Fathwa, - Details on uncovered nakedness (awra) and the validity of prayer

Question:
If upon completion of my salaah, I find that a few strands of my hair
was showing out of my burkaa, (head covering), do I have to repeat my
salaah?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum
Covering one�s nakedness (awra) is a condition for the validity of
one�s prayer. The awra of a man is from his navel to his knees. The
awra of a woman is all of her body excluding her face, hands and feet
(though it is superior for her to cover her feet as well, as many
scholars considered the feet to be part of her awra). If some part of
one�s nakedness shows during the prayer then it is excused so long as
the exposed area is less than a quarter of a �limb�. A �limb� is an
independent body part. Ibn Abidin mentions that the awra of the male
is broken down into eight limbs. These he lists as being;
1. The penis and what surrounds it.
2. The testicles and what is surrounds them.
3. The anus and what is surrounds it.
4-5. Each of the two buttocks.
6-7. Each thigh with the knee.
8. The area between the navel and the pubic region including what is
parallel to it from the sides and the back.
He mentions that the limbs of a woman are :
1-2. Each thigh with the knee.
3-4. Each buttock.
5. The private area and what surrounds it.
6. The anus.
7. The stomach.
8. The back and the sides.
9-10. Each shin (lower leg) with the ankle.
11-12 Each breast.
13-14. Each ear.
15-16. Each upper-arm with the elbow.
17-18. Each forearm with the wrist.
19. The chest.
20. The head.
21. The hair.
22. The neck.
23-24. Each shoulder. [Radd al-Muhtar, 1:274, Dar li Ihya al-Turath al-�Arabi]
So just showing a few strands of hair will not affect the prayer as
these will clearly be less that a quarter of one�s hair.
If a number of limbs are partially exposed then the exposed areas are
added up and compared to the area of the smallest exposed limb. If it
is equal to or greater in area than a quarter of the smallest exposed
limb then the prayer is invalid otherwise not. For example if a lady�s
one wrist and one ankle are exposed one will add up the exposed areas
and compare them to the area of the smallest limb which in this case
is the forearm (as the wrist is part of the forearm). As both the
wrist and the ankle do not amount to a quarter of the forearm her
prayer is valid. If however one wrist, one ankle and a small part of
the ear are exposed then her prayer is most likely invalid as the
wrist and ankle would most probably amount to a quarter of the ear,
the smallest exposed limb.
Of course when adding up exposed areas of the body one need only
estimate the areas; there is no need to get out a ruler and calculator
and start calculating.
One thing to be kept in mind is that a quarter of a limb is only
excused in terms of the validity of the prayer. To intentionally
expose any part of one�s awra is unlawful even though one�s prayer
might be legally valid. [Hashiya al-Tahtawi �ala Maraqi al-Falah,
1:332, Dar al-�Ilm al-Hadith]