Question:

Which male nakedness (awrah) should be covered by the followers of Umar?

Answer:

Yahya Ibn Sharaf An-Nawawi writes: “Most scholars hold the opinion that the thigh belongs to the nakedness (awrah) and from Imam Ahmad and Imam Malik there is a report about the nakedness (awrah) where it says: “Only the genital area and the rear.” And this is the opinion of the followers of Imam Az-Zahiri and Ibn Jarir Al-Istakhri.” [Nail-ul-Awtar of Ash-Shawkani, page 268]

قال يحيى بن شرف النووي: ذهب أكثر العلماء إلى أن الفخذ عورة وعن أحمد ومالك في رواية العورة: القبل والدبر فقط وبه قال أهل الظاهر وابن جرير الإصطخري

Sabiq Al-Azhari writes: “The nakedness (awrah) that a man must cover during prayer is the genital area and the rear. However, as far as the thigh, navel and knee are concerned, there are different opinions due to contradictory traditions. Therefore, there is one who does not consider it to be an nakedness (Awrah) and one who believes it to be an nakedness. The proof of him who does not consider it to be naked: Those who say that the navel, thigh and knee are not part of the nakedness (Awrah) take the proof from the traditions (1.) of Aishah who said: “The Prophet Muhammad (s.) used to sit and expose his thigh. Then Abu Bakr asked for permission to enter and he allowed him to do so while staying in his condition. Then Umar asked for permission to enter and he allowed him to enter, staying in his condition. Then Uthman asked for permission to enter and he covered himself with his robe. When they left, I said: “O Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr and Umar asked for permission to enter, and you allowed them to enter while staying in your condition. But when Uthman asked for permission to enter, you covered yourself with your robe?” He said: “O Aishah, should I not be ashamed before a man before whom, I swear to God, the angels are ashamed?” Imam Ahmad reports it and Al-Bukhari mentions it in the Appendix (2.) and of Anas who said: “The Prophet Muhammad (s.) uncovered his thigh on the day of Khaibar until i could see the white skin of his thigh.” Imam Ahmad and Al-Bukhari report it, and Ibn Hazm Al-Andalusi says: “It is right that the thigh does not belong to the nakedness (Awrah), because if it belonged to the nakedness, God would not have revealed it from the Messenger (s.), who is perfectly pure and infallible with regard to people in the time of the Prophethood and Messengership. He would not show his nakedness to Anas Ibn Malik or anyone else, for God kept him from revealing his nakedness (Awrah) through infallibility even in his boyhood and before prophethood.” Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report from Jabir that the Messenger (s.) transported stones to the house of God with them and wore a cloth underneath. His uncle Abbas said to him: “O son of my brother, do you take off your cloth from underneath so that you place it on your shoulder next to the stones? He took it off and placed it on his shoulder, causing him to faint, but he has never been seen naked since that day.” (3.) And of Sahih Muslim that Abu Al-Aliyah Al-Bara’ said: “Abdullah Ibn As-Samit slapped my thigh and said: “I questioned Abu Dharr, whereupon he slapped my thigh just as i slapped your thigh.” Abu Dharr said: “I questioned the Prophet Muhammad (s.), whereupon he slapped my thigh just as i slapped your thigh, and he said: “Perform the prayer punctually!” Ibn Hazm Al-Andalusi says: “If the thigh belonged to the nakedness (Awrah), then the Messenger (s.) would never have touched the thigh of Abu Dharr with his holy hand! If, according to Abu Dharr, the thigh belonged to the nakedness (Awrah), then he would never have clapped his hand on it, and neither would Abdullah Ibn As-Samit and Abu Al-Aliyah, because the Muslim is not allowed to slap his hand on the intimate area of a person over the clothing, nor on the point of exit from the rear of a person over the clothing, nor even on the body of a strange woman over the clothing.” (4.) Then Ibn Hazm Al-Andalusi with a chain of transmission to Jubair Ibn Al-Huwairith mentions that he looked at the thigh of Abu Bakr which was covered and that Anas Ibn Malik came to Qais Ibn Shammas who had covered his thighs.” [Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 1 pages 87-88]

قال الشيخ الأزهري السابق: العورة التي يجب على الرجل سترها عند الصلاة، القبل والدبر أما ما عداهما من الفخذ والسرة والركبة فقد اختلفت فيها الانظار تبعا لتعارض الاثار فمن قائل بأنها ليست عورة ومن ذاهب إلى أنها عورة حجة من يرى أنها ليست عورة: استدل القائلون بأن السرة والفخذ والركبة ليست بعورة بهذه الاحاديث (١) عن عائشة رضي الله عنها: أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان جالسا كاشفا عن فخذه، فاستأذن أبو بكر فأذن له وهو على حاله، ثم استأذن عمر فأذن له، وهو على حاله ثم استأذن عثمان فأرخى عليه ثيابه. فلما قاموا قلت: يا رسول الله استأذن أبو بكر وعمر فأذنت لهما وأنت على حالك، فلما استأذن عثمان أرخيت عليك ثيابك؟ فقال: يا عائشة ألا أستحي من رجل والله إن الملائكة لتستحي منه رواه أحمد، وذكره البخاري تعليقا (٢) وعن أنس: أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم خيبر حسر الازار عن فخذه، حتى إني لانظر إلى بياض فخذه رواه أحمد والبخاري قال ابن حزم: فصح أن الفخذ ليست عورة، ولو كانت عورة لما كشفها الله عز وجل عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم المطهر المعصوم من الناس، في حال النبوة والرسالة ولا أراها أنس بن مالك ولا غيره، وهو تعالى قد عصمه من كشف العورة، في حال الصبا وقبل النبوة، ففي الصحيحين عن جابر، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان ينقل معهم الحجارة للكعبة وعليه إزاره، فقال له عمه العباس: يا ابن أخي لو حللت إزارك فجعلته على منكبك دون الحجارة؟ قال فحله وجعله على منكبه فسقط مغشيا عليه، فما رئي بعد ذلك اليوم عريانا (٣) وعن مسلم عن أبي العالية البراء قال: إن عبد الله ابن الصامت ضرب فخذي وقال: إني سألت أبا ذر فضرب فخذي كما ضربت فخذك وقال: إني سألت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كما سألتني فضرب فخذي كما ضربت فخذك وقال: صل الصلاة لوقتها إلى آخر الحديث قال ابن حزم: فلو كانت الفخذ عورة لما مسها رسول الله، من أبي ذر أصلا بيده المقدسة؟ ولو كانت الفخذ عورة عند أبي ذر، لما ضرب عليها بيده، وكذلك عبد الله بن الصامت وأبو العالية وما يستحل لمسلم أن يضرب بيده على قبل إنسان، على الثياب ولا على حلقة دبر إنسان على الثياب، ولا على بدن امرأة أجنبية على الثياب، البتة (٤) ثم ذكر ابن حزم بإسناده إلى حبير بن الحويرث، أنه نظر إلى فخذ أبي بكر وقد انكشفت، وأن أنس بن مالك أتى قس بن شماس، وقد حسر عن فخذيه