Understanding the Concept of ‘Awrah and Its Application in Different Situations
The awrah of a woman in front of other women and her mahrams (such as father, brother and nephew)
Her ’Awrah in this case is her entire body except that which usually appears such as the face, hair, neck, forearms and feet.
Allāh says (interpretation of the meaning): “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husband’s sons, their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.” [An-Nur 24,31]
Shaikh Albāni explained: “Therefore , there in this Āyah, Our Lord The Most Glorious The Most Majestic has allowed her to reveal in front of her mahram and the women; the parts of their bodies which take adornments. NOTHING ELSE. So we have the hands where there is the bracelets and bangles, then we have the head where there is adornments on the ears [earrings] , and the neck as we mentioned, then the feet and some parts of her shins where the anklet is worn. These are the parts which Allaah has permitted the women to expose in front of her mahram and her Muslim sister.” [Silsilah muhadharah: 13]
Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said: “She is allowed to show to her Mahrams: her face, head, neck, hands, arms, feet, shanks (the part of the lower limb between the knee and the ankle), and she should cover everything else other than that.” [Hijab Mar’a wa zinatuqa, page 43]
IMPORTANT NOTE: Shaykh ‘Uthaymeen explains: “We must understand that there is a difference between saying “What is ‘awrah?” and “What is the clothing that it is prescribed for a woman to wear?” so that there will be no confusion between the two matters. The clothing that is prescribed for a woman to wear in front of mahrams is that which covers ALL of her body EXCEPT the head, hands and feet. This is what is prescribed. With regard to the issue of ‘awrah, the ‘awrah for a woman in front of other women is like the ‘awrah for a man in front of other men, i.e., the area between the navel and the knee. But saying that does not mean that it is permissible for a woman to appear in front of other women wearing nothing but pants that cover from the navel to the knee. No one would say that. Whoever says such a thing is misguided. Rather what is meant is that if a woman is wearing covering clothes, and she needs to uncover her forearms to do some work or because of some disease in the forearms and like, or she wants to breastfeed her child in front of other women, so she uncovers her breast in front of the women, there is nothing wrong with that. So there is a difference between the concept of “‘awrah” and the “manner of dress” that is prescribed. What is prescribed for women is that their clothing should cover them properly, and it is permissible for a woman to uncover her head, face, neck and hands, and even her forearms, feet and lower legs in front of her mahrams. But that does not mean that we say she can wear short dresses in front of her mahrams; not at all. This is another matter. But if we assume, for example, that she lifts up her dress for some reason, and her mahrams are present and her lower leg shows, then there is nothing wrong with that.” [Al-Liqa’ al-Maftooh. 126/23 and 31/17)]
Awrah of a woman inside prayer
Her ’Awrah in this case is everything except the face, hands (upto wrists) and feet (according to the stronger opinion, but better to cover the feet just to be one the safe side).
٠ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رضي الله عنه عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: ((لاَ يَقْبَلُ اللهُ صَلاَةَ حَائِضٍ إِلاَّ بِخِمَارٍ)). [رواه الأربعة إلا النسائي، وصححه الألباني]
Narrated Aishah: that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a veil.”
٠ وقال الخطابي في كتابه “معالم السنن” (1/156): «ولَم يرد به: المرأة التي هي في أيام حيضها؛ فإنَّ الحائض لا تُصلِّي بِوَجهٍ».اهـ
٠ قال النووي في “المجموع” (3/171): «المراد بالحائض: التي بلغت، سُميت حائضًا لأنها بلغت سِنَّ الحيض».
٠ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ رضي الله عنه أَنَّهَا سَأَلَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَتُصَلِّي الْمَرْأَةُ فِي دِرْعٍ وَخِمَارٍ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا إِزَارٌ؟ قَالَ: ((إِذَا كَانَ الدِّرْعُ سَابِغًا يُغَطِّي ظُهُورَ قَدَمَيْهَا)). [رواه أبو داود، وضعفه الألباني مرفوعا وموقوفا في الإرواء – فيه عبدالرحمن بن عبد الله بن دينار (ضعيف) – وأم محمد بن زيد (مجهولة)]
Umm Salamah said that she asked the prophet (ﷺ): Can a woman pray in a dress and veil without wearing a lower garment? He replied: “If the dress is ample and covers the surface of her feet.” [This is the ḥadīth used to prove that women must cover their feet inside prayer, but the ḥadīth is weak!]
There is an ijmā’ [relayed by Ibnul Mundhir in “Al-Awsaṭ (5/69)] that a mature, free woman must cover her head during the prayer, and if she prays with her head fully uncovered, the prayer is invalid. If she prays with the head partly uncovered, the prayer is also invalid according to most scholars.
