Can I Visit My Foster Daughter’s Family without a Mahram?
Shafi'i Fiqh
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
My Muslim foster daughter (not breastfed by me) and her Muslim husband always welcome me in their home so that I can spend time with her daughter and her grandchildren. I live far away, so I visit once or twice a year and stay 2 to 3 weeks at their home to help with the children and spend as much time as possible with my foster daughter and grandchildren.
If none of my mahram (my son, my husband, or his son) is able to accompany me, is it halal/permissible for me to stay under the same roof as my foster daughter’s husband, as long as my foster daughter and foster grandchildren are always present and I am never alone with her husband?
Answer
Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for taking in a girl and raising her as your own child.
Fostering Children
The Prophet said: “Whoever takes in an orphan among the Muslims to raise, to feed him and give him drink, Allah admits him into Paradise without a doubt, unless he has done a sin for which he is not forgiven.” [Tirmidhi] May Allah reward you tremendously for raising her.
Seclusion
What you mention is permissible. The rules of seclusion would apply, so you should learn them and apply them so you know how to react when a situation arises. See the details below:
- What Is the Meaning of Khalwa (Seclusion) with the Opposite Gender?
- With Regard to Seclusion, Is It Right to Ride With the Opposite Gender in a Car?
- Is It Permissible for Me to Stay in a Flat With My Brother’s Wife If a Child Is With Us?
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
