A woman asks: I have raised a girl since she was small, and she lives with me in my daughter’s house. Her sons are not mahram (a relative one may not marry) to her, and she is now thirteen years old.

The questioner : A woman asks and says: I have raised a girl since she was small, and she lives with her in her daughter’s house. Her sons are not mahram (a relative one may not marry) to her, and she is now thirteen years old. She sleeps with them in the same room, although she is committed to wearing the hijab (the covering prescribed for women). Does she have to send her back to her family, or is there no harm in her staying with them? May Allah reward you with good?

The Shaykh : It is obligatory to return this girl to her family, and it is not permissible for her to remain in a house where there is fear for her from the young men in it. Also, it is not permissible for her to sleep with these young men in a room alone, because this is a cause of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). Therefore, first, she must be prevented from staying overnight in a room with these young men, and second, she must be returned to her family.