There is also a general ijmā’ [relayed by Ibn Qudāmah in “Al-Mughni” (2/326)] that women do not have to veil their faces inside prayer. The only person who disagreed with this was a Tābi’ee by the name of Abū Bakr ibn ’Abdurrahmān ibn Ḥārith ibn Hishām, who said a woman must cover everything even her nails. [see “Sharḥ Al-Muhadhab” of An-Nawawi (3/169)].
There is also a general ijmā’ [relayed by Ibn ’Abdil-Barr in “At-Tamheed” (6/365)] that women do not have to cover their hands in prayer. The only person who disagreed Abū Bakr ibn ’Abdurrahmān, and this is a Riwāyah from Aḥmad.
BENEFIT: according to most scholars, it’s recommended for women to wear three items of clothing in prayer:
٠ عن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه أنه قال: (( تُصَلِّي الْمَرْأَةُ فِي ثَلَاثَةِ أَثْوَابٍ: دِرْعٍ، وَخِمَارٍ، وَإِزَارٍ )). [أخرجه الأنصاري في “جزئه”(11) واللفظ له، وابن أبي شيبة (6168)، وقال الحافظ ابن كثير: إسناد صحيح على شرطهم]
- 1. Khimār = a head covering; to cover the head, hair and neck
- 2. Qamīṣ/Dir’ = a long dress; to cover the body
NOTE: These two items of clothing are agreed upon among the scholars:
٠ قال أحمد ابن حنبل: «قد اتفق عامتهم على الدرع والخمار» [ذكره ابن قدامة في “المغني” (2/330)]
and a woman can suffice with this as long as their are not see through.
٠ عن عبيد الله الخولاني ـ وكان في حَجْر ميمونة زوج النبي ﷺ: ((أَنَّ مَيْمُونَةَ كَانَتْ تُصَلِّي فِي الدِّرْعِ وَالْخِمَارِ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا إِزَارٌ)). [رواه مالك في الموطأ (160/325/474)، وصححه الألباني]
- 3. Izār = skirt/waste sheet; worn under the dress to cover the lower half (especially if the dress is see through).
٠ عن معمر عن يحيى بن أبي كثير قال: سئل عكرمة: المرأة تصلي في درع وخمار؟ قال: ((نَعَمْ، إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ شَفَّافاً)). [رواه عبد الرزاق في “مصنفه”(5034)، وإسناده صحيح].
Some explained that the Izār (waste sheet) should be used to exterior covering, worn over the dress like a jilbāb:
٠ عن عائشة – رضي الله عنها – أنها قالت: (( لَابُدَّ لِلْمَرْأَةِ مِنْ ثَلَاثَةِ أَثْوَابٍ تُصَلِّي فِيهِنَّ، دِرْعٌ وَجِلْبَابٌ، وَخِمَارٌ, وَكَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ تَحُلُّ إِزَارَهَا فَتَجَلْبَبُ بِهِ)). [قال العلامة الألباني: إسناده صحيح على شرط مسلم].
IMPORTANT NOTE: If a woman prays in a public space or in front of strange men, she must cover everything (including face, hands and feet).
’Awrah Infront of Ajānib (strange men):
According to the stronger view, the ’Awrah in this case is everything, including face and hands.
٠ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بن مسعود رضي الله عنه عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: ((الْمَرْأَةُ عَوْرَةٌ فَإِذَا خَرَجَتِ اسْتَشْرَفَهَا الشَّيْطَانُ)). [رواه الترمذي، وصححه الألباني في الإرواء]
Narrated ’Abdullāh: that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The woman is Awrah, so when she goes out, the Shaitan seeks to tempt her.”
NOTE 1: Elderly women do not have to cover their face and hands, although that is better:
﴿وَٱلۡقَوَ ٰعِدُ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَاۤءِ ٱلَّـٰتِی لَا یَرۡجُونَ نِكَاحࣰا فَلَیۡسَ عَلَیۡهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَن یَضَعۡنَ ثِیَابَهُنَّ غَیۡرَ مُتَبَرِّجَـٰتِۭ بِزِینَةࣲۖ وَأَن یَسۡتَعۡفِفۡنَ خَیۡرࣱ لَّهُنَّۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِیعٌ عَلِیمࣱ﴾
“As for elderly women past the age of marriage, there is no blame on them if they take off their ˹outer˺ garments, without revealing their adornments. But it is better for them if they avoid this ˹altogether˺. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” [Sūrah An-Nūr: 60]
NOTE 2: There’s no specific age for when young girls must be commanded to cover themselves. The affair returns to attractiveness and the capacity to cause fitnah; if they attract attention, they must be directed to cover sooner; and this usually occurs at the age of nine as Sheikh Uthaymeen rahimahullah stated:
فمتى صارت البنت محلاً للرغبة والنظر إليها وجب عليها أن تحتجب، لكن في الغالب تسع سنين.