Short answer
In the Hanafi school, men and women in ihram must not cover the face, so a mask should be avoided. If you need one for health, you may wear it and pay the ransom: wearing it for a full day or night requires a dam (or fasting or feeding), and for less, sadaqah. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools allow men to cover the face.
Covering a quarter of the face or more in ihram for a full day or a full night requires a dam; less than that requires sadaqah. This applies to men and to women. If a mask is needed for illness or a real health risk, it is permitted, and the person chooses between a sheep, three days of fasting or feeding six poor people.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- A man may cover his face in ihram, so a mask carries no penalty for him. A woman must not cover her face, and owes fidyah if she does.
- Hanbali
- In the relied-upon view a man may cover his face. A woman must not cover her face.
Explanation
When a pilgrim died in ihram, the Prophet ﷺ said his head and his face should not be covered. Hanafi and Maliki jurists take this as proof that a man in ihram must keep his face uncovered, and a woman's ihram is in her face by agreement. A surgical or cloth mask covers the nose, mouth and chin, which is more than a quarter of the face.
- Full day or full night (about 12 hours) with a mask: a dam.
- Less than that: sadaqah, the amount of sadaqat al-fitr.
- Out of need (asthma, a weak immune system, a serious outbreak, or an official requirement): permitted, with the choice of a sheep, three days of fasting, or feeding six poor people, as in the verse on ransom.
Putting a hand or a tissue over your mouth to cough or sneeze is not covering the face. Wiping your face with a towel after washing is fine. A woman may hold a fan, a visor or a cap brim that keeps cloth off her face if she wants to screen it from men.
The practical advice: take the mask off when you can, especially in open spaces, and if you wore one out of need, note how long so you know which penalty applies. A traveller following the Shafi'i school may follow that school's allowance for men.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:196
وَأَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلْحَجَّ وَٱلْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ ۚ فَإِنْ أُحْصِرْتُمْ فَمَا ٱسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ ٱلْهَدْىِ ۖ وَلَا تَحْلِقُوا۟ رُءُوسَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ ٱلْهَدْىُ مَحِلَّهُۥ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ بِهِۦٓ أَذًۭى مِّن رَّأْسِهِۦ فَفِدْيَةٌۭ مِّن صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍۢ ۚ فَإِذَآ أَمِنتُمْ فَمَن تَمَتَّعَ بِٱلْعُمْرَةِ إِلَى ٱلْحَجِّ فَمَا ٱسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ ٱلْهَدْىِ ۚ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَٰثَةِ أَيَّامٍۢ فِى ٱلْحَجِّ وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ ۗ تِلْكَ عَشَرَةٌۭ كَامِلَةٌۭ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن لَّمْ يَكُنْ أَهْلُهُۥ حَاضِرِى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ ﴿١٩٦﴾
And complete the Hajj and 'umrah for Allah. But if you are prevented, then [offer] what can be obtained with ease of sacrificial animals. And do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal has reached its place of slaughter. And whoever among you is ill or has an ailment of the head [making shaving necessary must offer] a ransom of fasting [three days] or charity or sacrifice. And when you are secure, then whoever performs 'umrah [during the Hajj months] followed by Hajj [offers] what can be obtained with ease of sacrificial animals. And whoever cannot find [or afford such an animal] - then a fast of three days during Hajj and of seven when you have returned [home]. Those are ten complete [days]. This is for those whose family is not in the area of al-Masjid al-Haram. And fear Allah and know that Allah is severe in penalty.
A person with a need may break a rule of ihram and pay one of three ransoms.
Sahih Muslim 1206
Sahih... اغسلوه بماء وسدر وكفنوه في ثوبيه ولا تخمروا رأسه ولا وجهه ...
"Wash him with water and lote leaves, shroud him in his two garments, and do not cover his head or his face."
A man in ihram must keep his face uncovered.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Hajj, bab al-jinayat, on covering the head and face. A full day of covering requires a dam, less requires sadaqah.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hajj, bab al-jinayat. The quarter measure and violations done out of need.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Kitab al-Hajj, on a man covering his face. The Shafi'i allowance for men.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.