Ok bruv thanks so it is up to the individual to wear the niqab or not.
Yes it is up to an individual to pray 5 times a day as well. It is up to an individual to pray 12 extra voluntary units of prayer every day as well.
We are talking about whether it is legislated and if it is legislated then what is the ruling of it. In terms of rulings in the sharee`ah, these are of five types:
Al-Waajib (Obligatory), Mustahabb (recommended), Al-Mubaah (permissible), Al- Makrooh (offensive), Haraam (Forbidden)
1) Waajib (Obligatory): This is anything for which one is rewarded if performed and will be punished if left out.
2) Mustahabb (Recommded): This is anything for which one is rewarded for if performed and not punished if left out.
3) Mubaah (Permissible): This is for which one is neither rewarded nor punished for performing the action or leaving it.
4) Makrooh (Disliked): This is anything for which one is rewarded if left out, and not punished if performed.
5) Haraam (Forbidden): This is anything for which one will be punished if performed and rewarded for leaving it out.
Every single thing we do in life, all fall under one of the above 5 rulings of the Sharee`ah. Whether we do anything related to acts of worship or anything related to dunya- everything comes under these five categories.
Based on that- Niqaab is either number 1) or 2) and there is a consensus amongst the scholars that the 'least' that can be said is that the niqaab is Mustahabb (number 2).
Now, what many people propogate is that the niqaab is actually number 3 or number 4 and the worst of them say number 5.
Some of the 'liberal' muslims say that the Niqaab is a cultural thing and thus is Mubaah (i.e. number 3). Other, more extreme 'liberal' muslims say that this is a barrier to integration etc. and then say that the niqaab is either Makrooh or Haraam.
With regard to the scholars I'm really trying as I've said before they are just human beings and we all know what the scholars of Judaism did?
Okay what you need to understand about scholars is that:
They are not infallible and yes there are evil scholars and there has been evil 'scholars' who have introduced evil into society, bid`ah into the muslim masses, Kufr into society etc.
But at the same time we have the complete opposite, where the scholars are the ones who carry the religion and through them- Allaah preserves this religion. Think about it: if all the scholars for 1400 years agree upon one matter, and this is what the entire Muslim Ummah has agreed upon... then how can it be the case that a person comes and brings the 'truth' after 1400 years? Apart from the evidences we have that support the validity of the scholarly consensus, we have simple common sense- does this mean that Allaah left the entire Muslim Ummah in misguidance for 1400 years? What about the narration of the Prophet :saw2: that there will always remain a group upon the truth? This is why, Islaam is a stable religion and has been stable from the start and will remain upon stability till the last hour.