Awrah
Encyclopedia
Awrah or Awrat is a term used within Islam
which denotes the intimate part
s 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 sin. The exact definition of awrah varies between different schools of Islamic thought.
and Kurdish
as well as Urdu
, the word awrat derived from the Arabic awrah, had been used widely to mean "woman". Consulting Mohammad Moin
's dictionary of Persian, awrah leads to two significations:
Other derivatives range in meaning from blind in one eye, false or artificial, among others. Traditionally the word awrat, alongside the word za'ifeh (which derives from Arabic za'if, meaning weak) has been associated with femininity and women who lived under the protection of a man. In modern day Iran
, using the two words (awrah and za'ifah) to refer to women is uncommon and is considered sexist language. Instead, the words zan and khanum are used. In Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the word za'if is still used in the Tajik dialect of Persian and its subdialects.
In Urdu
, awrat (aurat) is practically the only way to say 'woman'; this is also true in Hindi
. As an illustration, the women's rights organization based in Islamabad
is called Aurat Foundation
.
In Turkish
, avrat is one of the ways to say 'woman', but is used more in the rural area and may also mean 'wife', especially the way the husband calls his wife.
The Quranic text reveals the use of the term in various passages Surah Al-Nur and Surah Al-Ahzab.
The below verse is about privacy as the Quranic text states concerning underage boys:
Another passage in the Quran that uses the term awrah, is in Surah Al-Ahzab where it is mentioned twice in the same segment and concerns fleeing from battle.
It states: "A group of them ask the Prophet for leave, saying, “Our houses are awrah", even though their houses are not awrah. Their intent is to flee the battle. "
In this case, the term awrah means "vulnerable".
There is another context that relates the story of creation of Adam
and Eve
in the Garden
. In these two instances, the term saw’ah is used as an equivalent to awrah.
The text states:
Another word which almost has the same meaning of awrah, is the word farj or furuj. Another quote concerning covering the awrah is:
has commented on this Hadith:
The majority of Salafi
Muslims, however, believe that a woman's awrah in front of unrelated men is her entire body including her face and hands.
The practise of covering the face is common in some Muslim countries (such as Saudi Arabia
, Bahrain
, Yemen
, Oman
, Pakistan
) but not in other countries (like Malaysia, Indonesia
, present-day Iran
, Turkey
.
One should note as Islam is a global religion and not just for one nation, it has the possibility of different interpretations of the Divine Law within itself. Therefore, fuqaha can draw different results from the Islamic sources, according to the needs of different societies.
As exposing the awrah is sin regarded as in Islam, men and women are required to wear clothes that do not reveal their awrah . The concept of awrah is, therefore, linked with hijab
. In fact, modest dress is considered a means to fulfilling the covering of awrah but the debate is focused on how much of the male or female body should be covered.
Many Muslim women, particularly those living in Europe or in South East Asia, wear the headscarf. The type most commonly worn in the West is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear. Other styles also cover the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but the face and the hands are not covered, as they are not considered awrah for those Muslims who wear it.
Salafi women in countries such as Saudi Arabia
and Yemen
veil their faces by wearing the niqab
because they believe the face of a woman is considered awrah .
In Islam, women may generally be allowed to sing, but they are not allowed to call the Adhan
or pronounce the Talbiyah
aloud in Hajj
.
As narrated by Hazrat Aisha
(the wife of Muhammad):
"That once Abu Bakr came to her on the day of 'Id-ul-Fitr or 'Id ul Adha while the Prophet was with her and there were two girl singers with her, singing songs of the Ansar about the day of Buath. Abu Bakr said twice. "Musical instrument of Satan!" But the Prophet said, "Leave them Abu Bakr, for every nation has an 'Id' (i.e. festival) and this day is our 'Id."
Also, according to the tradition, in the ritual prayer, a woman should invite the attention of the Imam
by clapping, instead of saying "Subhanallah" which is for men. There is a difference of opinion whether or not a woman can recite the Quran when in the presence of non-mahram men.
Certain scholars have concluded from the above differences that a woman's voice is also her awrah in some cases.
's posing for German Playboy
in May, 2011 -- "not [as] a fan of porn as a symbol of empowerment, but ... understand[ing] why Şahin has responded to our community sanctions about honor, shame and modesty" as she did. Nomani also related these accounts to France's banning of the veil "in part because [the veil] perpetuates the notion that a woman's body is forbidden." Ultimately, Nomani wrote that in the search for "a happy medium of sexual freedom ... perhaps acts like Şahin's will prove liberating" and also a step towards "finding a middle ground" in the way Nomani's own "experimentation of ... youth settled down into [her] own sense of modesty in [her] 40s."
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
which denotes the intimate part
Intimate part
An intimate, personal, or private part is a place on the human body which is customarily kept covered by clothing in public venues and conventional settings, as a matter of decency, decorum, and respectfulness...
s 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 sin. The exact definition of awrah varies between different schools of Islamic thought.
