Anti-Shia people often attack Shia fiqh by saying:
“Shias allow indecency before mahrams.”
But when we open classical Sunni books, especially Hanafi and some Shafi‘i sources, the wording is far more explicit than anything they quote from Shia books.
This post is not an attack on Sunni women or Sunni families. Our Sunni sisters are our honor. The point is only to expose the double standard of those who twist Shia rulings while hiding their own classical rulings.
First, look at classical Sunni rulings.
- Hanafi ruling from Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani
Arabic:
قال محمد بن الحسن: لا بأس بأن ينظر الرجل من أمه أو من ابنته البالغة أو من أخته أو من كل ذات محرم منه من رحم أو رضاع إلى شعرها أو إلى صدرها أو إلى ثديها أو عضدها أو ساقها أو قدمها. ولا ينبغي له أن ينظر إلى بطنها أو إلى ظهرها أو إلى ما بين سرتها حتى يتجاوز الركبة... فإن كان ينظر إلى شيء من ذلك منها لشهوة فليس ينبغي له أن ينظر إلى ذلك.
English:
“Muhammad ibn al-Hasan said: There is no harm for a man to look, from his mother, adult daughter, sister, or any female mahram by blood or breastfeeding, at her hair, chest, breast, upper arm, shin/leg, or foot. He should not look at her belly, back, or what is between her navel until beyond the knee... If he looks at any of that with desire, then he should not look.”
Reference:
Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani, al-Asl, Kitab al-Istihsan.
Short comment:
The words are very explicit: صدرها وثديها — “her chest and her breast.” This is not a Shia book. This is early Hanafi fiqh.
- Hanafi ruling in al-Binayah Sharh al-Hidayah
Arabic:
قال محمد بن الحسن: لا بأس بأن ينظر الرجل من أمه وأخته البالغة ومن كل ذات رحم محرم منه... إلى شعرها، وإلى صدرها، وإلى ثديها، وعضدها، وساقها، وقدمها.
English:
“Muhammad ibn al-Hasan said: There is no harm for a man to look, from his mother, adult sister, and every female blood-mahram... at her hair, chest, breast, upper arm, shin/leg, and foot.”
Reference:
Badr al-Din al-‘Ayni, al-Binayah Sharh al-Hidayah, Kitab al-Karahiyah.
Short comment:
Again, the explicit words are: شعرها، صدرها، ثديها — “her hair, her chest, her breast.” If this wording existed in a Shia book, anti-Shia pages would scream day and night.
- Hanafi text even discusses touching what is lawful to look at
Arabic:
وكل شيء من هذا الذي وصفت لك مما لا بأس بالنظر إليه من أمته أو من ذات محرم، فلا بأس من مسه منها... ويمس صدرها وثديها وعضدها ووجهها وذراعها وكفها.
English:
“Everything I have described as having no harm in looking at, from his slave-woman or from a female mahram, there is no harm in touching it from her... and he may touch her chest, breast, upper arm, face, forearm, and palm.”
Reference:
Badr al-Din al-‘Ayni, al-Binayah Sharh al-Hidayah.
Short comment:
This is even more explicit. Sunni defenders will say: “This is only without lust and without fitnah.” Fine. Then apply the same fair explanation when Shia jurists discuss mahram limits.
- Sunni tafsir wording quoted from al-Kashshaf
Arabic:
ألا ترى أنّ المحارم لا بأس بالنظر إلى شعورهن وصدورهن وثديهن وأعضادهن وسوقهن وأقدامهن.
English:
“Do you not see that, regarding mahrams, there is no harm in looking at their hair, chests, breasts, upper arms, shins/legs, and feet.”
Reference:
al-Kashshaf wording, quoted in Sunni tafsir discussions such as Ruh al-Ma‘ani.
Short comment:
Again, the words are: صدورهن وثديهن — “their chests and their breasts.” This is much more explicit than the Shia wording.
- Shafi‘i ruling: mahram may look at what is above the navel and below the knee
Arabic:
ويجوز لذوي المحارم النظر إلى ما فوق السرة ودون الركبة من ذوات المحارم.
