Muslimah

Question What is the ruling on one who is intimate with women but does not commit zina, i.e. kissing etc?. Answer Praise be to Allaah. Zina (adultery, fornication) does not refer only to penetration, rather there is the zina of the hand, which is touching that which is forbidden, and the zina of the eyes, which is looking at that which is forbidden, even though zina that is committed with the private parts, is the zina which is punishable with the hadd punishment. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has decreed for every son of Adam his share of zina, which he will inevitably commit. The zina of the eyes is looking, the zina of the tongue is speaking, one may wish and desire, and the private parts confirm that or deny it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5889; Muslim, 2657. It is not permissible for the Muslim to long for the things that lead to zina, such as kissing, being alone, touching and looking, for all these thin...

Question What is the ruling on a wife’s maternal uncle visiting her when she is alone during the time her husband is working? This situation has come up more than once. Answer Praise be to Allaah. The maternal uncle is a mahram for all the daughters and granddaughters of his sisters, because Allaah says in Soorat al-Nisa’, defining women who are forbidden in marriage: “Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father’s sisters, your mother’s sisters, your brother’s daughters, your sister’s daughters” [al-Nisa’ 4:23] So there is nothing wrong with his visiting his sister’s daughter and being alone with her or travelling with her, so long as there are no reasons for suspicion, such as if he is an evildoer and cannot be trusted with his sister’s daughter. If there are any grounds for suspicion, then he is not allowed to be alone with or visit her when her husband is not present. Some of the salaf – such as ‘Ikrimah and al-Sha’bi – were of the vi...

Question There is a woman whose husband died, and she lives in a rented house in the same area, but far away from her family. There is only one brother but he cannot leave his work and stay with her. She is afraid to stay alone and she cannot pay the rent on the house. Answer Praise be to Allaah. It is obligatory for the woman whose husband has died to stay in the house in which she was living when he died, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded that. The authors of al-Sunan narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Furay’ah bint Maalik: “Stay in the house in which the news of your husband’s death came to you, until your ‘iddah is over.” She said: So I observed ‘iddah there for four months and ten (days). Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2300; al-Tirmidhi, 1204; al-Nasaa’i, 200; Ibn Maajah, 2031, classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah. This is the view of the majority of scholars, based on this hadeeth, except ...