A clarification & a meaning of the hadeeth: “Whichever woman takes off her clothes in a place other than her husband’s house…”

Our Shaykh, the ‘Allaamah, the Sincere Adviser, Abu ‘Abdirrahman Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajoori – may Allaah preserve him.

Question: Hadith of Aisha رضي الله عنها: “Whichever woman which has taken her clothes off in a house other than her husband’s house, her veil has brought down the veil of her Lord” What is the authenticity of this hadeeth? And if it is authentic, does it include the homes of her mahaarim?

Answer: The hadith is reported from a group among the companions from them Muaadh Bin Anas, Umm Salamah, Umm al-Dardaa, and Aisha رضي الله عنهم, and it is an authentic narration that’s found in the book ‘Saheehul Musnad’ (shaykh Muqbil’s book) from the hadith of Aisha رضي الله عنها
(2), so the hadith is authentic.

And the hadeeth is understood to mean if a woman takes her clothes off in other than her husband’s house for the purpose of obscenity, lack of covering up, through suspicious & indecent behavior, otherwise the Prophet ﷺ said to Fatimah Bint Qais رضي الله عنها: (change clothes in the house of Ibn Umm Maktoum, for when you put your garments down he cannot see you” (due to blindness) , and the majority of scholars are of the view That a woman’s awrah in front a woman is like a man’s awrah in front of a man, based on such evidences, and from that which proves this is the hadeeth of Aisha and Asma which is authentic enough to be used as proof, that when they came across men they covered themselves completely, and when they passed them and were alone they uncovered (3), this indicates that the woman reveals in front of other women.

As for the ahadeeth such as “she uncovered the veil between her and her lord”, and “uncovered What is between her and her husband” what is intended is if she betrays him or becomes accustomed to looking at men who are strangers to her or other acts of distrust and doubtful matters , and this female deserves a reprimand in any place from which this occurred.

The hadeeth singled out “in other then her husband’s house” indicating to the fact that it is not permissible for her to go out except with his permission and only to areas where fitnah is not feared upon her, and since her leaving the house without his permission could result in falling into indecencies and things of that nature which evidently strip the man of his honour, he is singled out with the aforementioned admonition due to the severity of such a fitnah.

And with Allah is success.

(1) The questions of the Salafis in the city of Lahj, on: Tuesday night, Jumada II, 1422 AH .. Damaj-Dar Al-Hadith.
(2) It was included by Abu Dawud No. (4012), Ibn Majah No. (3750), Al-Tirmidhi No. (2803), and Ahmad No. (246869), on the authority of Aisha.
It is from the hadith of Umm al-Dardaa according to Ahmad No. (27800), and Abu Ali (No. 4,680), which is in Al-Sahih Al-Musnad No. (1614).
(3) It was narrated by Malik in al-Muwatta (vol. 1, p. 328), and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa, No. 1023.

From Kanzu Thameen.

Translated by : Abu Nu’aym Abduraheem Bin Muhummed Bin Ali