Etymology
Etymologically, the term awrah derives from the root ‘a-w-r which means "defectiveness", "imperfection", "blemish" or "weakness". However, the most common English translation is "nakedness".In other languages
In PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Kurdish
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
as well as Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, the word awrat derived from the Arabic awrah, had been used widely to mean "woman". Consulting Mohammad Moin
Mohammad Moin
Mohammad Moin was a prominent Iranian scholar of Persian literature and Iranian Studies....
's dictionary of Persian, awrah leads to two significations:
- Nakedness, shame
- Young woman.
Other derivatives range in meaning from blind in one eye, false or artificial, among others. Traditionally the word awrat, alongside the word za'ifeh (which derives from Arabic za'if, meaning weak) has been associated with femininity and women who lived under the protection of a man. In modern day Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, using the two words (awrah and za'ifah) to refer to women is uncommon and is considered sexist language. Instead, the words zan and khanum are used. In Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the word za'if is still used in the Tajik dialect of Persian and its subdialects.
In Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, awrat (aurat) is practically the only way to say 'woman'; this is also true in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
. As an illustration, the women's rights organization based in Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
is called Aurat Foundation
Aurat Foundation
Aurat Foundation is a women's rights organization based in Islamabad, Pakistan. Aurat Foundation does active lobbying and advocacy on behalf of women. It also holds demonstrations and public-awareness campaigns....
.
In Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, avrat is one of the ways to say 'woman', but is used more in the rural area and may also mean 'wife', especially the way the husband calls his wife.
In the Quran
The term as it is used in the Quran shows awrah as confined neither to women nor to the body.The Quranic text reveals the use of the term in various passages Surah Al-Nur and Surah Al-Ahzab.
The below verse is about privacy as the Quranic text states concerning underage boys:
"... and let those among you who have not yet come to the age of puberty ask your permission (before they come to your presence) on three occasions; before the morning prayer, and while you put off your clothes for the noonday (rest), and after the late-night prayer. (These) three times are of privacy for you, other than these times there is no sin on you or on them to move about, attending (helping) each other."
Another passage in the Quran that uses the term awrah, is in Surah Al-Ahzab where it is mentioned twice in the same segment and concerns fleeing from battle.
It states: "A group of them ask the Prophet for leave, saying, “Our houses are awrah", even though their houses are not awrah. Their intent is to flee the battle. "
In this case, the term awrah means "vulnerable".
There is another context that relates the story of creation of Adam
Adam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
and Eve
Eve
Eve is the first woman created by God in the Book of Genesis.Eve may also refer to:-People:*Eve , a common given name and surname*Eve , American recording artist and actress-Places:...
in the Garden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
. In these two instances, the term saw’ah is used as an equivalent to awrah.
The text states:
"O ye children of Adam! We have bestowed dress upon you to cover your nakedness...".
Another word which almost has the same meaning of awrah, is the word farj or furuj. Another quote concerning covering the awrah is:
"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters, and the believing women, to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies. That will be better that they should be known (as respectable woman) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." -Al-AhzabAl-AhzabSurat Al-Ahzab is the 33rd sura of the Qur'an with 73 ayat.Verse 5: Adoption in Islam.Ayat 6 contains a reference to the term Mother of Believers.Ayat 25 contains a reference to Battle of the trench....
:59 (Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
)
In the Hadith
The author of Majma' Al-BayanMajma' al-Bayan
Majma‘ al-bayan li-‘ulum al-Qur’an is a tafsir by the 12th century Imami scholar and author al-Fadl ibn al-Hasan al-Tabrisi.The work is considered one of the most authoritative Imami Qur’an commentaries...
has commented on this Hadith:
Awrah refers to anything which can be easily harmed just like a bare or exposed place. Therefore it becomes clear that the body of a woman is referred to as vulnerable because it is like a house which contains no walls and can be easily harmed and must be covered with the appropriate clothing.
Men
In Sunni interpretations, the awrah of a man refers to the part of the body between the navel and the knees which must be covered when in public and also during prayer.Women
Women's awrah is a more complicated issue and it changes according to the situation:- In ritual prayer: a woman should cover her entire body excluding her face and her hands from the wrist to the base of the fingers. She should also cover part of her forehead and the area under the chin. A woman should cover her hair and body while performing the ritual prayer, whether she is praying in presence of her husband or she is praying alone in her chamber, as the basis for covering in prayer is different from the basis for covering in front of people.
- In front of her husband: There is no restriction in Islam on what body parts a woman may show to her husband in private. The husband and wife can see any part of each other’s body especially during sexual intercourse.
- In privacy: It is recommended that a person cover his or her sexual organs even when alone in private. There are exceptions such as when taking a shower or going to the toilet.
- Among other women: The awrah of a woman amongst other women is the same as the awrah of men (from her navel to her knees). awrah in front of non-Muslim women is a point of debate. Some scholars say that women should cover all but the hands and face, while according to the most preferred opinion, a Muslim woman can reveal in front of a non-Muslim woman as much as she would in front of other Muslim women.
