A questioner says: A woman has a child whom she found at the door, an abandoned infant whose family she did not know, so she took him and raised him until he reached sixteen years of age and became a man who knows no one but

The questioner : The honorable Shaykh saysThe questioner : A woman has a child whom she found at the door, an abandoned infant whose family we do not know, so she took him and raised him until he reached sixteen years of age and became a man who knows no one but the two parents who raised him, and they did not inform him of the truth. Then someone came and said to her: It is not permissible for this son to sit with you, and it is not permissible for her to uncover herself before him ever. This news fell upon the mother who raised him for sixteen years like the greatest calamity that could befall her. How can she observe hijab from him, and where will he go, when he has no provider, no home, and no family? It is known that during the period when she found him, she had no milk, but now she is nursing, although his age has passed the age of breastfeeding. It was also said to her that something similar happened in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted it for her. So give us a ruling, may Allah reward you?

The Shaykh : You heard the question. The question says: A woman found an abandoned infant, so she took him and raised him until he reached sixteen years of age. Then it was said to this woman that this abandoned infant is not a mahram (a relative one may not marry) for her, because he is not her son and she did not breastfeed him. So this news fell upon her like a lightning bolt. It fell upon her like...