His relative is in jail and he sits with his wife and children in order to look after them
Question: 33628
I have a distant relative who is in jail, and I am taking care of his family’s needs such as teaching his children, buying what they need for the house and advising my relative’s family. I sit with them without a mahram, but I show them all respect in a spirit of Islamic brotherhood. She (the wife) covers her head and shows her face and hands. What has made me do that is the fact that her mahrams do not care about her or her situation. I want to know my position according to sharee’ah. Is what I am doing halaal or haraam? Please note that what I am doing is for the sake of Allaah and because I am aware of my duty towards my absent relative.
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.
What you are doing for the family of your absent relative is good and is to be appreciated, because taking care of the weak by meeting their needs is a righteous deed. But it is not permissible for you to be alone with the wife, because she is a stranger (non-mahram) to you, and it is not permissible for her to uncover her face in front of you, because you are not one of her mahrams.
Source:
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth wa’l-Ifta’, 17/61
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