Ruling on calling the wife’s father “uncle” or “maternal uncle” and the like
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There is a question directed to you regarding calling the wife’s father “uncle” or “maternal uncle.”And as for the wife’s mother, I said: It should be that these people are called by their legal names. A hadith was reported in the Sunnah, which the scholars of knowledge authenticated, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to a man who came to him, and who was an old man and was on his deathbed,So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “O maternal uncle! Say: There is no god but Allah” And also the Prophet’s statement to Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas: “This is my maternal uncle” It is known that he was not a maternal uncle of the Prophet, meaning a brother of his mother. So what is your opinion on that?
But the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was breastfed by the Banu Sa’d, so they are his maternal uncles in relation to Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him). Then, there is a difference between addressing a person who is present and saying: “O uncle! Please,” or “O maternal uncle! Please,” and assigning this title to this person permanently.Meaning, there is no harm in saying to an elderly person: “O uncle! Please,” or “O maternal uncle! Please,” there is nothing wrong with this. But making a fixed description, like “maternal uncle” for example, for the wife’s father,This is what we say: is not appropriate. Rather, one should mention the legal names. We cited as evidence for this that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade calling the Isha prayer “al-Atamah.”And he said: “Do not let the Bedouins overpower you regarding your Isha prayer, calling it al-Atamah, for they stay up with their camels” The prayer is the Isha prayer, as in the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).And on this basis, you say: My son-in-law so-and-so,But there is no harm if you enter and say: “O uncle! Please” and the like,But your saying: “My uncle so-and-so” or the like, permanently, is not good. And Allah knows best.
But the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was breastfed by the Banu Sa’d, so they are his maternal uncles in relation to Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him). Then, there is a difference between addressing a person who is present and saying: “O uncle! Please,” or “O maternal uncle! Please,” and assigning this title to this person permanently.Meaning, there is no harm in saying to an elderly person: “O uncle! Please,” or “O maternal uncle! Please,” there is nothing wrong with this. But making a fixed description, like “maternal uncle” for example, for the wife’s father,This is what we say: is not appropriate. Rather, one should mention the legal names. We cited as evidence for this that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade calling the Isha prayer “al-Atamah.”And he said: “Do not let the Bedouins overpower you regarding your Isha prayer, calling it al-Atamah, for they stay up with their camels” The prayer is the Isha prayer, as in the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).And on this basis, you say: My son-in-law so-and-so,But there is no harm if you enter and say: “O uncle! Please” and the like,But your saying: “My uncle so-and-so” or the like, permanently, is not good. And Allah knows best.