Is it permissible for a man to sit with his brother's wife and be alone with her?

The questioner : He says: May the Shaykh be respected, I am married, and praise be to Allah, and I have two brothers who are also married. Each of us is in his own house, and there is strong affection and great goodwill between us, to the extent that each of us has the key to the other's house. We sleep at each other's place when we need to, and we all sit together—myself, my wife, my children, and my brother—at one table. This has been our custom. Sometimes I leave the house while my brother is in my house and my wife is inside, with my brother in the sitting room and my wife in the house. I am fully confident in my brother and my wife. However, I have a pious sister who always rebukes me for this action. She says that something with bad consequences might happen, that Satan is present, and that when a man is left alone with a woman, Satan is the third among them. I always rebuke her for saying this and get angry with her when she says such things. I tell her, "Do not be a cause of separation between me and my brothers." These are habits we have known for a long time, and nothing of what you speak of has ever happened. I know my wife, and I know my brothers as well, but she does not stop. Is there anything wrong with this action? And if there is nothing wrong with it, I ask you to advise these extremists among people who are strict in religion without knowledge. May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : This question, as you heard, contains good things. These brothers, although they are separated in their houses, are as if they are in one house because each of them has the key to the other's house. This indicates complete trust and complete affection. This is good, and they are to be thanked for it.
However, for one of them to leave the house while his brother is in it, and there is no one in the house except his wife, this is not permissible and it is forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And "Iyyakum" means a warning from the *hamu*? The *hamu* is the husband's relative. He said: , meaning is it permissible to remain in the house with the woman, or is it forbidden? Let us ask: Is death desirable? No, a person flees from death. If he flees from this relative as he flees from death, that is because the relative is more dangerous than the stranger. The stranger might fear coming to the house and entering, but the relative does not fear, does not find it strange, and does not consider it objectionable. Therefore, we say that the correct view is with this sister who warns them against this action. But one might say, "If I am at work and my brother has no work, and my brother is in my house, what should I do?" We tell him to do one of two things first: Say to him, "My brother, I am going out, please leave," and a person should not be shy of the truth. Or, make a door between the sitting room and the room where the woman is, and this door should be closed when you leave, and its key should be with you. One of these two things is necessary. If you leave and your brother is in the sitting room, and there is no closed door between him and the house, the danger is certain without doubt. How many stories do we ask about regarding this topic? A story I do not like to mention now because we keep this gathering free from such things. The seclusion of a husband's brother with his brother's wife leads to great consequences. It may not happen in the first week or the first month, but in the long run, Satan runs through the son of Adam like blood. So I say to this brother who asked, you must now do one of two things: either take your brother with you when you leave, or make a closed door between the sitting room where he is and the house, with the key being with you. Yes.