The Meaning of the Saying of Allah the Exalted: “And they shall not display their adornment except what appears of it, and they shall not display their adornment except to their husbands…”
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : …and the hand up to what is above the … what is called the damlaj (upper arm) … these locations, including the foot and what is above the middle of the shin, which is the place of the anklet, the adornment of the foot, the anklet. These locations are the ones it is permissible for a woman to show in front of her father and all her mahrams. It is not permissible for her to show anything other than that. So what has become common in some countries, like Syria for example, where a sister sits in front of her brother with her entire arm exposed, including under the armpit, because she wears a shirt with no sleeves, and she may sit in a way that her thigh is seen, or something of her back is seen, or something of her chest is open up to the breasts. All of this is haram (forbidden) and not permissible. Even a mother is not allowed to see any of that from her daughter. And among the customs is that the daughter enters the bathroom and the mother takes a ghusl (the full ritual bath) there. Why? She says it is to rub her back for her. So the mother exposes her back to her daughter without any hesitation or embarrassment. This is haram (forbidden) and not permissible, because the back of a woman is not among the adornment that Allah the Exalted permitted in the verse for a woman to show in front of her mahrams.
So the woman sits in the house between her father, her brother, and all her mahrams, and she does not show anything except the arm, if she wishes, at times for wudu' (the ablution for prayer) or the like, and otherwise the face and something of the neck.
The questioner : And upon you be peace.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
And otherwise, the foot and something of the shin above it. Nothing other than that is permissible for a woman to show of her adornment in front of her father, let alone in front of her other mahrams. Once the locations of adornment are specified, what remains other than that stays in a state of prohibition. It is not permissible for the suitor to look at anything other than that.
The questioner : What is the evidence for this specification?
The Shaykh : The word[An-Nur 24:31] What are the locations of adornment? Are there locations of adornment under the armpit?
The questioner : No, for example, the breasts.
The Shaykh : I, for example, am looking under the armpit. Is it among the locations of adornment?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Do you know what the meaning of “locations of adornment” is? It means the locations where adornment is attached.
The questioner : Ah.
The Shaykh : So your saying “the breasts,” are there locations of adornment there? … The locations where adornment is attached. That is why we said the locations of adornment are the head, where she may adorn her hair with combs of ivory, gold, silver, and so on, and the earrings that are attached to the ears, and the necklace that is attached to the neck, and the ring and the bracelet and the like. These are the locations of adornment. These are the ones Allah the Exalted permitted for a woman to show in front of her mahrams.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : More than that is not valid for her father, let alone for … .
The questioner : What is … .
The Shaykh : What is it?
The questioner : … the evening of 'Arafah, then … then … in every country. So the question is to clarify this … when this … ?
The Shaykh : I did not understand what you mean by “combining.”
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, what do you mean by “combining”? Do you think there is a contradiction between the rising and the descending? So you ask me to combine them, or what do you mean? Because I did not understand your question.
The questioner : The rising … at 'Arafah … .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : … descending … from 'Arafah, then descending … then … .
The Shaykh : Did you understand his question?
The questioner : ... .
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : I do not have any difficulty with the word “combining.”
The questioner : Combining.
Another questioner : The intended meaning is …
The Shaykh : How do we combine between these attributes … .
The questioner : … the question … how does Allah descend on the Night of Decree in the east on a Friday for example … on another day … on a Saturday … The angels descend on a Friday or a Saturday, and Allah who descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night, in a place where it is night and in another place where it is day.
The Shaykh : … from his question, but he wants to combine all these things.
So the woman sits in the house between her father, her brother, and all her mahrams, and she does not show anything except the arm, if she wishes, at times for wudu' (the ablution for prayer) or the like, and otherwise the face and something of the neck.
The questioner : And upon you be peace.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
And otherwise, the foot and something of the shin above it. Nothing other than that is permissible for a woman to show of her adornment in front of her father, let alone in front of her other mahrams. Once the locations of adornment are specified, what remains other than that stays in a state of prohibition. It is not permissible for the suitor to look at anything other than that.
The questioner : What is the evidence for this specification?
The Shaykh : The word
not expose their adornment
ولا يبدين زينتهنThe questioner : No, for example, the breasts.
The Shaykh : I, for example, am looking under the armpit. Is it among the locations of adornment?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Do you know what the meaning of “locations of adornment” is? It means the locations where adornment is attached.
The questioner : Ah.
The Shaykh : So your saying “the breasts,” are there locations of adornment there? …
And they shall not display their adornment
فلا يبدين زينتهنThe questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : More than that is not valid for her father, let alone for … .
The questioner : What is … .
The Shaykh : What is it?
The questioner : … the evening of 'Arafah, then … then … in every country. So the question is to clarify this … when this … ?
The Shaykh : I did not understand what you mean by “combining.”
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, what do you mean by “combining”? Do you think there is a contradiction between the rising and the descending? So you ask me to combine them, or what do you mean? Because I did not understand your question.
The questioner : The rising … at 'Arafah … .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : … descending … from 'Arafah, then descending … then … .
The Shaykh : Did you understand his question?
The questioner : ... .
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : I do not have any difficulty with the word “combining.”
The questioner : Combining.
Another questioner : The intended meaning is …
The Shaykh : How do we combine between these attributes … .
The questioner : … the question … how does Allah descend on the Night of Decree in the east on a Friday for example … on another day … on a Saturday …
Therein descend the angels and the Spirit
تنزل فيه الملائكة والروحThe Shaykh : … from his question, but he wants to combine all these things.