What is the Quranic support that women do not have to cover their face, but must cover their heads?
The Quranic verse which refers to the requirement that Muslim women have to cover their heads, may be given in translation as follows: “And say to the believing women, that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty (chastity); and that they hould not display their beauty (charm) and ornaments (in public) except what (most ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils (head cover) over their bosoms.” (XXIV : 31). The verse goes on to make a further exception in the case of those men before whom a woman may take a more relaxed attitude with regard to her appearance. These are her husband and her relatives to whom she cannot be married. What we have to examine here is the phrase “except what (most ordinarily) appears therefore or also translated “beyond what may be apparent of that”. Scholars, including some companions of the Prophet (PBUH) have interpreted this as meaning a woman’s face and forearms. The Quranic word ZEENAH which is used here means outward char
