Those parts of a responsible person's body which are haram for him (or her) to open and show others and for others to look at while in namaz or everytime are called Awrat parts. Men and women were commanded to cover their awrat parts through the suras of Ahzab and Nur, which were revealed in the third year of the Hegira. In Hanafi and Shafi'i Madhhabs a man's awrat parts for namaz are between lower part of his navel and lower parts of his knees. The knees are awrat in Hanafi and the navel is awrat in Shafi'i. The namaz performed with these parts open is not acceptable. When performing the namaz, it is sunnat for men to cover their other parts [arms, head], [and to wear socks if a long robe or a gown is not available]. It is makruh for them to perform the namaz with these parts exposed.
All parts of free women, except their palms and faces, including their wrists, outer parts of their hands, hanging parts of their hair and under their feet are awrat for namaz, in Hanafi. There are also valuable books saying that outer parts of hands are not awrat. According to them, it is permissible for women to perform namaz while outer parts of their hands up to wrists are bare. But, for having followed all the books, it is better for women to perform namaz wearing a gown with sleeves long enough, or a head cover large enough, to cover their hands. There are (savants) who said that women's feet were not awrat in namaz, but those same savants said that it was sunnat to cover and makruh to open them when performing namaz and when going out. [It is written in the book Kadihan that hanging parts of hair are like feet]. If one-fourth of a man's or woman's awrat part remains bare as long as one rukn, the namaz becomes annulled. If a smaller part remains ex posed, the namaz does not become nullified, but it becomes makruh. For instance, the namaz of a woman one-fourth of whose foot has remained bare will not be sahih. If she herself uncovers it, her namaz becomes annulled immediately. [See second chapter!]. It is written in Umdat-ul-Islam, "A woman's namaz which she performed with bare heelbone, ankle, neck or hair is not accept able. Thin tissue that lets the shape or color of the thing under it be seen is equal to none." [Please see seventeenth chapter!] In Shafi'i, a woman's whole body is awrat all the time other than her two hands and her face.
