(7) Ibn Abi Shaybah records the report in al-Musannaf, 2:231: “Ali ibn Mus-hir narrated to us from al-Mukhtar ibn Fulful from Anas ibn Malik….” I say: its chain is good, meets Muslim’s criteria, and Ibn Hajar declared it sound in al-Dirayah fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Hidayah, 1:124. Ibn Abi Shaybah and ‘Abd al-Razzaq also transmit it in their Musannafs, 3:136, through Qatadah from Anas: “ ‘Umar saw one of our slave-girls wearing a veil, so he struck her and said, ‘Do not imitate the free women.’ ” Ibn Hajar comments, “Its isnad is sahih.” I add: it fulfils the conditions of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim). Ibn Abi Shaybah relates it as well through al-Zuhri from Anas, and that isnad too is sahih. Imam Muhammad records it in al-Athar (p. 39, India ed.) through Ibrahim: ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab used to beat the slave-girls if they covered their faces, saying, “Do not resemble the free women.” This chain is mu‘dal (two or more consecutive missing narrators), yet the two connected chains from Anas are sufficient. A fourth route appears in the Sunan of Sa‘id ibn Mansur, 3/2/74. The point of inference is that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) recognised the slave-girl even though she was wrapped in a jilbab (outer garment); this clearly means her face was visible, otherwise he could not have identified her. Hence his statement, “The jilbab is only for the free women,” is plain evidence that, in ‘Umar’s view, covering the face was not a requirement of the jilbab. Had all women in the earliest period been veiling their faces with the jilbab, ‘Umar would not have spoken as he did. This report should therefore be added to the earlier traditions from his son ‘Abd Allah, Ibn ‘Abbas, and ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them) which indicate that the face is not ‘awrah (a part that must be concealed).