Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/37)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

In summary, the rulings concerning the parts that must be concealed are as follows: it is not permissible for a person to look at a man’s private parts, which extend from the navel to the knee. The same applies to a woman in the presence of another woman. There is no harm, however, in looking at the rest of the body if there is no fear of temptation.

Malik and Ibn Abi Dhib said that the thigh is not part of the body that must be concealed, based on what was narrated by Abd al-Aziz ibn Suhayb from Anas, who said: The Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rode his horse at a gallop through one of the lanes of Khaybar, and my knee was touching ⦗39/b⦘ the thigh of the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Then his waist-wrapper slipped from his thigh, until I could see the whiteness of the thigh of the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. (1)

Most scholars maintain that the thigh is part of the body that must be concealed, based on what Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Khuraqi informed us: Abu al-Hasan al-Taysafuni informed us; Abd Allah ibn Umar al-Jawhari informed us; Ahmad ibn Ali al-Kushmihanī narrated to us; Ali ibn Hujr informed us; Ismail ibn Jafar informed us, from al-Ala ibn Abi Kathir, from Muhammad ibn Jahsh, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by Mamar while his thighs were uncovered. He said, “O Mamar, cover your thighs, for the thighs are parts that must be concealed.” (2) It was also narrated from Ibn Abbas and Jarhad ibn Khuwaylid—who was one of the Companions of the Bench—that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “The thigh is part of the body that must be concealed.” (3)

Muhammad ibn Ismail said: “The hadith of Anas has a more firmly connected chain, but the hadith of Jarhad is the more prudent.” (4)

As for a woman in the presence of a man: if she is a free woman unrelated to him, then her entire body is to be concealed from an unrelated man, and it is not permissible to look at any part of her except her face and hands. If she is a slave woman, her private parts are like those of a man: what lies between the navel

(1) Reported by al-Bukhari in Kitab al-Salah (Prayer), chapter: “What Is Mentioned Regarding the Thigh,” 1:479-480, and elsewhere; and by Muslim in Kitab al-Jihad (Military Expeditions), chapter: “The Expedition of Khaybar,” no. 1365, 4:1426-1427. It is also cited by the author in Sharh al-Sunnah, 9:21. (2) Reported by al-Tahawi in Mushkil al-Athar, 2:285; al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak, 4:180; and Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad, 5:290. Al-Bukhari cited it without a complete chain, 1:479, and the author reported it in Sharh al-Sunnah, 9:21. Al-Hafiz said in Fath al-Bari: “It was transmitted with a complete chain by Ahmad, the compiler in al-Tarikh, and al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak, all through Isma'il ibn Ja'far, from al-Ala ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Abu Kathir, the freedman of Muhammad ibn Jahsh, from him...” Shaykh al-Arna'ut graded it authentic on account of its supporting narrations in his notes on Sharh al-Sunnah, 9:21-22. (3) Reported by al-Tirmidhi in Kitab al-Isti'dhan (Seeking Permission), chapter: “What Has Been Reported Concerning the Thigh Being Awrah,” 8:78-79. He said: “This is a fair (hasan) hadith, although I do not consider its chain connected.” Al-Bukhari also cited it without a complete chain, 1:478. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Bari: “The hadith of Jurhad is transmitted with a complete chain by Malik in al-Muwatta; al-Tirmidhi, who graded it hasan; and Ibn Hibban, who graded it authentic. The compiler deemed it weak in al-Tarikh because of inconsistency in its chain, and I have mentioned many of its chains in Taghliq al-Ta'liq.” See also: Mushkil al-Athar, 2:285-286; Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar, 1:474. (4) At the preceding reference, 1:478.

