And 'Ata' considered it recommended for her to veil (taqanna') when she prayed, [though he did not make it obligatory.] (4) As for us, 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, [used to forbid slave women from veiling. Abu Qilabah said: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab would not allow a slave woman to veil during his caliphate, and he said: "The veil (qina') is only for free women," and] (4) he struck a slave woman of the family of Anas whom he saw wearing a veil, and said: "Uncover your head and do not imitate free women." [This became well-known among the Companions and was not disputed, so it constituted a consensus (ijma'). Furthermore, she is a slave woman, so covering her head is not obligatory for her, just as it is for one who has not married nor been taken as a concubine by her master.] (5)
Section: [Al-Khiraqi, may Allah have mercy on him, did not mention anything other than uncovering the head, which is the text (al-mansus) from Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, in the narration of 'Abd Allah; for he said: "If a slave woman prays with her head uncovered, there is no harm." ] (6) Our companions disagreed regarding what is beyond that. Ibn Hamid said: Her 'awrah (intimate area) is like the 'awrah of a man, [and he alluded to it, may Allah have mercy on him.] (6) The Qadi said in "al-Mujarrad": [If any part of her between the navel and the knees is exposed during prayer, the prayer is invalid; if anything other than that is exposed, the prayer is valid.] (8) And he said in "al-Jami'": The 'awrah of a slave woman is everything except the head, the hands up to the elbows, and the feet up to the knees. He used as evidence (9) the statement of Ahmad: "There is no harm for a man to examine a slave girl if he intends to purchase her, looking from over the garment, and he may uncover her arms and shins." (10) And because these areas are typically exposed during service and during examination for purchase, they are not 'awrah, like the head (11) and what is other than that, which is not typically exposed, and for which there is no need to uncover.
(4) Omitted from MS (m). A portion of it appears therein at the end of this paragraph before the section. (5) In MS (m): "And this indicates that this was well-known among the Companions and was not denied, to the extent that 'Umar denied anyone who opposed it." (6) Omitted from the original. (7) In the original: "He mentioned." (8) In the original: "Similar to that." Followed by: "And this is the apparent position of the Shafi'i school." And it will follow. (9) Omitted from the original. (10) After this in the original: "And this is the position of some of the followers of al-Shafi'i." And it will follow. (11) Omitted from MS (m).
