What is the limit of a woman's 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) with another woman, and a woman's 'awrah with her mahram (a relative one may not marry)?
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The questioner : We have read in the books of Islamic jurisprudence and the schools of jurisprudence much scholarly disagreement regarding a woman's 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) with another woman and a woman's 'awrah with her mahram (a relative one may not marry). We hope you will clarify this for us, and may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : We have nothing to help us answer this question except the noble verse:[An-Nur 24:31] until it says: So the verse gathers the answer to both parts of the question. It clarifies that a woman is only permitted to show her mahram (a relative one may not marry) and her Muslim sisters the places of adornment, and nothing more than that. The places of adornment in the early period, when the noble verse was revealed, were known. We give a concrete example of what was not a place of adornment, neither in that time nor in this time, and praise be to Allah that the corruption of the times has not reached the point where a woman shows her adornment of her breast to men. So it does not fall under His saying: [An-Nur 24:31] meaning her chest. Why?
Because the chest was not a place of adornment on the day the verse was revealed. From this, we understand clearly, with no ambiguity whatsoever, that the common saying, which we hear from some shaykhs (scholars or teachers) and some radio stations, that a woman's 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) with another woman is like a man's 'awrah with another man, i.e., from the navel to the knee, is a false statement that contradicts this noble verse. Because the verse means, along with the previous verses that clarify to us that a woman is 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) even in her face and hands according to some scholars, so if she is 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered), then the verse we were discussing says:[An-Nur 24:31] in the end. So where did you come from with the idea that it is permissible for her to expose her chest and her back? All of that was never a place of adornment, not even in this corrupt time.
So this is a statement that, in my opinion, must be cast aside, because any statement that contradicts the Book of Allah or the hadith (a report of the Prophet's words or deeds) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is something that is not permissible for a Muslim to rely on or resort to, as Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The scholar said, Allah said, His Messenger said, The Companions said, it is not deception
What knowledge has placed you in the foolishness of disagreement Between the Messenger and the opinion of a jurist
No, nor denying the attributes and negating them, out of fear of denial of the divine attributes and likening Allah to creation
So when we say "Allah said so and so," you say "He said"The Shaykh : "The scholar said" and "the school of jurisprudence said." This is what should come from a Muslim who truly believes in Allah and His Messenger. So this verse is the basis of the topic of a woman's 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) with her mahram (a relative one may not marry) and a woman's 'awrah with another woman. It is not permissible for her to show to these two groups anything other than what was a place of adornment at that time. What is it? The head and what it contains, including the neck and the forearms, the bracelets, and what is its name? The bangle, or what? By Allah, I forgot. And the anklets that are placed on the feet, the feet with a bit of the leg where the anklets are. This is what is permissible for a woman to show to her mahram (a relative one may not marry) and to her Muslim sister. Anything other than that, she wears the shirt, what we call the shayal, which has no sleeves, so her upper arm is exposed, and what is under her armpit is exposed, and her chest and back are exposed. All of this is a violation of the sanctities of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and this is not permissible. And now it is ten o'clock minus a quarter, welcome.
The Shaykh : We have nothing to help us answer this question except the noble verse:
not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers,
ولا يبدين زينتهن إلا لبعولتهن أو آباءهن أو ...or their women
أو نساءهنnot expose their adornment
ولا يبدين زينتهنBecause the chest was not a place of adornment on the day the verse was revealed. From this, we understand clearly, with no ambiguity whatsoever, that the common saying, which we hear from some shaykhs (scholars or teachers) and some radio stations, that a woman's 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) with another woman is like a man's 'awrah with another man, i.e., from the navel to the knee, is a false statement that contradicts this noble verse. Because the verse means, along with the previous verses that clarify to us that a woman is 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) even in her face and hands according to some scholars, so if she is 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered), then the verse we were discussing says:
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
ولا يبدين زينتهن إلا لأباءهن ... ونسائهنSo this is a statement that, in my opinion, must be cast aside, because any statement that contradicts the Book of Allah or the hadith (a report of the Prophet's words or deeds) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is something that is not permissible for a Muslim to rely on or resort to, as Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The scholar said, Allah said, His Messenger said, The Companions said, it is not deception
What knowledge has placed you in the foolishness of disagreement Between the Messenger and the opinion of a jurist
No, nor denying the attributes and negating them, out of fear of denial of the divine attributes and likening Allah to creation
So when we say "Allah said so and so," you say "He said"The Shaykh : "The scholar said" and "the school of jurisprudence said." This is what should come from a Muslim who truly believes in Allah and His Messenger. So this verse is the basis of the topic of a woman's 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) with her mahram (a relative one may not marry) and a woman's 'awrah with another woman. It is not permissible for her to show to these two groups anything other than what was a place of adornment at that time. What is it? The head and what it contains, including the neck and the forearms, the bracelets, and what is its name? The bangle, or what? By Allah, I forgot. And the anklets that are placed on the feet, the feet with a bit of the leg where the anklets are. This is what is permissible for a woman to show to her mahram (a relative one may not marry) and to her Muslim sister. Anything other than that, she wears the shirt, what we call the shayal, which has no sleeves, so her upper arm is exposed, and what is under her armpit is exposed, and her chest and back are exposed. All of this is a violation of the sanctities of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and this is not permissible. And now it is ten o'clock minus a quarter, welcome.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.