his flock.” 

Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 893; Muslim, 1829 

So the
husband will be accountable before Allaah on the Day of Resurrection for his
wife and children if he fell short in advising them and teaching them
properly. 

Secondly: 

The scholars
have stated that women’s adornments fall into two categories: 

Visible
adornment, which is the woman’s outer dress 

And hidden
adornment, which no one should see except the husband, such as kohl, bangles
and rings. 

The evidence
for that is the report narrated from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with
him) concerning the interpretation of the verse in which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“and not
to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent”

[al-Noor
24:31] 

Ibn Mas’ood
said: The adornment is of two types, visible adornment and hidden adornment
which no one should see except the husband. With regard to the visible
adornment, this is the dress. With regard to the hidden adornment, this is
things such as kohl, bangles and rings. 

According to
another report, visible adornment includes clothes. That which is hidden
includes anklets, earrings and bangles. 

Narrated by
Ibn Jareer in his Tafseer, 18/117 

A similar
interpretation was also narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas. 

See
Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 6/196 

Therefore the scholars
have said that it is obligatory for a woman to cover her face, hands and
hidden adornments. This is what is regarded as more correct by a number of
the scholars, including Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. 

Al-Shanqeeti
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said, when discussing this issue and after
quoting the views of the scholars and stating that the report narrated from
Ibn Mas’ood is more likely to be correct -: 

This view is
the most correct opinion in our view; it is more on the safe side, farthest
removed from suspicion and causes of fitnah. 

Adwa’
al-Bayaan, 6/192 

Make-up and the like, and
henna, are kinds of adornment which it is not permissible for a Muslim woman
to show to non-mahrams. 

Shaykh
Muhammad al-Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen said:  

There is
nothing wrong with using henna for adornment, especially for a married woman
who adorns herself with it for her husband. As for unmarried women, the
correct view is that it is permissible, but she should not show it to people
because it is a kind of adornment. 

Fataawa
al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 1/477 

But some doctors have
said that using artificial make-up harms a woman’s skin. If this is proven
then it should be avoided. 

Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen said: 

If make-up
beautifies a woman and does not cause her any harm, then there is nothing
wrong with it, but I have heard that make-up damages the skin of the face,
and that it therefore alters the skin of the face in an ugly way before the
time when the skin changes as a result of ageing. I hope that women will ask
their doctors about that. If that is proven, then using make-up is either
haraam or makrooh at least, because everything that causes deformity in a
person or makes him ugly is either haraam or makrooh. 

Fataawa
al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 1/474 

Thirdly: 

With regard to a woman’s
neck and ears showing from under her khimaar, this is haraam, The ears and
neck are among the areas which a woman is commanded to conceal from
non-mahram men; they are part of the beauty which it is forbidden to uncover
in front of anyone except one’s husband and mahrams. 

The fuqaha’
are agreed that a woman’s ears are ‘awrah and it is not permissible to show
them to non-mahrams. 

Any kind of
adornment that is connected to them – such as earrings – is also part of the
hidden adornment which it is not permissible to show. 

Al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 2/376 

Concerning
the conditions of hijaab, see question no.
6991. 

To sum up: 

It is not
permissible for a husband to allow his wife to show her hidden adornments.
He must tell her to wear proper hijaab otherwise the husband will be
included among those whom sharee’ah counts as not having the proper
protective jealousy concerning their honour. 

The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three who
will not enter Paradise and Allaah will not look at them on the Day of
Resurrection: the one who disobeys his parents, the woman who imitates men,
and the cuckold.” 

(Narrated by
Ahmad; Ahmad Shaakir (6180) said, its isnaad is saheeh). 

His wife has
to fear Allaah and observe proper hijaab. That will be good for her with
regard to her religious commitment and before her Lord. 

And Allaah knows best.