Re: Henna

Question:  Is it still recommended for a woman to use henna on her hands (assuming she's married and her husband wants her to) if she takes the dispensation from other schools and bares her hands in public?

wa `alaykum al-salam

Unless the Malikis are of the opinion that it is lawful for a show her adornment to non-mahram men or that henna is not part of her adornment even if worn in a decorative manner, then you'll be hard pressed to find such a ruling.

The Hanafis consider it unlawful for her to show any adornment to a non-mahram.

The Shafi`is and Hanbalis both consider it obligatory for her to cover her hands in front of a non-mahram, decorated or not.

And following another mathab is not technically following a dispensation (akhth al-rukhsa), rather it is simply following another mathab (taqlid). Dispensations occur within the same mathab, not across them. Unless you're taking the parth of Imam Al-Shar`rani: reading the four mathabs as one.  Rahumahulllah.

As a further note: It seems that a non-married woman wearing henna is not a sunna and it is either makruh or haram. Or so says Anwar Al-Masalik.

Or does this fatwa assume she'll be covering her hands?

But wasn't the Questionabout the ruling of a non-married woman wearing henna?

According to the the Hanafis, Shafi`is, and Hanbalis, women are not supposed to show a non-mahrman man anything that is considered adornment, whether it be makeup, decorative clothes, or anything is likely to draw attention. So if a woman in the States follows the Hanafi ruling, she needs to keep in mind that this means not using any makeup whatsoever while doing so.

wa `alaykum al-salam