Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him).
Some people claim that it is not from the sunnah for women to wear the niqab and gloves. What should our response be to this?
Allah legislated the hijab to conceal women’s beauty and to prevent any type of temptation or fitnah from taking place. It is sufficient for us that the Prophet ﷺ chose that the women of his household cover their faces on the Farewell Pilgrimage in spite of the fact that they were in ihram (pilgrim sanctity). Sayyidah `A’ishah said: “When men on horseback approached, we would lower our veils over our faces and when they went away, we would lift our veils.” This prophetic choice is sufficient as an instruction to the Ummah. However, we should not blindly stick to one opinion nor enter into argumentation. There is no way we can condemn a path that is more modest, nor can we condemn a woman who is deficient in covering herself.