Discussion of the categories of the 'awrah (the part of the body that must be covered).

The Shaykh : As for the 'awrah (the part of the body that must be covered) that is obligatory to cover, I did not say this to you, but they mentioned that it is of three types. Our jurists, the Hanbali jurists (may Allah have mercy on them), stated that it is of three types: severe, mild, and moderate. They said: The severe type is the 'awrah of a free, adult woman. They said: Her entire body is 'awrah in prayer, except her face. And you know the disagreement regarding the hands and feet. The mild type is the 'awrah of a male child from seven to ten years of age; it is only the two private parts, meaning the two shameful parts: his penis and his anus only. His thighs, the upper part of his thighs, the area around the anus, and the area around the penis are not part of the 'awrah. The 'awrah is only what? The two shameful parts: the penis and the anus. This is the mild type for a male child from seven to ten years of age. And what is other than that is moderate. The moderate type is what is between the navel and the knee. What is between the navel and the knee includes a male who has reached ten years of age until the end of his life. It includes a female slave. It includes a young female, even if she is free, if she has not reached puberty. These are the rulings of the 'awrah according to our jurists (may Allah have mercy on them). And in this matter, I personally follow the school of thought, because I was unable to reach a specific matter from the Sunnah. And the obligation of the incapable person is to follow a scholar without knowing his evidence, by the saying of the Exalted: .