English:
“It is permissible for mahram relatives to look at what is above the navel and below the knee of female mahrams.”
Reference:
Takmilat al-Muti‘i ‘ala al-Majmu‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, Kitab al-Nikah.
Short comment:
This is not using the explicit Hanafi words “chest and breast,” but the meaning is broad: everything except between the navel and knee.
- Shafi‘i ruling in Mughni al-Muhtaj
Arabic:
ولا ينظر الفحل من محرمه الأنثى من نسب أو رضاع أو مصاهرة ما بين سرة وركبة منها... ويحل بغير شهوة نظر ما سواه.
English:
“An adult male may not look, from his female mahram by lineage, breastfeeding, or marriage, at what is between her navel and knee... and it is lawful, without desire, to look at what is besides that.”
Reference:
al-Khatib al-Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj Sharh al-Minhaj.
Short comment:
This is also very broad, but it is conditioned with “without desire.” So why do anti-Shia people forget conditions when quoting Shia?
Now compare this with Shia fiqh.
The Shia position is not shamelessness. The Shia position separates different legal contexts.
Before non-mahram, the woman’s covering is strict.
In prayer and hijab discussion, classical Shia jurists say the adult free woman must cover her body, except limited exceptions like face and hands, with details about feet.
- Shia ruling: woman’s body is covered in prayer/hijab discussion
Arabic:
أما الحرة البالغة فجميع جسدها ورأسها عدا الوجه والكفين والقدمين.
English:
“As for the adult free woman, all of her body and head must be covered except the face, the two hands, and the two feet.”
Reference:
al-‘Allamah al-Hilli, Nihayat al-Ahkam, vol. 1, p. 366.
Short comment:
So Shia fiqh is not loose before non-mahrams. The woman’s body is covered, with only limited legal exceptions.
- al-Majlisi on the famous Shia view
Arabic:
وعورة المرأة جسدها كله عدا الوجه والكفين والقدمين، هذا هو المشهور بين الأصحاب.
English:
“The ‘awrah of the woman is her whole body except the face, the two hands, and the two feet; this is the famous view among the companions/jurists.”
Reference:
al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 83, p. 179.
Short comment:
This shows the Shia side is modest and strict in the general covering/prayer discussion. Anti-Shia people hide this part.
Now come to the mahram chapter.
In Shia fiqh, mahram looking is relaxed compared to non-mahram, but it is not unlimited. It is only without lust, without riybah, without fitnah, and ‘awrah remains forbidden.
- Shia ruling from al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli
Arabic:
وللرجل أن ينظر إلى جسد زوجته باطنا وظاهرا، وإلى المحارم ما عدا العورة. وكذا المرأة.
English:
“A man may look at the body of his wife, inwardly and outwardly, and at female mahrams except the ‘awrah. The same applies to a woman.”
Reference:
al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli, Shara’i‘ al-Islam, Kitab al-Nikah.
Short comment:
The wording is general and controlled: mahrams except ‘awrah. It does not use the explicit Sunni-Hanafi wording “her chest and her breast.”
- Shia ruling from al-‘Allamah al-Hilli
Arabic:
ويجوز النظر إلى المحارم عدا العورة، وكذا المرأة.
English:
“It is permissible to look at mahrams except the ‘awrah; and the same applies to a woman.”
Reference:
al-‘Allamah al-Hilli, Qawa‘id al-Ahkam, vol. 3, p. 6.
Short comment:
Again, the rule is: except ‘awrah. It is not a license for lust, shamelessness, or indecency.
- Shia consensus wording from al-Fadil al-Hindi
Arabic:
ويجوز بالاتفاق النظر بلا تلذذ أو ريبة إلى المحارم... عدا العورة.
English:
“By agreement, it is permissible to look without pleasure or riybah at mahrams... except the ‘awrah.”
Reference:
al-Fadil al-Hindi, Kashf al-Litham, vol. 7, p. 25.
