The Ruling of the Shari'ah in Your View, O Virtuous Shaykh, Regarding Wearing Short Sleeves, Especially in the Presence of Mahrams, for a Woman

The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah in your view, O Virtuous Shaykh, regarding a woman wearing short sleeves, especially in the presence of her mahrams?

The Shaykh : It is established in the authentic collections that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: meaning they strike them with aggression and injustice, not for discipline and correction. This is why he did not say "they discipline people with them" but rather "they strike people with them." The scholars said, among other things, regarding the meaning of the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): that the intended meaning is clothing that does not cover, either because it is tight, or because it is light and thin, or because it is short. The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned that the women of the Companions used to wear long shirts (qamis) that covered from the wrist to the ankle, meaning from the hand to the ankle of the foot. This is the prescribed clothing that a woman should adorn herself with. However, there is no blame on her if she rolls up her sleeve when necessary, if she is only in the presence of women or mahrams. Likewise, there is no blame on her if she lifts her garment when necessary to expose part of her leg, if she is only in the presence of male mahrams or women.
As for intentionally shortening the garment so that it is below the elbow, or so that it reaches the knee, this falls under the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): Furthermore, this opens the door for women to expand [their exposure] until they go beyond that. Therefore, closing the door is more appropriate and better. Let a woman's clothes have long sleeves and reach down to the ankle. However, if she goes out to the market, she should cover even her hands and feet.
Here is an issue in which some people imagine something that is not the intention of the Lawgiver. Some people imagine from the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): that it means it is permissible for a woman to expose of her body whatever is not between the navel and the knee. This is a wrong understanding. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not address the woman being looked at, but rather he addressed the one looking. He says: Do not look at the 'awrah of a woman. A woman does not look at the 'awrah of a woman. It does not mean that a woman has no clothing on her except what is between the navel and the knee. No one has understood it that way. And who can say that the women of the Muslims used to limit themselves to wearing trousers or a wrap that covers only what is between the navel and the knee, with the rest exposed? Who says this? Rather, the women of the Companions, as I mentioned regarding the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), used to wear shirts that covered from the wrist to the ankle. But the intention of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is that if something of a woman's 'awrah becomes visible when she is relieving herself or for other reasons, it is not permissible for a woman to look at her 'awrah.
The same is said regarding men. The people in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to wear the izar (lower garment) and the rida' (upper garment), covering the entire body. No one used to wear an izar without a rida' unless he was poor, as in the story of the man who said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when a woman offered herself to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he did not accept her: "If you have no need of her, marry me to her." He had nothing but an izar. So he was poor. Otherwise, people who have both the izar and the rida' wear an izar and a rida'.
In any case, some people have misunderstood the hadith to mean that it is permissible for a woman to expose her chest and what is above her belly, and to expose her breasts to women. This is a mistake. But the matter is as I said: the address is directed to the one looking, not the one being looked at. As for the one being looked at, she may have worn ordinary covering clothes, but her 'awrah may become visible for one reason or another. It is not permissible for a woman to look at it. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah reward you. This is a listener from Egypt.