Awrat of a Muslim woman before a Muslimah and a non-Muslimah
A Muslim woman can be in front of a non-believer woman in the form in which she usually does work, i.e., her hands can be opened to the elbows, her head, neck and legs to the knees are not covered. All other parts of the body should be covered.
The decision would be the same for the amoral adulterous Muslimah, and the like. A Muslimah should not reveal to another Muslimah that area of the body that is between the navel and the knees.
A more reasoned opinion is that a non-believer is forbidden to look at a Muslimah’s awrat, and a Muslimah is obliged to cover everything except those parts of the body that remain uncovered while doing household chores, and this is a more correct opinion (mu’tamad). [¹]
The parts of the body that are open when doing work, such as: head, neck, forearm and legs to the knees.
The decision regarding the permissibility to look at other women for Muslimah who have reached the age of maturity is similar to the decision regarding the awrat of men. That is, one can look, if there is no danger of attraction, at everything except those parts of the body that are between the navel and knees. However, it is forbidden to watch with lust or in case of danger of attraction.
The decision regarding an amoral Muslimah, i.e., a harlot or lesbian in relation to a chaste Muslimah, is similar to the decision regarding a non-believer and a Muslimah in covering up her awrat with the reason that an indecent woman can describe a chaste woman to someone who will be attracted to her. [²]
- Nihaya al-Muhtaj, vol. 6, p. 194
- Hashiya al-Jamal, vol. 4, p. 123
