Fatwa n° 845

Category: Fatwas about Hadith and its Sciences

About the meaning of the hadith: “Any woman who takes off her clothes in a house other than that of one of her mothers…”

Question:

What is meant by the hadith that says:No woman takes off her garments in a house other than that of one of her mothers, but she tears the cover between her and Ar-Rahmân (the Most Merciful)(1). Is putting off her Jilbâb (veil) when being among her Mahârim (2) in a hotel while travelling included in the meaning of this hadith? May Allah reward you.

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers until the Day of Resurrection:

What is meant by this hadith is when a woman shows her body or a part from it to strangers (men that are not Mahram) and she does not cover her body before them with the veil ordained by Allah – that is to say the veil of righteousness as Allah عزّ وجلّ said:

﴿ يَٰبَنِيٓ ءَادَمَ قَدۡ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ لِبَاسٗا يُوَٰرِي سَوۡءَٰتِكُمۡ وَرِيشٗاۖ وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيۡرٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ٢٦ [الأعراف: 26.[

The meaning of the verse:

Ô 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﴿ [Al-A‘râf: 26].

Her retribution will be a scandal, as she tears the veil between her and Allah, He will tear her veil, and tearing her veil means [here] a scandal (3), because she does not keep well what she was ordered to do by sustaining her veil before the strangers, so she was given her retribution because: “As you treat you will be treated”.

It is included in the prohibition: to put off her clothes in public bath, because usually the woman does not cover her ‘Awra (4) before women. However, she is not concerned with the punishment if she puts off her Hijâb before her Mahârim or when she is among Muslim women by keeping her ‘Awra covered, i.e. just to reveal parts of adornment of her body as Allah says:

﴿وَلَايُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِيٓ إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِيٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوۡ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيۡرِ أُوْلِي ٱلۡإِرۡبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفۡلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَظۡهَرُواْ عَلَىٰ عَوۡرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِۖ  [النور: 31.[

The meaning of the verse:

and not expose their adornment (i.e. beauty) except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess (i.e. slaves), or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women  ﴿ [An-Nûr: 31].

The same thing when she travels with her husband or with one of her Mahârim, be it at the hotel or somewhere else, because the apparent meaning of the hadith is about showing her body to a stranger who gets from her what he wants even with a sight full of desire or with what comes just before the sexual intercourse. (5)

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ; and our last prayer is all the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers of Allah are to Muhammad and his Family, Companions and Brothers until the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers on: Sha‘bân the 26th, 1426 H

Corresponding to September the 30th, 2005 G.

 


(1) Reported by Abû Dâwûd (4010), by At-Tirmidhî (2803), by Ibn Mâjah (3750), by Al-Hâkim in “Al-Mustadrak” (7781) and by Ahmad in his “Musnad” (25772) on the authority of ‘Â’isha رضي الله عنها. This hadith is judged authentic by Al-Albânî in “Sahîh Al-Jâmi‘ ” (2710) and in “Sahîh At-Targhîb Wat-Tarhîb ” (165).

(2) Mahram (plural: Mahârim): a male whom a woman can never marry because of close relationship (e.g. a brother, a father, an uncle etc.); or her own husband. Translator’s note.

(3) See: “An-Nihâya” of Ibn Al-Athîr (5/553).

(4) Here, it means the parts of the woman’s body that she is not allowed to reveal before other women. Translator’s note.

(5) See: “Fayd Al-Qadîr” of Al-Munâwî (3/136).

 

 

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