وَجُمْلَةُ الْكَلَامِ فِي بَيَانِ الْعَوْرَاتِ: أَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ لِلنَّاظِرِ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى عَوْرَةِ الرَّجُلِ، وَعَوْرَتُهُ مَا بَيْنَ السُّرَّةِ إِلَى الرُّكْبَةِ، وَكَذَلِكَ الْمَرْأَةُ مَعَ الْمَرْأَةِ، وَلَا بَأْسَ بِالنَّظَرِ إِلَى سَائِرِ الْبَدَنِ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ خَوْفُ فِتْنَةٍ. وَقَالَ مَالِكٌ وَابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ: الْفَخِذُ لَيْسَ بِعَوْرَةٍ لِمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ صُهَيْبٍ عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ أَجْرَى نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَرَسًا فِي زُقَاقِ خَيْبَرَ وَإِنَّ ركبتي لتمس ٣٩/ب فَخِذَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ، ثُمَّ حَسَرَ الْإِزَارَ عَنْ فَخِذِهِ حَتَّى إِنِّي لَأَنْظُرُ إِلَى بَيَاضِ فَخِذِ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ (١) . وَأَكْثَرُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ عَلَى أَنَّ الْفَخِذَ عَوْرَةٌ، لِمَا أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الْخَرَقِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْطَيْسَفُونِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْجَوْهَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْكُشْمِيهَنِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَحْش، قَالَ: مَرَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى مَعْمَرٍ وَفَخِذَاهُ مَكْشُوفَتَانِ، قَالَ: "يَا مَعْمَرُ غَطِّ فَخِذَيْكَ، فَإِنَّ الْفَخِذَيْنِ عَوْرَةٌ" (٢) وَرُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَجَرْهَدِ بْنِ خُوَيْلِدٍ، كَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الصُّفَّةِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ: إِنَّ الْفَخِذَ عَوْرَةٌ" (٣) قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ: "وَحَدِيثُ أَنَسٍ أَسْنَدُ، وَحَدِيثُ جَرْهَدٍ أَحْوَطُ" (٤) . أَمَّا الْمَرْأَةُ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ أَجْنَبِيَّةً حُرَّةً: فَجَمِيعُ بَدَنِهَا فِي حَقِّ الْأَجْنَبِيِّ عَوْرَةٌ، وَلَا يَجُوزُ النَّظَرُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْهَا إِلَّا الْوَجْهَ وَالْكَفَّيْنِ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ أَمَةً: فَعَوْرَتُهَا مِثْلُ عَوْرَةِ الرَّجُلِ، مَا بَيْنَ السُّرَّةِ

(١) أخرجه البخاري في الصلاة، باب ما يذكر في الفخذ: ١ / ٤٧٩-٤٨٠ وفي مواضع أخرى، ومسلم في الجهاد، باب غزوة خيبر، برقم (١٣٦٥) : ٤ / ١٤٢٦-١٤٢٧. وذكره المصنف في شرح السنة: ٩ / ٢١. (٢) أخرجه الطحاوي في مشكل الآثار: ٢ / ٢٨٥ والحاكم في المستدرك: ٤ / ١٨٠ والإمام أحمد في المسند: ٥ / ٢٩٠. وعلقه البخاري: ١ / ٤٧٩ وأخرجه المصنف في شرح السنة: ٩ / ٢١. قال الحافظ في الفتح: "وصله أحمد والمصنف في "التاريخ" والحاكم في "المستدرك"، كلهم من طريق إسماعيل بن جعفر عن العلاء بن عبد الرحمن عن أبي كثير مولى محمد بن جحش عنه..". وصححه بشواهده الشيخ الأرناؤوط في تعليقه على شرح السنة: ٩ / ٢١-٢٢. (٣) أخرجه الترمذي في الاستئذان، باب ما جاء أن الفخذ عورة: ٨ / ٧٨-٧٩ وقال: "هذا حديث حسن، ما أرى إسناده بمتصل". ورواه البخاري تعليقا: ١ / ٤٧٨، وقال الحافظ ابن حجر في "الفتح": "وحديث جرهد موصول عند مالك في الموطأ، والترمذي وحسنه، وابن حبان وصححه. وضعفه المصنف في التاريخ للاضطراب في سنده، وقد ذكرت كثيرا من طرقه في تغريق التعليق". وانظر: مشكل الآثار: ٢ / ٢٨٥-٢٨٦، شرح معاني الآثار: ١ / ٤٧٤. (٤) في الموضع السابق: ١ / ٤٧٨.