This excerpt is taken from Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi's book Halal and Haram in Islam, translated into Urdu by Muhammad Tahir Naqqash.
The Awrah of Women
From the previous discussion, it has become clear that the part of the body which a woman is not permitted to uncover is the 'awrah' (intimate parts), which must be covered and uncovering it is forbidden. For a woman, in relation to non-mahram men and non-Muslim women, her entire body is 'awrah' except for the face and palms, as Imam Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) said, uncovering these two is permissible due to the necessities of transactions and dealings. The parts of the body which do not really need to be uncovered are commanded to be covered, and those parts which are usually uncovered and must be uncovered out of necessity are permitted to be uncovered. This is because the Shariah rulings of Islam are based on uprightness and expansiveness.
Imam Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
"Since the face and palms remaining uncovered is a necessary matter, the jurists agree that they are not included in the 'awrah'. As for the feet, it is not necessary for them to remain uncovered, so there is a difference of opinion whether they are included in the 'awrah' or not."
Reference: Tafsir al-Razi - Vol. 23, pp. 205-206
And the 'awrah' of a woman, with respect to the twelve categories mentioned above, excludes the inner adornment places such as the ears, hair, neck, chest, hands, and calves; the rest of the body is 'awrah'. Because according to the verse, displaying adornment in front of the above-mentioned categories is permissible. But the rest of the body, such as the back, abdomen, private parts, and thighs, uncovering them is not permissible in front of any woman or man except the husband.
The meaning of the verse is closer to the view of some Imams who hold that the 'awrah' of a woman for mahrams is only the area between the navel and the knees, and the 'awrah' of a woman for herself is also limited to this extent. Indeed, the implication of the verse is closer to the opinion of some scholars who say that the 'awrah' of a woman for a mahram is the part of the body that is not usually uncovered during work, but the parts of the body that are usually uncovered during household work may be seen by the mahram.
For this reason, Allah Almighty has guided the believing women to draw their large cloaks over themselves when going out so that they may be distinguished from disbelieving and immoral women. In this regard, Allah Almighty instructed His Prophet to convey this divine message to the Ummah.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ
"O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused."
Reference: Surah Al-Ahzab: 59
Jalabeeb is the plural of jilbab, which means loose garments, like the burqa that women use for covering.
Some women of the pre-Islamic period, when they went out of their homes, would leave some of their charms, chest, neck, and hair uncovered, and immoral and worthless people would follow them. In these circumstances, this noble verse was revealed, commanding the believing women to draw part of their cloaks over themselves so that these parts of the body would be covered and from their outward appearance it would be recognized that they are chaste believing women, so that no hypocrite or shameless man would dare to harm them.
The reason given in the verse for the command of covering makes it clear that this ruling was given because of the fear of harm from the wicked and the fear of lustful glances from shameless people, and in reality, there was no fear from these women themselves nor was there any lack of trust in them. But a woman who displays her adornment and clothes, or walks with vanity, or speaks softly and delicately, always stirs desire in men and arouses bad intentions in the hearts of those who flirt, as stated in this noble verse:
فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ
"And do not speak in a way that might cause temptation, for indeed, the one in whose heart is a disease will be stirred with desire."
Reference: Surah Al-Ahzab: 32
It is a fact that Islam has been strict regarding the hijab and protection of Muslim women and has not allowed any concession except that the rulings have been somewhat relaxed for old women. The divine command is:
وَالْقَوَاعِدُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ اللَّاتِي لَا يَرْجُونَ نِكَاحًا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَن يَضَعْنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّ غَيْرَ مُتَبَرِّجَاتٍ بِزِينَةٍ ۖ وَأَن يَسْتَعْفِفْنَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
"And elderly women who have no hope of marriage - there is no blame upon them for putting aside their outer garments if they seek not to adorn themselves. But to modestly refrain is better for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing."
Reference: Surah An-Nur: 60
