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Woman's dress before her father-in-law and son-in-law

Question

Can my father-in-law see me without Hijaab? And can my husband see my mother without her Hijaab?

Answer

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. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

The father-in-law is a Mahram (non-marriageable relative) for the wife. Allaah Says when speaking about the males who could see a woman without her Hijab (what means): {… or their husbands fathers,...}[Quran 24:31]. Similarly, the husband is a Mahram for the wife's mother, as Allaah Says when mentioning the women who are unmarriageable (Mahaarim) (what means): {your wives' mothers}[Quran 4:23].

Therefore, whoever is confirmed to be a Mahram is permitted to look at the woman within the boundaries of what he is permitted to look at, which is what usually appears like the neck, the head, the arms, the legs (shin bone) and so forth, as per Fatwa 85449.

Finally, it should be noted that a Mahram is permitted to look at what we have mentioned of his female Mahram when he is safe from being tempted by her, otherwise it is not permissible for a Mahram to look at a woman or for her to reveal her beauty in front of him. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84143.

Allaah Knows best.

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