Before issuing a ruling on wearing a mask, we must first determine what is prohibited for a male pilgrim in terms of clothing: What is prohibited for a male pilgrim in terms of clothing includes:

• Customarily stitched garments worn in the form of body parts, such as shirts (jalabiyas and similar), trousers, underwear, and socks. Our reference to “stitched” does not mean what has been stitched together with thread, but rather what is worn in the form of a body part even if not stitched. For instance, if someone takes a piece of cloth, opens it at the neck, and puts their head through it without stitching, it is prohibited because it becomes like a shirt. Conversely, if someone takes their trousers and opens them from the sides and bottom, losing their characteristic form as trousers, they may be used. So, the consideration of customary clothing here is present; the essence is not the type of clothing but the nature of convenience, which is the major wisdom behind ᾽Iḥrām, not just avoiding stitched clothing.
• All types of turbans, whether loose or tied, stitched or unstitched, whether attached to a shirt like hoods or separate.
• Footwear, whether sandals or shoes, including socks.

In the ḥadīth of Ibn ῾Umar, a man stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allāh, what do you command us to wear when we are in ᾽Iḥrām?” He said: “Do not wear shirts, trousers, turbans, hooded cloaks, or leather socks unless someone has no sandals, then let him wear leather socks below the ankles, and do not wear any cloth that has been dyed with saffron or wars.” [Reported by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim].

A woman may wear her normal clothes, whether stitched or unstitched, visible or hidden, but she is prohibited from covering her face and hands with what is customarily used to cover them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A woman in ᾽Iḥrām should not wear a niqab or gloves.” [Reported by Al-Bukhārī].

Secondly, the ruling on covering the face in ᾽Ihrām:

Imam Ibn Qudāmah mentioned the disagreement on covering the face for a male pilgrim in ᾽Iḥrām, saying: “Regarding a pilgrim covering his face, there are two narrations: One is that it is permissible. This is reported from ῾Uthmān ibn ῾Affā῾n, Abdur-Raḥmān ibn ῾Awf, Zayd ibn Thābit, Ibn al-Zubayr, Sa῾d ibn Abī Waqqāṣ, Jābir, Al-Qāsim, Ṭāwūs, Al-Thawrī, and Al-Shāfi῾ī. The other is that it is not permissible. This is the view of Abū Ḥanīfah and Mālik, based on the narration from Ibn ῾Abbās that a man fell from his mount and died. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘Wash him with water and sidr, shroud him in his garments, but do not cover his head or face, for he will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment reciting the Talbiyah.’ It is also prohibited for women to wear perfume, so it is also prohibited for men, like perfume. What matters for us is the statement of the Companions which no one opposed at their time, turning it into consensus.”

For a woman, she is prohibited from wearing the niqab on her face and gloves on her hands, but she is not prohibited from covering her face altogether with something other than the niqab, as narrated by Abū Dāwūd from ῾Aā᾽ishah (may Allāh be pleased with her) who said: “Riders would pass by us when we were with the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) in ᾽Iḥrām. When they came near, one of us would lower her jilbāb from her head over her face. When they passed by, we would uncover our faces again.” It is also narrated by ᾽Asmā᾽ bint Abī Bakr (may Allāh be pleased with them).

Therefore: Wearing a mask should not be an issue for the pilgrim, whether male or female. In addition to its medical and preventive benefits for the wearer and those around them, it is not considered a face covering in the usual sense, nor is it worn by women as a form of niqab, as it is not the recognized niqab. The text prohibits the niqab, and if a woman puts bags on her hands, they are not considered gloves because bags are not typically gloves.

No one who wears a mask is considered to be wearing a niqab in linguistic or customary terms. The niqab has a specific description both in custom and in Sharī῾ah, even among non-Muslims.

Thus, we see no problem at all in wearing a mask for men and women, whether for illness or prevention, as it is neither considered clothing nor a niqab.

Fatwā issued by Dr. Khālid Naṣr