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16,56731/03/2011

Father Harrasing Dauhters-In-Law

Question: 164343

We are two brothers, both married. Our mother died 4 years back. Currently both our wives live with our father. We, due to our job live in different cities. Both our wives reported physical sexual harassment by our father on different occasions. We love our father and respect him. He is 60 years of age. Kindly guide us for a solution of what is to be done in light of Islamic rulings. We desperately need advice as this thing can divide our family.

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

What you have mentioned about your father harassing your wife
and your brother’s wife is a terrible evil and abhorrent action, especially
since your father has reached this age. What you have to do is the
following: 

-1-

Take precautions to prevent this evil, by encouraging your wives to wear covering garments, because many cases of harassment between mahrams (close relatives who cannot marry) occur because of carelessness in uncovering ‘awrahs (private regions which should be covered in public) in front of them. So you may find a woman wearing tight clothes, uncovering her calves
and forearms and more than that, on the grounds that she is sitting with her
mahrams. But she does not know that the Shaytaan may encourage one to do
everything that is haraam, and that a mahram may be tempted by what he sees
of the charms of his mahram. 

Another part of that is taking precautions to completely
avoid being alone with him. So your wife should not stay with your father in
a place where they are alone together; rather she should stay with her
children or with your brother’s wife. 

Another part of that is that your wife should object to that
and speak harshly to demonstrate her revulsion and anger at your father’s
behaviour, and not allow him to do evil actions. 

-2-

Advise your father, even if it is indirectly and without
being explicit, if he persists in this behaviour. 

-3-

If your father continues to do this abhorrent action, then
there is no option other than to take your wives out of his house so as to
prevent evil and to protect their religious commitment and your father’s
religious commitment. 

You should understand that the fact that he has committed
this evil action does not cancel out his right to kind treatment and
upholding ties with him. Part of honouring him is to prevent him from doing
this evil. 

Ask Allah, may He be exalted, a great deal to guide your
father and set his affairs straight, and to remove this calamity from you. 

And Allah knows best.

Source

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