Sunan at-Tirmidhī Ḥadīth [2793] – A Man is Not to Look at the ‘Awrah of a Man…

The Ummah unanimously agrees that a man looking at the private parts of a man or a strange woman, or a woman looking at the private parts of a woman or a strange man, is ḥarām. But husband and wife can be unclothed in front of each other.

What is above a woman’s navel and below her knees is not ‘awrah for a mahram man. But for a non-maḥram man, the entire body is ‘awrah. Likewise, it is not correct for a woman to look at a non-maḥram man. It is permissible to look when there is a necessity, but without it being a lascivious look. For this reason, it is also not permissible for anyone other than a husband and wife to lie together unclothed.

• Reference: [768-769 (2/102-103), Tuḥfatul Muslim Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Nomani Kutub Khana (Ur)]

Translated by ‘Imrān (Germany)

a) There is consensus among the scholars that, among the things prohibited for man to look at, are the private parts (anus and penis of another man). There are, however, divergent views about the permissibility or otherwise of seeing the thighs of another man. Imām Bukhārī does not include them among the concealable parts. Still he thinks it prudent to conceal them. Generally for men, this is from the navel to the knee, and for women it all of her body except the hands, feet and face.
b) Women should also avoid seeing the private parts of other women. Even if case of childbirth, etc. only the women whose services are indispensable for the job may see them. All others must avoid seeing them.
c) Women must not lay bare even their breasts before other women.

• Reference: [661 (1/436), Sunan ibn Mājah, Dārussalām (Eng)]

The last part of the ḥadīth means that two women or two men should not get into the same cloth together, as this will cause their naked bodies to touch. There will be nudity, and even in the case of two very close non-maḥrams, wrong thoughts will inevitably come up. And if a non-maḥram is seen in such a situation, it will surely lead to whispering of shayṭān and to even worse corruption.

And as for sleeping in one bed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) has ordered that children older than ten years should sleep apart from each other.

• Reference: [1397 (2/106), Fatḥur Rabbānī, Ansarus Sunnah Publications, Lahore (Ur)]

Translated by ‘Imrān (Germany)

The ḥadīth of Abu Sa’īd al-Khudrī (may Allāh be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “A woman must not look at a woman’s private part nor must a man look at a man’s private part: neither should two men lie naked under one cover, nor should two women lie naked under the same cover.”

This statement of his (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) prohibits a woman from looking at the private part of another woman. If the private part of a woman, defined as the area between the navel and the knee, becomes exposed for any reason, perhaps she is urinating or the wind blows her garment, it is not permissible for another woman to look at it. Similarly, if the private part of a man becomes exposed due to the blowing of wind or other reasons, it is not permissible for another man to look at it.

Some women hang to this ḥadīth to think that a woman is not obliged to cover her body except the part the navel and knees. This is erroneous understanding. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) never permitted women to wear clothes that only cover those parts between the navel and the knee. But he (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) forbade a woman from looking at another woman’s private part. Hence, the difference between the two issues is clear. A woman must wear cloth that is enough to cover her entire body. The woman companions (may Allāh be pleased with them all) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) used to cover all the parts of their bodies; everything between the feet and the palms were covered.

If the private part of a woman opens for any reason such as wind, it is not permissible for another woman to look at those parts between the navel and the knees. The same thing holds for a man; he should not look at the private part of another man which are parts between the navel and kneels.

However, it is permissible for a man to expose his chest and shoulders to another man, based on the fact that a man is allowed to wear a wrapper. This is reported in the ḥadīth of a man who requested that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) marry a woman, (referred to as) Wāhibah, to him. That was the woman who came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allāh, I give myself to you.’ He (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) looked at her but his soul was not enthralled by her, so he remained quite and the woman sat. Then a man from the congregation said: ‘Marry her to me, O Messenger of Allāh.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) enquired from him: “What have you for her marriage gift?” He replied: ‘I have my wrapper.’ Sahl (may Allāh be pleased with him), the narrator of the ḥadīth, said he had not garment or anything on him except just the wrapper. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “You will be without a wrapper if yo give it to her but she will not have a bridal gift if you leave it to yourself. Search for anything even if it is a ring made of steel.” The man left to search for anything but he was unable to get even a ring made of steel because he was poor. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “Have you anything (which you have memorized) from the Qurān (as her dowry)?” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (5121), Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (3487), and others] That is, you should her the verses you have memorized from the Qurān, and that is her dowry. The point of reference is that a man is allowed to wear only a wrapper, but a woman is not allowed to do same. This (the wearing of wrapper only) was not the habit of the women companions.

