-Hanafi scholar's opinion when there's no fitna.
The Mutakkhireen and Mutaqaddimeen of Hanafiyah do not consider women's face to be covered, according to them as the women have to go out of the house, buying and selling and for other causes it is problematic to cover their faces. Because of this these Hanafiyah scholars separated the face of women from the satr.
Abu al barr kaat Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Ahmad bin Mahmood An Nasfi writes.
بدن الحرة عورة الا وجهها وكفيها وقدميها.
The whole body of a free woman is awrah except her face and hands and both of the feet.
[Kanzul Daqaiq pg. 28]
Al Marghinani said:
وبدن الحرة كلها عورة الا وجهها وكفيها.
The full body of a free woman is awrah except her face and hands.
[Al Hidayah 1/43]
Imam Kasani said:
فلا يحل النظر للاجنبى من الاجنبية الحرة الى ساىر بدنها الا الوجه والكفين.
It is not permissible for an unknown man to look at the body of unknown woman except her face and her hands.
[Bada'a as Sanai 5/121]
It is mentioned in Fatawa Alamgiri
بدن الحرة عورة الا وجهها وكفيها وقدميها.
The whole body of a free woman is awrah except her face and hands and both of the feet.
[Al Fatawa al Hindiyah 1/58]
Imam Abu Bakr al Jassas said in the commentary of veree ولا يبدين زينتهن الا ظهر منها
ويدل على ان الوجه والكفين من المراة ليسا بعورة
And this verse of the Qur'an is and evidence that hands and face of a woman is not from the awrah.
[Ahkam Al Quran 3/315]
-Opinion of the Hanafi scholars on covering the face of woman when there's a fitna.
The scholars of Hanafiyah have the opinion that it is wajib for a woman to cover her face when there's a fitna.
Imam Abu bakr al Jassas رحمہ اللہ said under the commentary of the verse يدنين عليهن من جلابيبهن
في هذه الاية دلالة على ان المراك الشابة مامورة بستر وجهها عن الاجنبيين واظهار الستر والعفاف عند الخروج لىلا يطمع اهل الريب فيهن وفيها دلالة على ان الامة ليس عليها بستر وجهها وشعرها لان قوله تعالى(ونساء المومنين) ظاهره انه اراد الحراىر
This verse has proof that it is commanded to a woman to cover her face from the unknown men and also commanded to hide or cover her body and reflect her modesty so that muanfiqeens can't drag themselves into any kinds of selfishness. This verse also indicates that it is not necessary for a slave girl to cover her hairs and face because ونساء المومنين talks about free women only.
[Ahkam al Quran 3/282]
Imam Sharnbilali writes:
وجميع بدن المراة اى جسدها الا وجهها ومنع الشابة من كشفه الفتنة لا لانه عورة.
And the complete body of woman is awrah except her face, due to fitna women have been urged to cover their faces not because it is from the awrah.
[Mairaqi al Falah Fi Sharah matn Nur Al Aizah pg. 131]
Imam ibn Aabideen رحمہ اللہ states:
وتمنع المراة الشابة من كشف الوجه بين الرجال لا لانه عورة بل لخوف الفتنة.
Women would be told to not to uncover her face in front of men not because it comes under the Awrah but due to the fear of fitna.
[Radd al Muhtar ala radd al Mukhtar 2/72]
Imam ibn Najeem رحمہ اللہ said:
قال مشاخنا تمنع المراة الشابة من كشف وجهها بين الرجال في زماننا للفتنة.
Our Shuyookh gave fatwa that during our time because of the fitna women would be commanded to cover her face infront of men.
[Al bahr ar Raiq sharah Kanzul Daqaiq 1/284]
Imam Sarkhasi رحمہ اللہ said
خوف الفتنة في النظر إلى وجهها أكثر منه إلى سائر الأعضاء..لكنا نأخذ بقول علي وابن عباس رضي الله عنهم فقد جاءت الأخبار في الرخصه بالنظر إلى وجهها وكفها
Looking at the women's face is much greater fitna then looking at her whole body but as we have extracted from the statements of Saydna Ali رضیﷲ عنه and ibn Abbas رضیﷲ عنه that looking at the women's face is valid.
[Al Mabsoot 10/153-152]
Imam Alauddin Haskafi said:
ولذا تمنع من كشف وجهها بين الرجال للفتنة
Because of this women are refrained to uncover her face infront of men due to fitna.
[Al durr al muntaqa fi sharah al Muntaqa 1/121]
Imam Abdur rahman Kalibauli writes:
وفى المنتقى تمنع الشابة عن كشف وجهها لىلا يودى الى الفتنة وفى زماننا المنع واجب بل فرض لغلبة الساد وعن عاىشة عنها جميع بدن الحرة عورة الا احدى عينيها.
Logically women will be refrained from uncovering her their face because this act could become the reason for trials and tribulations and in during our time stopping women from uncovering her face is necessary and not even necessary it's an obligation because the fasaad will increase and it has been narrated from Ayesha رضیﷲ عنہا that whole body of women is awrah except her one eye.
[Majma'a Al Anhar 1/221]
Conclusion is that according to Mutakkhireen and Mutaqaddimeen of Hanafiyah school of thought, face and hands of women is not from the awrah and it is valid to look at women's face if there's no fitna or lust, desire and passion but if there's a fear of fitna then it is wajib to cover the face of women.
Though Hanafiyah do not consider the covering of face from the shariyah but consider it necessary due to situation to avoid fitnah
