The Ruling on a Woman’s Free Mixing with Her Paternal and Maternal Cousins
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Question:
Our sister says: I do not like visiting some of my relatives because their daughters frequently mix freely with men, talk a lot with them, and sit with them. I do not like these behaviors, and they say that I am neurotic. Am I sinful because I do not like mixing freely with my maternal aunt’s children, my maternal uncle’s children, or my paternal uncle’s children? Or am I correct in not mixing with men in general, and I am not neurotic? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
You have hit the mark—may Allah bless you—and you have done well, because free mixing with a non-mahram man carries a great danger. The son of a paternal uncle, the son of a maternal uncle, and the son of a maternal aunt are all considered non-mahrams, not relatives one may not marry. As for the kind of mixing that means returning their greetings in a gathering, or asking how they are, or how their children are, while staying away from the causes of suspicion and false talk, there is no blame in that. If she greets her paternal or maternal cousins with a greeting that contains no suspicion and no seclusion, but rather she greets them in a gathering, or they visit them and greet her as a means of maintaining family ties, there is nothing wrong with that.
A mahram is one with whom seclusion with a man is permissible, or one with whom engaging in the causes of suspicion and fitnah with men, through speech or actions, is permissible. As for a pure greeting and pure speech, far from fitnah, there is no blame in greeting her paternal cousin, or her maternal aunt’s son, or returning his greeting, or asking about his family and children, provided there is no seclusion. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Our sister says: I do not like visiting some of my relatives because their daughters frequently mix freely with men, talk a lot with them, and sit with them. I do not like these behaviors, and they say that I am neurotic. Am I sinful because I do not like mixing freely with my maternal aunt’s children, my maternal uncle’s children, or my paternal uncle’s children? Or am I correct in not mixing with men in general, and I am not neurotic? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
You have hit the mark—may Allah bless you—and you have done well, because free mixing with a non-mahram man carries a great danger. The son of a paternal uncle, the son of a maternal uncle, and the son of a maternal aunt are all considered non-mahrams, not relatives one may not marry. As for the kind of mixing that means returning their greetings in a gathering, or asking how they are, or how their children are, while staying away from the causes of suspicion and false talk, there is no blame in that. If she greets her paternal or maternal cousins with a greeting that contains no suspicion and no seclusion, but rather she greets them in a gathering, or they visit them and greet her as a means of maintaining family ties, there is nothing wrong with that.
A mahram is one with whom seclusion with a man is permissible, or one with whom engaging in the causes of suspicion and fitnah with men, through speech or actions, is permissible. As for a pure greeting and pure speech, far from fitnah, there is no blame in greeting her paternal cousin, or her maternal aunt’s son, or returning his greeting, or asking about his family and children, provided there is no seclusion. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.