‘Awrah in Front of Mahrams and Other Women

‘Awrah (Arabic: عورة‎) is a term used within Islam which denotes the intimate parts of the body, for both men and women, which must be covered with clothing. Exposing the ‘awrah is unlawful in Islam and is regarded as a sin.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember.”

Surah Al Araf 7,26

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No man should look at the ‘awrah of another man, and no woman should look at the ‘awrah of another woman.”

[Reported by Muslim]

The ‘awrah of a woman in front of her mahrams such as her father, brother and nephew is her entire body except that which usually appears such as the face, hair, neck, forearms and feet.

Allaah 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 al-Albaani said explaining this Aayah:

“Therefore , there in this Aayah, 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)

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“What a woman is permitted to uncover in front of her children (and other women) is that which is customarily uncovered, such as the face, hands, forearms, feet and so on.”

[Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (17/297)]

What about other women ?

Shaykh Ibn ‘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)

Further Explanation :

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) having said this:

“Two are the types of the denizens of Hell whom I did not see: people having flogs like the tails of the ox with them and they would be beating people, and the women who would be dressed but appear to be naked, who would be inclined (to evil) and make their husbands incline towards it. Their heads would be like the humps of the bukht camel inclined to one side. They will not enter Paradise and they would not smell its odour whereas its odour would be smelt from such and such distance.”

Sahih Muslim

Parts Extracted from Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 17/290 

Because of the large number of questions that have been sent to the Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas about women looking at women, and what women should wear, the Committee is telling all Muslim women that women are obliged to have an attitude of modesty, which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described as being part of faith and one of the branches of faith. 

One aspect of the modesty which is enjoined by Islam and by custom is that women should cover themselves, be modest and adopt an attitude and conduct that will keep her far away from falling into fitnah (temptation) and doubtful situations. 

The Qur’aan clearly indicates that a woman should not show to other women anything other than that which she shows to her mahrams, that which she customarily uncovers in her own home and when doing housework, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“…and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam)…”

[al-Noor 24:31]

If this is the text of the Qur’aan and this is what is indicated by the Sunnah, then this is what the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the womenfolk of the Sahaabah used to do, and the women of the ummah who followed them in truth until the present day.

What was usually uncovered in front of the people mentioned in this verse is what women usually uncover when they are at home and when doing housework, which is difficult to avoid, such as uncovering the head, hands, neck and feet.

With regard to going to extremes in uncovering, there is no evidence in the Qur’aan and Sunnah that this is permissible. This is also the way that leads to a woman tempting or being tempted by other women, which happens among them. It also sets a bad example to other women, as well as being an imitation of kaafir women, prostitutes and immoral women in the way they dress…

It is also narrated in Saheeh Muslim (2128) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen: people with whips like the tails of cattle, with which they beat the people, and women who are clothed yet naked, misguided and leading others astray, with their heads like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will not enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance may be detected from such and such a distance.”  

The meaning of the phrase “clothed yet naked” is that the woman is wearing clothes that do not cover her, so she is clothed, but in fact she is naked, such as when she wears a thin dress that shows the colour of her skin, or a dress that shows the outline of her body, or a short dress that does not cover part of her limbs. 

So what Muslim women have to do is to adhere to the guidance followed by the Mothers of the Believers (the Prophet’s wives) and the womenfolk of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), and the women of this ummah who followed them in truth, and strive to cover themselves and be modest. This is farthest removed from the causes of fitnah and will protect them from the things that lead to provocation of desires and falling into immorality. 

May Allah bless and preserve our sister, Asma bint Shameem, for her help in writing this article.

Click Here to read her blog post about ‘Awrah

House of Jilbab Team