মাহরাম এবং মুসলিম মহিলাদের সামনে পর্দা কী হবে?

What will be Woman’s Awra in front of her Mahrams and Muslim women?
Answer: The man is permitted to see more than the hands and face and the places of charms (zeenah) of mahram women, be they Muslims or non-Muslims, without restriction to specific body parts. This is due to the unrestricted (mutlaq) text on the matter. Allah (swt) says: وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ “And let them not display their charms to any but their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women folk, their slaves, such male attendants as are beyond all sexual desire or children that are as yet unaware of women’s nakedness”. [An-Nur: 31]. All these categories are allowed to see the woman’s hair, neck and the places where she wears her upper arm bracelet, necklace, and anklet, as well as other places that fit the category of charms (zeenah). This is because Allah (swt) says: وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ “And let them not display their charms” i.e. the place of their charms (zeenah), except to those mentioned in the Qur’an. Such people are allowed to see what appears of her when she is wearing her house clothes. Ash-Shafe’i reported in his Musnad from Zaynab bint Abi Salamah that she was breastfed by Asmaa, Az-Zubayr’s wife. She said: “I used to see him as a father. He used to walk in while I was combing my hair – he would hold a lock of my hair and say come here.” It was also reported that Abu Sufyan upon coming to Madinah to renew the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, went to his daughter, Ummu Habibah, who was the wife of the Messenger ﷺ. Upon entering her house, she folded the Messenger’s bed so that he would not sit on it. She did not cover up in his presence. She mentioned the incident to the Messenger of Allah who approved of her action and did not order her to cover up in her father’s presence as he was a mahram to her even though he was a mushrik. In regards to the ‘Awrah of a woman in relation to a woman, there are two Fiqhi opinions that carry an angle of deduction (Istidlaal) First: That the ‘Awrah of a woman to a woman is like the ‘Awrah of a man in relation to (another) man i.e. between the navel and the knee and this is the opinion of some of the ‘Ulemah. Second: That the ‘Awrah of the woman in relation to a woman is all of her body except for the places which the woman usually adorns herself, i.e. the exception of the head which is the area for the tiara, the face which is the area of Kohl, the neck and chest which is the area of the necklace and the ears which are the area of earrings, the upper arm which is the place of the arm bangle (armlet) and the lower arm which is also the place of bangles and bracelets, the hand because it is the place of the ring, the lower leg which is the place of ankle bracelets and the feet which is the place of nail polish (or mehndi etc. Other than this, i.e. other than the usual areas of Zeenah (adornment) are considered ‘Awrah in relation to the woman i.e. that it is not only that which is between the naval and the knee. The Daleel (evidence) for this is the speech of Allah سبحانه وتعالى: وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آَبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آَبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ “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.” (An-Nur, 31) Therefore these are all permitted to be seen from the woman: the hair and neck of the woman and the places of her bangles, bracelets and necklaces and all other parts of the body in which it has been confirmed to be a place of adornment because Allah سبحانه وتعالى said: وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنّ “And do not expose their adornment” i.e. the place of their adornment. The Aayah mentioned the Maaharim (non-marriageable relatives) and also mentioned the women and therefore it is permitted for women to look at each other’s places of Zeenah (Adornment). As for other than these places of Zeenah of the woman, then they are considered as ‘Awrah in front of another woman. This is what we find to be the preponderant opinion in accordance to the Daleel (evidence) and we say the preponderant (Raajih) because there are those who have viewed the ‘Awrah of the women in relation to another woman as being the same to the ‘Awrah of a man in relation to another man i.e. between the naval and knee.