The Ruling on a Mentally Retarded Child Entering the Presence of Women

The questioner : A woman asks: Honorable Shaykh, what is the ruling on what is called a Mongolian child, who is mentally retarded?

The Shaykh : The child.

The questioner : The Mongolian. The Mongolian. Yes, the Mongolian.

The Shaykh : Hmm?

The questioner : He is mentally retarded, regarding non-mahram women, and he is more than twenty years old. He may be able to distinguish, but sometimes we do not know his state. So what is the default ruling in this case? May Allah grant you success. Yes.

The Shaykh : It is well known that one whose intellect is affected has no feeling or perception, so he is like a child who can distinguish or less. But if we know that this mentally impaired person desires women, and the sign of that is that he stares at a beautiful woman, follows her, and likes to talk to her, then we know that he has desire, so it is obligatory to observe hijab in his presence. As for if everything is the same to him and he does not distinguish, then he is like a child who does not distinguish.