Short comment:
This is the key phrase anti-Shia people hide:
بلا تلذذ أو ريبة
without pleasure or riybah
Meaning:
No lust.
No sexual pleasure.
No suspicious desire.
No fitnah.
- Sahib al-Jawahir says there is no dispute
Arabic:
وإلى المحارم عدا العورة مع عدم التلذذ والريبة، بلا خلاف في شيء من ذلك، بل هو من الضروريات.
English:
“Looking at mahrams except the ‘awrah with no pleasure and no riybah — there is no disagreement in any of this; rather, it is from the necessities.”
Reference:
al-Najafi, Jawahir al-Kalam, vol. 29, p. 73.
Short comment:
The Shia mainstream rule is clear: mahram looking is only without lust and without riybah. This is a controlled legal ruling, not indecency.
- Shia hadith: hair of mother, sister, daughter
Arabic:
عن السكوني، عن جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه عليهما السلام قال: لا بأس أن ينظر إلى شعر أمه أو أخته أو بنته.
English:
From al-Sakuni, from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, from his father a.s: “There is no problem if a man looks at the hair of his mother, his sister, or his daughter.”
Reference:
Wasa’il al-Shi‘ah, vol. 20, p. 193, Bab 104, hadith 7.
Short comment:
The direct Shia narration mentions hair of mother, sister, and daughter. It does not use the explicit Sunni-Hanafi phrase “chest and breast.”
- Shia hadith: wife’s sister is not mahram
Arabic:
عن أحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر، عن الرضا عليه السلام، قال: سألته عن الرجل يحل له أن ينظر إلى شعر أخت امرأته؟ فقال: لا، إلا أن تكون من القواعد. قلت له: أخت امرأته والغريبة سواء؟ قال: نعم.
English:
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr narrated from Imam al-Rida a.s: I asked him about a man: “Is it lawful for him to look at the hair of his wife’s sister?” He said: “No, unless she is from the elderly women.” I said: “So his wife’s sister and a stranger/non-mahram woman are the same?” He said: “Yes.”
Reference:
Qurb al-Isnad; Wasa’il al-Shi‘ah, vol. 20, p. 199, Bab 107.
Short comment:
This proves Shia fiqh is not careless. A wife’s sister is a relative, but she is still not mahram. Shia hadith treats her like a non-mahram.
- Shia hadith: permission even with close relatives
Arabic:
ومن بلغ الحلم فلا يلج على أمه ولا على أخته ولا على خالته ولا على سوى ذلك إلا بإذن.
English:
“Whoever reaches puberty must not enter upon his mother, his sister, his maternal aunt, or others besides them except with permission.”
Reference:
al-Kafi / Wasa’il al-Shi‘ah, Bab al-Isti’dhan.
Short comment:
This destroys the anti-Shia propaganda. Even with mother, sister, and aunt, Shia hadith teaches privacy and permission after puberty.
Now understand the difference clearly.
Sunni Hanafi texts say explicitly:
صدرها وثديها
“her chest and her breast”
Sunni Shafi‘i texts say broadly:
ما فوق السرة ودون الركبة
“what is above the navel and below the knee”
But Shia jurists say:
ما عدا العورة مع عدم التلذذ والريبة
“except the ‘awrah, with no pleasure and no riybah”
And Shia texts also say:
A woman’s body is covered before non-mahrams.
Mahram looking has conditions.
‘Awrah remains forbidden.
Lust is forbidden.
Riybah is forbidden.
Fitnah is forbidden.
Privacy is required even with close relatives.
So if anti-Shia people want to call Shia rulings “indecent,” then by their own standard, the classical Sunni Hanafi wording is far more explicit and far more shocking.
But we will not accuse Sunni women.
We will not attack Sunni families.
We will not say Sunni people behave like this.
We only say:
Stop lying about Shia fiqh while hiding your own books.
If Sunni explicit rulings can be explained as “legal discussion without lust,” then Shia rulings must also be read honestly with their conditions.
The real issue is not Shia indecency.
The real issue is anti-Shia double standard.
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