Her brother-in-law’s wife does not cover herself in front of her husband Fatwa No: 167727
- Fatwa Date:20-11-2011
Assalamualikum, i have a question, i hope you will forgive its nature, i need help. I live with my husband, our 4 children and his 2 brothers. it has been hell living with the 2 b.il because i could never dress nicely and always my head i knew its haram to be in presence of brother in law alone, even thou i looked at him like brother and he as well looked at me like sister. but still i never was confortable and only stayed like that cos he was husbands brothers. i became strong and wise living with and always made sure i didnt look pretty around them and tried to keep myself coverd and unattractive. recnly one got married. i did not want him nd his wife to live with us but they no find their own place so they staying with us until they find there own place. my problem is my sister in law does not cover in front of my husband, she will walk in her stupid pajams, sometimes sexy into the the toilet or bathroom, or she will have hair open or she will have chest exposed and she doesnt care my husband there. this make me sick. she always want to please my husband by cooking or making his food, she insist she do it. i say it ok il do it, but she quikly gets on with work. she want my husband to make conversation with her, i dont now wot to do. shell i say somthing to her? or to my husband. i feel sik when i think abt it. but alhamdulilah i know my husband love me, but i dont want shaitan to push him in unlawful thinking. it will destroy me. i hate that even for 1 minut she left alone with my husbnd but her husbnd go to work and my husbnd go late to work. i hate when i tke childnr to school she alone at home with him or she even sit alone with him in same room, because she sometimes sits in the same room as my husbnd alone, mayb wathing tv or on the computer. plz help me and advise and make dua for me that they go own place soon.
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, we ask Allaah to facilitate your matter and make a way out for you from your difficulty and facilitate for your brother-in-law and his family a separate and independent accommodation, as Allaah is Near and Responsive.
One aspect of wisdom of the Sharee’ah is that it blocks the means to temptation especially in regard to the dealing of a man with a non-Mahram woman. Usaamah Ibn Zayd narrated that the Prophet said: “I have not left behind me a temptation that is more harmful for men than women.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
It is for this reason that Islam forbids being in seclusion with a non-Mahram woman, and forbids a man from entering upon non-Mahram women. The religious texts in this regard are mentioned in Fataawa 85321 and 127911.
Indeed, you did well by observing your Hijab in front of your brothers-in-law as they are non-Mahram to you.
As regards what you mentioned in regard to the wife of your brother-in-law not covering herself in front of your husband, then this is evil and a clear sin and it is not permissible to approve of them doing so. Therefore, you have to advise both of them in a wise and gentle manner while highlighting to them the religious texts that forbid that.
In any case, it is your right to be in a separate accommodation in which you will not be harmed by the presence of your in-laws or others. Indeed, it is the right of a wife upon her husband that he provides her with a separate accommodation as clarified by the jurists; for more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84608.
In case it is necessary that your brother-in-law lives with you [because of him not finding another accommodation], then this must be in part of the house whose amenities are completely separate from yours.
Allaah Knows best.