from behind it, such that its whiteness or redness is known, the prayer is not valid in it; because concealment is not achieved by that. If it conceals its color but describes the shape, the prayer is valid; because (32) it is not possible to guard against that, even if the covering is thick.
Section: If a small portion of the 'awrah is exposed, the prayer is not invalidated. Imam Ahmad stated this explicitly. Abu Hanifah held the same opinion. Al-Shafi'i said: It is invalidated; because it is a ruling related to the 'awrah, so its small amount and its large amount are the same, like looking (33). Our argument is what was narrated by [Abu Dawud, with his chain of narration from Ayyub, from Amr ibn Salamah] (34) al-Jarmi (35), who said: My father went as a delegate to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) with a group of his people, and he taught them the prayer and said: "The one who recites best among you shall lead you." I was the best of them in recitation, so they put me forward. I used to lead them in prayer while I was wearing a small yellow cloak of mine, and whenever I prostrated, it would uncover me. A woman among the women said: Cover the 'awrah of your reciter from us. So they bought me an Omani shirt, and I was never as happy about anything after Islam as I was about it. [And it was narrated by Abu Dawud, and al-Nasa'i as well, from Asim al-Ahwal, from Amr ibn Salamah, who said] (36): I used to lead them in prayer in a patched cloak (37) that had a tear, and when I prostrated in it, my buttocks (38) would be exposed. This spread and was not disapproved of, nor
(32) After this in the original is an addition: "the navel is covered."(33) In M: "like looking."(34) Omitted from the original. It was extracted by Abu Dawud, from Ayyub, in: Chapter on who is more entitled to lead in prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/138. It was also extracted by al-Nasa'i, from him, in: Chapter on a person finding it sufficient to use someone else's adhan while traveling, from the Book of Adhan, and in: Chapter on the leadership of a boy before he reaches puberty, from the Book of Leadership. Al-Mujtaba 2/9, 62, 63.(35) Omitted from M.(36) In the original: "In another wording." It was extracted by Abu Dawud, from Asim, in the aforementioned place. It was also extracted, from him, by al-Nasa'i, in: Chapter on prayer in a wrapper, from the Book of Qiblah. Al-Mujtaba 2/55.(37) In M: "connected."(38) In the original is an addition: "Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i."
