What is the awrah of a Muslim woman to a Muslim woman and to a non Muslim woman?

Question:

Assalaam o alaikum, 

I wanted to know the details about:

  1. The level of hijab, a muslim woman has to do with another muslim woman.
  2. The level of hijab, a muslim woman has to do with a non muslim woman.

* Please, if you can provide references as well, that will be helpful as I have to quote it to a group of friends and not everyone amoung that group blindly trusts upon our scholars. However I do.

Also, if you can referr to some good easy books regarding a complete marital life for both man and woman, it would be great. Jazak Allah.

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

1) It is permissible for a Muslim female to look at another Muslim female’s body, except the area from the navel to the knees.[1]

2) The awrah of a Muslim woman in front of a non Muslim woman is like that of a non-Mahram man, i.e. the whole body must be covered besides the hands, face and the feet.[2]

3) You may read the following books regarding the marital life;

Kitab -un- Nikah By Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim Palanpuri

http://archive.org/stream/Kitab-un-NikahByShaykhMuhammadYunusPalanpuri#page/n4/mode/1up

Sexual Relations & Married Life By Maulana Musa Karmadi

http://www.archive.org/stream/SexualRelationsMarriedLifeByShaykhMusaKarmadi/Sexual-Relations-Married-Life-by-Sheikh-Musa-Karmadi#page/n0/mode/1up

 

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Arshad Ali

Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)

www.fatwa-tt.com /www.jaamia.net

[1] بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (5/ 124)

(وَأَمَّا) الثَّالِثُ وَهُوَ بَيَانُ مَا يَحِلُّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَمَا يَحْرُمُ لِلْمَرْأَةِ مِنْ الْمَرْأَةِ فَكُلُّ مَا يَحِلُّ لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إلَيْهِ مِنْ الرَّجُلِ يَحِلُّ لِلْمَرْأَةِ أَنْ تَنْظُرَ إلَيْهِ مِنْ الْمَرْأَةِ وَكُلُّ مَا لَا يَحِلُّ لَهُ، لَا يَحِلُّ لَهَا، فَتَنْظُرُ الْمَرْأَةُ مِنْ الْمَرْأَةِ إلَى سَائِرِ جَسَدِهَا إلَّا مَا بَيْنَ السُّرَّةِ وَالرُّكْبَةِ لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي نَظَرِ الْمَرْأَةِ إلَى الْمَرْأَةِ خَوْفُ الشَّهْوَةِ وَالْوُقُوعِ فِي الْفِتْنَةِ كَمَا لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ فِي نَظَرِ الرَّجُلِ إلَى الرَّجُلِ حَتَّى لَوْ خَافَتْ ذَلِكَ تَجْتَنِبُ عَنْ النَّظَرِ كَمَا فِي الرَّجُلِ وَلَا يَجُوزُ لَهَا أَنْ تَنْظُرَ مَا بَيْنَ سُرَّتِهَا إلَى الرُّكْبَةِ إلَّا عِنْدَ الضَّرُورَةِ بِأَنْ كَانَتْ قَابِلَةً فَلَا بَأْسَ لَهَا أَنْ تَنْظُرَ إلَى الْفَرْجِ عِنْدَ الْوِلَادَةِ.

 

مجمع الأنهر في شرح ملتقى الأبحر (2/ 538)

(وَتَنْظُرُ الْمَرْأَةُ) الْمُسْلِمَةُ (مِنْ الْمَرْأَةِ) لِوُجُودِ الْمُجَانِسَةِ وَانْعِدَامِ الشَّهْوَةِ غَالِبًا؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ لَا تَشْتَهِي الْمَرْأَةَ

 

[2] مجمع الأنهر في شرح ملتقى الأبحر (2/ 539)

وَإِنَّمَا قَيَّدْنَا بِالْمُسْلِمَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الذِّمِّيَّةَ كَالرَّجُلِ الْأَجْنَبِيِّ فِي الْأَصَحِّ إلَى بَدَنِ الْمُسْلِمَةِ كَمَا فِي الْمُجْتَبَى.

 

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (1/ 408)

سيأتي في الحظر أن الذمية كالرجل الأجنبي في الأصح، فلا تنظر إلى بدن المسلمة