Should Women Wear Hijab in Front of Autistic Men?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
Should women wear hijab in front of autistic men at women-only gatherings, or is it permissible to go without hijab in their presence?
Answer
Thank you for your question. Women may have to or may not have to wear hijab in front of autistic men, according to the degree of their autism and sexual desire.
Quran
Allah Most High has told us in the Quran, “And tell believing women they should lower their glances, guard their private parts, and not display their charms beyond what [it is acceptable] to reveal; they should let their headscarves fall to cover their necklines and not reveal their charms except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their womenfolk, their slaves, such men as attend them who have no sexual desire, or children who are not yet aware of women’s nakedness; they should not stomp their feet to draw attention to any hidden charms. Believers, all of you, turn to God so that you may prosper.” [Quran, 24:31]
No desire
If a man has a developmental delay to the point that sexual desire is non-existent, meaning that he is unable to have an erection [Jalalayn, 462], one may remove the hijab in front of them. If there is some doubt, caution entails remaining covered. I have a family member with Down’s Syndrome, and my teacher taught me many years ago that women must cover in front of him.
Please see these links as well:
How Do the Quran and Sunna Uplift and Guide Disabled Individuals?
How Is a Child with Autism Viewed in Islam?
Reader on Modesty in Islam
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 aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters 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.
