2 – For a man, the ʿawrah comprises only al-saw’atayn (the two private parts), and all of the previously cited proofs pertain specifically to them.

That the two saw’atayn fall under the heading of ʿawrah is unanimously agreed upon by the scholars, as Ibn Ḥazm records in Marātib al-Ijmāʿ. Al-Nawawī states in al-Majmūʿ:

“The linguists say: It was called ʿawrah because its exposure is repugnant and because people avert their gaze from it. The word derives from ʿawr, which connotes deficiency, defect, and ugliness; hence the phrase ʿawr al-ʿayn (a damaged or one-eyed eye) and al-kalimah al-ʿaurāʾ, meaning an ugly or defective word.”

There is no doubt that this meaning applies only to the two saw’atayn; it does not manifest as clearly in other areas such as the thigh, the navel, or the knee. For that reason the jurists differed concerning them, whereas the correct view is what we have just stated, as will be clarified below.

As for the thigh, knee, and navel, they do not belong to the prohibited ʿawrah, for the Prophet ﷺ deliberately uncovered them on several occasions in the presence of others. Had their exposure been forbidden, he would not have done so. ʿĀʾishah reported:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was lying in his house with his thighs uncovered. Abū Bakr asked permission to enter and was admitted while he remained in that state; then ʿUmar asked permission and was likewise admitted, and they spoke together. When ʿUthmān asked permission, the Prophet sat up and arranged his garments. ʿUthmān entered and spoke with him. After he left, ʿĀʾishah said, ‘Abū Bakr came in and you did not sit up; then ʿUthmān came in and you sat up and adjusted your clothes.’ He replied, ‘Should I not feel shy before a man before whom even the angels feel shy?’”

This hadith is authentic.