Are the thighs of men awrah?

Question: Are the thighs [of men] ‘awrah [in Salah and in front of non-Mahrams]?

Country: UK

 

Answer:

Imam An-Nawawi states in his Tahqiq, “The ‘awrah (nakedness) of the man is what is between his navel and his knees…” (pg 182, Dar Al Jil) The same was repeated by Ibn Naqib Al Misri in ‘Umdat As Salik, translated as “Reliance of the Traveller” (page 121), a book necessary for every Shafi’i who speaks English to purchase and to study. Therefore the verdict of the Shafi’i Madhhab is that the thighs are ‘awrah in Salah and in front of non-mahrams. It should also be noted that the navel and knees are not ‘awrah – only what is between.

The proof that the thigh is ‘awrah:

Hadith 1:

Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (radiya Allahu ‘anhu) narrates from Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam),

“The ‘awrah of the believing man [mu'min] is what is between his navel and his knees.” [reported by Imam Al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan Al-Kubra, See also Mughni Al-Muhtaj 1/318, Hafidh ibn Hajr states that it is da'if in Talkhis Al-Habir]

Hadith 2:

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ مَوْلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ زُرْعَةَ بْنِ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ جَرْهَدٍ الْأَسْلَمِيِّ عَنْ جَدِّهِ جَرْهَدٍ قَالَ مَرَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِجَرْهَدٍ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَقَدْ انْكَشَفَ فَخِذُهُ فَقَال إِنَّ الْفَخِذَ عَوْرَةٌ

“From Jarhad who said that the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi salam) passed by Jarhad in the masjid and his thigh was exposed and the Prophet told him, “Verily the thigh is ‘awrah [Inna Al-Fakhidha 'awrah].”

[Tirmidhi 2795, Humaydi 859 from Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah, Abu Dawud 4014 from the way of Abin-Nadir. Imam Al-Bukhari reported in mu'allaq form in his Sahih, declared Sahih by Ibn Hibban 353, Al-Hakim in Mustadarak and Dhahabi agreed with him 4/180, Bayhaqi in his Sunan who also declared it Sahih]

also see the corroborating chain for this hadith at 2796 in Sunan Tirmidhi:

حدثنا الحسن بن علي الخلال حدثنا عبد الرزاق أخبرنا معمر عن أبي الزناد قال أخبرني ابن جرهد عن أبيه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم مر به وهو كاشف عن فخذه فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم غط فخذك فإنها من العورة

Tirmidhi declared this chain “Hasan”. As for the claim that Abdullah ibn Jarhad is “weak”, then Imam At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban both declared him thiqah (trustworthy). Ibn Hajr discusses the chain of Jarhad in his Taghliq At-Ta’liq 2/207.

Hadith 3:

حدثنا واصل بن عبد الأعلى الكوفي حدثنا يحيى بن آدم عن إسرائيل عن أبي يحيى عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال الفخذ عورة

From Ibn ‘Abbas from the Prophet that he said, “The thigh is ‘awrah”.

[Sunan Tirmidhi 2797 who said the hadith was hasan gharib, Tahawi in Ma'ani Al-Aathar 1/745, Ahmad in the Musnad, Bayhaqi in his Sunan who declared it Sahih. Some argued that this hadith had defect in it because of Abi Yahya Al-Qattat in the chain, as Hafith Ibn Hajr said of him "Layyin Al-Hadith". The other narrations, however profess to the strength of the wording.]

Hadith 4:

From ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib that the Prophet Muhammad said to him, “Do not expose your thigh, for verily the thigh is from one’s ‘awrah.”

[Sunan Abu Dawud who deemed it problematic, Ad-Daraqutni with two chains up to Ibn Jurayj from Habib ibn Abi Thabit from 'Asim ibn Damrah from 'Ali, this chain is da'if due to disconnection between 'Asim and 'Ali, though used as supportive proof for the prior two chains]
Hadith 5:

From Abi Kathir mawla of Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Jahsh from Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Jahsh who said, “We were with Rasulullah (‘alayhis salam) and we passed by Ma’mar who was sitting near his place in the market and his two thighs were uncovered. The Prophet said to him, “Oh Ma’mar! Cover your thighs, for verily the thighs of from ‘awrah!” [Ahmad in his Musnad 5/290, Bukhari in his Tarikh Al-Kabir, Al-Hakim in his Mustadarak 4/180 in his chapter on libaas (clothing), Al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan who declared it Sahih]

The upshot is that all of these chains support one another in solidifying the words of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhis wa sallam) that the thigh of a man is of his ‘awrah.

And Allah Knows Best

Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.