The awrah is that part of a person which he would be embarrassed to expose or have looked at. It derives from awar, meaning a defect; thus, anything whose sight displeases you is regarded as a defect.

However, we should examine this expression, “covering the awrah.” Does the expression “covering the awrah” occur in the Quran or the sunnah with respect to prayer, or not?

The answer is: No. The expression “covering the awrah” does not occur in the Quran or the sunnah. Since it does not occur, one should use only the wording found in the Quran and the sunnah in such matters. Similar to this potentially misleading expression is the way some scholars speak, in the chapter on the prohibitions of ihram, of “wearing sewn garments,” instead of referring to shirts, trousers, hooded cloaks, turbans, and leather socks.

When the scholars said, “covering the awrah,” some people confused the awrah of prayer with the awrah that must be concealed from others’ gaze, and the two became conflated for them. Some even said that they are one and the same. But this is not so. There is a difference between the awrah of prayer and the awrah to be concealed from view: they do not correspond consistently, either inclusively or exclusively, as will become clear, if Allah wills.

Therefore, had he used the wording found in the Quran or the sunnah, it would have been safer. What occurs in the Quran is: “O children of Adam, take your adornment at every place of prayer.” [al-A'raf 7:31]

Thus, Allah Most High commanded that one wear adornment for prayer. The minimum is clothing that conceals the private parts; anything beyond that is an added virtue. The sunnah has explained this in detail. If a person would feel ashamed to stand before one of the kings wearing clothes that do not provide proper covering, or with half of his body exposed, then how can he not feel ashamed to stand before the King of kings, exalted is He, in clothing that he is not required to wear?! For this reason, Abdullah ibn Umar said to his freedman Nafiʿ