- In front of a mahramMahramIn Islamic sharia legal terminology, a mahram is an unmarriageable kin with whom sexual intercourse would be considered incestuous, a punishable taboo...
(close male relative): a woman can show her face, head, neck, hands, forearms, feet and calves while covering the rest. - In front of male children: If the child understands what the awrah is, then it is not considered permissible for a woman to uncover her awrah in front of him.
- In front of non-mahram men: There is a difference of opinion on which body parts a woman should cover in front of men who are not her mahramMahramIn Islamic sharia legal terminology, a mahram is an unmarriageable kin with whom sexual intercourse would be considered incestuous, a punishable taboo...
. In the contemporary world, most Muslims hold that entire body of the woman, except her face and hands, is part of her awrah, so those are the parts of her body that must be covered during prayer and in public settings.
The majority of Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
Muslims, however, believe that a woman's awrah in front of unrelated men is her entire body including her face and hands.
The practise of covering the face is common in some Muslim countries (such as Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
) but not in other countries (like Malaysia, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, present-day Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
One should note as Islam is a global religion and not just for one nation, it has the possibility of different interpretations of the Divine Law within itself. Therefore, fuqaha can draw different results from the Islamic sources, according to the needs of different societies.
Relation with hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
. In fact, modest dress is considered a means to fulfilling the covering of awrah but the debate is focused on how much of the male or female body should be covered.
Many Muslim women, particularly those living in Europe or in South East Asia, wear the headscarf. The type most commonly worn in the West is a square scarf that covers the head and neck but leaves the face clear. Other styles also cover the hair, neck and shoulders completely, but the face and the hands are not covered, as they are not considered awrah for those Muslims who wear it.
Salafi women in countries such as Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
veil their faces by wearing the niqab
Niqab
A niqab is a cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijāb...
because they believe the face of a woman is considered awrah .
Female voice
According to most scholars, the woman’s voice is not awrah in principle, for according to the Hadith, women used to complain to the Prophet and ask him about Islamic matters. However, women are not allowed to speak in a soft or alluring voice.In Islam, women may generally be allowed to sing, but they are not allowed to call the Adhan
Adhan
The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....
or pronounce the Talbiyah
Talbiyah
The Talbiyah is a Muslim prayer invoked by the pilgrims as a conviction that they intend to perform the Hajj only for the glory of God. Talbiyah is repeatedly invoked during the Hajj, or pilgrimage, upon putting on the Ihram, so the pilgrims can purify and rid themselves of worldly concerns.The...
aloud in Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
.
As narrated by Hazrat Aisha
Aisha
Aisha bint Abu Bakr also transcribed as was Muhammad's favorite wife...
(the wife of Muhammad):
"That once Abu Bakr came to her on the day of 'Id-ul-Fitr or 'Id ul Adha while the Prophet was with her and there were two girl singers with her, singing songs of the Ansar about the day of Buath. Abu Bakr said twice. "Musical instrument of Satan!" But the Prophet said, "Leave them Abu Bakr, for every nation has an 'Id' (i.e. festival) and this day is our 'Id."
Also, according to the tradition, in the ritual prayer, a woman should invite the attention of the Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
by clapping, instead of saying "Subhanallah" which is for men. There is a difference of opinion whether or not a woman can recite the Quran when in the presence of non-mahram men.
Certain scholars have concluded from the above differences that a woman's voice is also her awrah in some cases.
Challenging awrah restrictions
Muslim Indian-American writer Asra Nomani wrote of her own struggles with clothing restrictions based on awrah as she attended school and college, and after. She wrote in the context of Sıla ŞahinSıla Şahin
Sıla Şahin is a Turkish-German actress, best known for her portrayal of Ayla Özgül in the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten.- German Playboy :...
's posing for German Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
in May, 2011 -- "not [as] a fan of porn as a symbol of empowerment, but ... understand[ing] why Şahin has responded to our community sanctions about honor, shame and modesty" as she did. Nomani also related these accounts to France's banning of the veil "in part because [the veil] perpetuates the notion that a woman's body is forbidden." Ultimately, Nomani wrote that in the search for "a happy medium of sexual freedom ... perhaps acts like Şahin's will prove liberating" and also a step towards "finding a middle ground" in the way Nomani's own "experimentation of ... youth settled down into [her] own sense of modesty in [her] 40s."
See also
- HijabHijabThe word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
- NiqabNiqabA niqab is a cloth which covers the face, worn by some Muslim women as a part of sartorial hijāb...
- PurdahPurdahPurdah or pardeh is the practice of concealing women from men. According to one definition:This takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes, and the requirement for women to cover their bodies and conceal their form....
- Tzeniut
- NamusNamusNamus is the Arabic word of a concept of an ethical category, a virtue, in Middle Eastern patriarchal character...
(Honor) - Sex segregation and Islam