Being raised together with a person does not establish kinship in terms of mahram status
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa No. ( 16664 )
Q: My mother passed away (may Allah have mercy on her), and I was very young at the time. My maternal uncle, my mother’s brother, asked my father for me and took me to his home when I was one and a half or two years old. His wife, who had not given birth to anyone and was barren, took charge of raising me in the house. She stayed up with me at night and kept all harm away from me, may Allah reward you. I considered her my mother, and I stayed with them for ten years or more. One day, my uncle divorced her at her request, and she married another man. I used to visit her until she went to Riyadh to have a surgery, and I followed her to visit her, considering her my mother. Recently, her husband, whom she is currently with, passed away, so I and my family went
to visit her and offer condolences for her husband. When we arrived, we found her wearing a hijab, so I shook her hand and kissed the top of her head, as was our custom between us, meaning between me and her. She refused and said: “My son, I am afraid this is forbidden.” I said: “Do not be afraid, for I am your son and you raised me, and if Allah wills, there is no harm in you uncovering your hijab in front of me without my knowledge or anyone else’s.” After that, I doubted the matter and wanted a ruling on this issue.
A: If the situation is as described in the question, the woman mentioned is considered a non-mahram to you. Raising her has no effect on the permissibility of uncovering the hijab, being alone with her, shaking her hand, or kissing her head. All of this is not permissible, because you are not a mahram to her, and you did not mention a reason that would make you a mahram to her. We thank you for your kindness to her; this is the lawful kindness in return for her raising you and her kindness to you in your youth. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: My mother passed away (may Allah have mercy on her), and I was very young at the time. My maternal uncle, my mother’s brother, asked my father for me and took me to his home when I was one and a half or two years old. His wife, who had not given birth to anyone and was barren, took charge of raising me in the house. She stayed up with me at night and kept all harm away from me, may Allah reward you. I considered her my mother, and I stayed with them for ten years or more. One day, my uncle divorced her at her request, and she married another man. I used to visit her until she went to Riyadh to have a surgery, and I followed her to visit her, considering her my mother. Recently, her husband, whom she is currently with, passed away, so I and my family went
to visit her and offer condolences for her husband. When we arrived, we found her wearing a hijab, so I shook her hand and kissed the top of her head, as was our custom between us, meaning between me and her. She refused and said: “My son, I am afraid this is forbidden.” I said: “Do not be afraid, for I am your son and you raised me, and if Allah wills, there is no harm in you uncovering your hijab in front of me without my knowledge or anyone else’s.” After that, I doubted the matter and wanted a ruling on this issue.
A: If the situation is as described in the question, the woman mentioned is considered a non-mahram to you. Raising her has no effect on the permissibility of uncovering the hijab, being alone with her, shaking her hand, or kissing her head. All of this is not permissible, because you are not a mahram to her, and you did not mention a reason that would make you a mahram to her. We thank you for your kindness to her; this is the lawful kindness in return for her raising you and her kindness to you in your youth. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.