• Reference: [1627 (6/408-410), Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn, Dārussalām (Eng)]

This ḥadīth tells us how Islām has closed all doors of immodesty and obscenity. When Islām does not allow a man to sleep without any clothes on with another man, and also does not permit a woman to sleep without any clothes on with another woman, how can it possibly let the gents and ladies mix freely? Free mixing of men and women is a common evil in the West and is now being projected through television in Muslim countries. May Allāh guide Muslims to the Straight Path!

• Reference: [1627 (2/1218), Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn, Dārussalām (Eng)]

A man who looks at another man’s private part, or a woman who looks at a woman’s private area, is ḥarām. Likewise, a man looking at the private area of a non-maḥram woman, or a woman looking at the private area of a non-maḥram man, is ḥarām by unanimous agreement. By prohibiting a man from looking at a man’s private parts, he [peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him] has pointed out that a man also does not look at a woman’s private parts, because a man looking at woman’s private parts is all the more so ḥarām. But this prohibition does not apply to the husband or the master [of slave women]. 

And likewise, two naked men lying down together in a cloth, or two women lying down together in a cloth, is ḥarām. And a man lying down in a cloth with a strange woman or lying down naked is all the more so ḥarām. It should be mentioned that a man looking in the way of another man’s private part, or men and women looking in the way of each other’s private part, does not break one’s wuḍū’. But touching one’s own or someone else’s private parts breaks the wuḍū’.

• Reference: [72 (1/133-134), Ṣaḥīḥ ibn Khuzaymah, Ansarus Sunnah Publications, Lahore (Ur)]

Translated by ‘Imrān (Germany)

• Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (338)
• Mukhtaṣar Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (159 (1/51))
• Sunan Abī Dawūd (4018)
• Sunan ibn Mājah (661)
• Musnad Aḥmad (11601 (18/143-144)) ^{[Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ]}
• Musnad Aḥmad (11544 (10/197-198)) ^{[Aḥmad Shākir]}
• Musnad Abī Ya’lā (1136 (1/378))
• Musnad Abī ‘Awānah (807 (1/238))
• Ṣaḥīḥ ibn Ḥibbān (5574 (12/385-387))
• Ṣaḥīḥ ibn Khuzaymah (72 (1/48-49))
• Muṣannaf ibn Abī Shaybah (1143 (2/228))
• Bayhayqī’s Sunan al-Kubrā (13564 (7/159))
• Nasā’ī’s Sunan al-Kubrā (9185 (8/288))
• Al-Mu’jam al-‘Awsaṭ (3680 (4/87))
• Al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr (5438 (6/36))
• Al-Mustadrak ‘alā aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥayn (570 (1/515))
• Sharḥ as-Sunnah (2250 (9/20))
• Al-Musnad al-Jāmi’ (4527 (6/403-404))
• Tuḥfatul Ashrāf (4115 (3/362-363))
• Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (3100)
• Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn (1627)
• Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi’ (7800 (2/1287))
• Irwā’ al-Ghalīl (1808 (6/211-212))
• Talkhīṣ al-Jāmi’ al-Kāmil (1498 (1/433) & 6351 (2/697))

Grade:

• Ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī (Sunan Abī Dawūd (4018 (1/719)), Sunan at-Tirmidhī (2793 (1/626)) & Sunan ibn Mājah (661 (1/127)))
• Ṣaḥīḥ by Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar ad-Da’wah, New Delhi (Sunan at-Tirmidhī)
• Ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh Dr. Ḍiyā’-ur-Raḥmān al-‘Aẓamī (Talkhīṣ al-Jāmi’ al-Kāmil)
• Ṣaḥīḥ isnād by Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ (Musnad Aḥmad)
• Ḥadīth ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ (Jāmi’ al-Kabīr (3001 (5/80-81)))
• Ṣaḥīḥ isnād by Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir (Musnad Aḥmad)
• Ḥasan by Shaykh al-Albānī (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi‘ & Irwa’ al-Ghalīl)
• Ḥasan gharīb by Imām at-Tirmidhī
• Qawī isnād by Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ (Sunan ibn Mājah (661 (1/421)) & Sunan Abī Dawūd (4018 (6/134-135)))