Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
nasai:5339Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Aʿlá > al-Naḍr > al-Muʿtamir / Ibn Sulaymān > ʿUbaydullāh > Nāfiʿ > Sulaymān b. Yasār > Um Salamah

"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] was asked how much a woman should let her hem drag. He said: 'A hand span.' She said: 'But then it will uncover her (feet).' He said: 'A forearm's length, and no more than that.'"  

النسائي:٥٣٣٩أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا النَّضْرُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ وَهُوَ ابْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَمْ تَجُرُّ الْمَرْأَةُ مِنْ ذَيْلِهَا قَالَ شِبْرًا قَالَتْ إِذًا يَنْكَشِفَ عَنْهَا قَالَ ذِرَاعٌ لاَ تَزِيدُ عَلَيْهَا  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Nasāʾī, Ibn Mājah, Mālik, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
nasai:5337al-ʿAbbās b. al-Walīd b. Mazyad from my father > al-Awzāʿī > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Nāfiʿ > Um Salamah

She mentioned women's hems to the Messenger of Allah [SAW], and the Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Let it down a hand span." Umm Salamah said: "But that will uncover (her feet)." He said: "Let it down a forearm's length, but no more than that."  

النسائي:٥٣٣٧حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ مَزْيَدٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ

أَنَّهَا ذَكَرَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذُيُولَ النِّسَاءِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُرْخِينَ شِبْرًا قَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ إِذًا يَنْكَشِفَ عَنْهَا قَالَ تُرْخِي ذِرَاعًا لاَ تَزِيدُ عَلَيْهِ  

ibnmajah:3580Abū Bakr > al-Muʿtamir b. Sulaymān > ʿUbaydullāh b. ʿUmar > Nāfiʿ > Sulaymān b. Yasār > Um Salamah

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about how long a woman’s hem should hang down. He said: ‘A hand span.’ I said: ‘But then (her legs and feet) will be uncovered.’ He said: ‘Then a forearm’s length, but no more than that.’”  

ابن ماجة:٣٥٨٠حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَمْ تَجُرُّ الْمَرْأَةُ مِنْ ذَيْلِهَا قَالَ شِبْرًا قُلْتُ إِذًا يَنْكَشِفَ عَنْهَا قَالَ ذِرَاعٌ لاَ تَزِيدُ عَلَيْهِ  

malik:48-14

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Bakr ibn Nafi from his father Nafi, the mawla of Ibn Umar that Safiyya bint Abi Ubayd informed him that Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ said that when the lower garment of women was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, he said, "She lets it down a handspan." Umm Salama said, "If it leaves her uncovered?" He said, "Then the length of a forearm and let her not increase it."  

مالك:٤٨-١٤وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ نَافِعٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ نَافِعٍ مَوْلَى ابْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ صَفِيَّةَ بِنْتِ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ أَنَّهَا أَخْبَرَتْهُ

عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ حِينَ ذُكِرَ الإِزَارُ فَالْمَرْأَةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ تُرْخِيهِ شِبْرًا قَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ إِذًا يَنْكَشِفُ عَنْهَا قَالَ فَذِرَاعًا لاَ تَزِيدُ عَلَيْهِ  

nasai-kubra:9653Maḥmūd b. Khālid al-Dimashqī > al-Walīd b. Muslim > Abū ʿAmr > Nāfiʿ > Um Salamah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "A woman's garment should be extended to a forearm's length below her ankle." I asked, "Then won't it be uncovered?" He replied, "No more than a forearm's length."  

الكبرى للنسائي:٩٦٥٣أَخْبَرَنِي مَحْمُودُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «تُرْخِي الْمَرْأَةُ مِنْ ذَيْلِهَا شِبْرًا» قُلْتُ إِذًا تَنْكَشِفُ؟ قَالَ «ذِرَاعًا لَا تَزِيدُ عَلَيْهِ»  

nasai-kubra:9659Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Aʿlá > al-Muʿtamir > ʿUbaydullāh > Nāfiʿ > Sulaymān b. Yasār > Um Salamah

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about how long a woman’s hem should hang down. He said: ‘A hand span.’ I said: ‘But then (her legs and feet) will be uncovered.’ He said: ‘Then a forearm’s length, but no more than that.’” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3580)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٩٦٥٩أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْأَعْلَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ كَمْ تَجُرُّ الْمَرْأَةَ مِنْ ذَيْلِهَا؟ قَالَ «شِبْرًا» قَالَتْ إِذًا يَنْكَشِفُ عَنْهَا؟ قَالَ «فَذِرَاعٌ لَا تَزِيدُ عَلَيْهِ»