One of the attendees asks the Shaykh for advice on how to deal with his brother and his British wife, who are staying as guests in his home.
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The questioner: They are here now... So, from a Sharia perspective, how should I deal with this situation and this matter?
The Shaykh: It is a new situation.
The questioner: Yes, a new situation. He is a recent convert and has been married for five years.
The Shaykh: What happened?
The questioner: What happened is that he was in Britain; he was not here. He is new here now; he came to this place.
The Shaykh: Okay, he came here and stayed at...
The questioner: My house.
The Shaykh: Your house, yes. How old is he?
The questioner: He is...
The Shaykh: 48. And what does he do?
The questioner: He does not have a specific job. He works in several jobs, in hotels, in import and export, and many other things.
The Shaykh: And how long has he been married to her?
The questioner: For five years.
The Shaykh: For five years.
The questioner: He has been residing in London since... He is a citizen; he has obtained citizenship.
The Shaykh: Okay, does he maintain his prayer and worship?
The questioner: It is intermittent.
The Shaykh: Does he have children with her?
The questioner: A daughter.
The Shaykh: A daughter. Did she accept Islam, or did she remain in her misguidance?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Okay, and regarding her hijab and such, there is absolutely none.
The questioner: No, she has no knowledge of Islam...
The Shaykh: One who lacks something cannot give it.
The questioner: ... When she stayed with us for six months, praise be to Allah, she learned many things. She prays with my wife and the children, and she reads and memorized Surat al-Fatihah. Praise be to Allah, now that they have come, the situation has changed. We ask Allah for forgiveness and well-being. Her father and mother...
The Shaykh: Okay, do you have authority over your brother or not? You have no authority.
The questioner: I advise them, I counsel them, and they accept...
The Shaykh: Okay, so what is your question or consultation about?
The questioner: How to deal with him, and how to present Islam and religion to her... Knowing that my English is not strong, so my brother, I mean, if he wants...
The Shaykh: The problem is not with your brother's wife; the problem is with your brother. Since you have no authority or command over him, and he does not shy away from disobeying his Lord (Mighty and Majestic) due to his neglect of prayer, and perhaps other things. Naturally, he will be, for example, dressed like a European, a Westerner, with a shaved beard.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Is there a problem with that, and is his head uncovered?
The questioner: His head is uncovered.
The Shaykh: You want to ask about your problem with your brother, not with his wife. In this case, the wife should not be in your house, as long as she is displaying her adornment. How long has he been staying with you?
The questioner: For a week.
The Shaykh: A week, meaning directly from Britain to your place?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Okay, when he arrived, were you aware?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: I mean, he informed you.
The questioner: Ah... He was planning to settle, to stay in Aqaba or in Jordan or somewhere...
The Shaykh: You must be gentle with him so that he leaves the house.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: In another house... But they will visit us, our Shaykh, once or twice a day.
The Shaykh: Now, the important thing is to let him leave the house.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: This is a natural matter. Let him leave the house. After he leaves, if he visits too often, hint to him to reduce the frequency, on the condition that if you notice he does not respond to you, but if he responds to you, let him visit often. However, his staying in your house, he and his wife, is a mistake for you, for your wife, and for your children, and it is a mistake for them too. But they are not asking about the mistake; you are the one asking and you need to care. So, the summary of my opinion is that he should hasten to leave, and you should take your comfort and religious freedom in the house. After that, if he starts visiting, you follow up with advice for him and his wife. If you perceive from them soundness, there is no harm in their visiting, because there will be good in it. Otherwise, reduce the continuity as much as you can. This is all I have.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And may Allah protect you, if Allah wills.
The questioner: He may divorce her.
The Shaykh: He may, of course, if he does not fear fitnah for himself.
The Shaykh: It is a new situation.
The questioner: Yes, a new situation. He is a recent convert and has been married for five years.
The Shaykh: What happened?
The questioner: What happened is that he was in Britain; he was not here. He is new here now; he came to this place.
The Shaykh: Okay, he came here and stayed at...
The questioner: My house.
The Shaykh: Your house, yes. How old is he?
The questioner: He is...
The Shaykh: 48. And what does he do?
The questioner: He does not have a specific job. He works in several jobs, in hotels, in import and export, and many other things.
The Shaykh: And how long has he been married to her?
The questioner: For five years.
The Shaykh: For five years.
The questioner: He has been residing in London since... He is a citizen; he has obtained citizenship.
The Shaykh: Okay, does he maintain his prayer and worship?
The questioner: It is intermittent.
The Shaykh: Does he have children with her?
The questioner: A daughter.
The Shaykh: A daughter. Did she accept Islam, or did she remain in her misguidance?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Okay, and regarding her hijab and such, there is absolutely none.
The questioner: No, she has no knowledge of Islam...
The Shaykh: One who lacks something cannot give it.
The questioner: ... When she stayed with us for six months, praise be to Allah, she learned many things. She prays with my wife and the children, and she reads and memorized Surat al-Fatihah. Praise be to Allah, now that they have come, the situation has changed. We ask Allah for forgiveness and well-being. Her father and mother...
The Shaykh: Okay, do you have authority over your brother or not? You have no authority.
The questioner: I advise them, I counsel them, and they accept...
The Shaykh: Okay, so what is your question or consultation about?
The questioner: How to deal with him, and how to present Islam and religion to her... Knowing that my English is not strong, so my brother, I mean, if he wants...
The Shaykh: The problem is not with your brother's wife; the problem is with your brother. Since you have no authority or command over him, and he does not shy away from disobeying his Lord (Mighty and Majestic) due to his neglect of prayer, and perhaps other things. Naturally, he will be, for example, dressed like a European, a Westerner, with a shaved beard.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Is there a problem with that, and is his head uncovered?
The questioner: His head is uncovered.
The Shaykh: You want to ask about your problem with your brother, not with his wife. In this case, the wife should not be in your house, as long as she is displaying her adornment. How long has he been staying with you?
The questioner: For a week.
The Shaykh: A week, meaning directly from Britain to your place?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Okay, when he arrived, were you aware?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: I mean, he informed you.
The questioner: Ah... He was planning to settle, to stay in Aqaba or in Jordan or somewhere...
The Shaykh: You must be gentle with him so that he leaves the house.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: In another house... But they will visit us, our Shaykh, once or twice a day.
The Shaykh: Now, the important thing is to let him leave the house.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: This is a natural matter. Let him leave the house. After he leaves, if he visits too often, hint to him to reduce the frequency, on the condition that if you notice he does not respond to you, but if he responds to you, let him visit often. However, his staying in your house, he and his wife, is a mistake for you, for your wife, and for your children, and it is a mistake for them too. But they are not asking about the mistake; you are the one asking and you need to care. So, the summary of my opinion is that he should hasten to leave, and you should take your comfort and religious freedom in the house. After that, if he starts visiting, you follow up with advice for him and his wife. If you perceive from them soundness, there is no harm in their visiting, because there will be good in it. Otherwise, reduce the continuity as much as you can. This is all I have.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And may Allah protect you, if Allah wills.
The questioner: He may divorce her.
The Shaykh: He may, of course, if he does not fear fitnah for himself.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.