Muslimah

Question Is it permissible to shake hands with a paternal uncle’s wife if she is old, and if not shaking hands will provoke rancour and resentment, because that is the custom among relatives?. Answer Praise be to Allaah. It is haraam for a man to shake hands with a non-mahram woman even if she is old. That is because of the general meaning of the evidence which states that it is forbidden.  Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible to shake hands with non-mahram women at all, whether they are young or old, and whether the man who is shaking hands is a young man or an old man, because of the danger of fitnah (temptation) that it poses to both parties. It was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I do not shake hands with women.” And ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The hand of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be ...

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-Sh...