How should a young man act when his mahrams expose their 'awrah in front of him?

The questioner : If a man’s sister is sitting in front of him, and she is sitting with her 'awrah exposed ... or one of his mahrams ... in this situation; how should he behave toward them?

The Shaykh : First: education is obligatory; because in reality, we live in a society of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. I think you know with me that men, let alone women, still do not have a clear, distinct idea about the 'awrah of a woman with another woman—for example—they do not have this idea. So when you want to address this issue or the other one you are asking about, you need to do some publicizing, you need to build a foundation; you explain to the group of women around you that first, this is contrary to the Shari'ah, second, admonish them: fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and remember the punishment of the Hereafter. Perhaps you can mention some of the hadiths you know that are suitable for mentioning on that occasion. After the brother you are asking about performs this preparatory duty of forbidding evil, then he begins to forbid the evil. If he proceeds through these two stages—the first stage, let us call it awareness, and the second stage is directly enjoining good and forbidding evil—if the one commanded to do good and forbidden from evil does not respond, then at that time comes the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He): . It is not permissible for this brother to sit while his sister is exposing her 'awrah in front of him, and despite the fact that he advises her and reminds her, she does not care about him at all; at that time, he leaves her and turns away from her. And he explains to her; he does not just leave her like that without her understanding what the situation is. No; so this introduction is necessary, then it is necessary to speak out with the truth, otherwise our society will continue ... .

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : No, severing ties comes after a long time, I mean; just as they say in our region of Sham: "Strike the hoof and strike the nail," meaning both and both. Even if he becomes desperate, then at that time the principle of boycotting comes; because it may be related to the issue that the one who is boycotting must—for example—have children, daughters who may be affected if he continues with the mixing. But if there is nothing of that around him, it does not harm him to continue with them in following up, in reminding them. No one around him is harmed by his continuing to visit them, nurse them, and the like. There is no obstacle. And we say, in truth, in the present time, boycotting is the last thing one thinks about; because the society is corrupt, and when you boycott the corrupters on earth, they do not ask about you and do not care about you at all. And they say, just as that Shami proverb says: "You are a drunkard, I am a teetotaler."