Ruling on a woman uncovering her face before a boy who has not reached puberty

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Is it permissible for a woman to uncover her face before a boy of ten years of age?
Answer: Hijab is not obligatory unless the man has reached puberty; before puberty... For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:

And when the children among you reach puberty, let them ask permission

وَإِذَا بَلَغَ الأَطْفَالُ مِنْكُمُ الْحُلُمَ فَلْيَسْتَأْذِنُوا

[Al-Nur: 59]. This indicates that they are not required to observe hijab in front of them until they reach puberty. Before that, it is not obligatory to seek permission constantly, because they are not required to observe hijab in front of them until they reach puberty. A ten-year-old boy is generally not one who has reached puberty, although he may reach it when he completes ten years, but the general rule is that he is still young. If she observes hijab in front of him as a precaution because he is an adolescent, that is good. Otherwise, it is not obligatory for her unless she knows that he has completed fifteen years of age, or that he has reached puberty by the emission of semen due to desire, or by the growth of coarse hair around the private parts. Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, said regarding those who have not reached puberty:

O you who have believed, let those whom your right hands possess and those who have not [yet] reached puberty among you ask permission of you [before entering] at three times: before the dawn prayer and when you put aside your clothing [for rest] at noon and after the night prayer. [These are] three times of privacy for you. There is no blame upon you nor upon them beyond these [periods], for they continually circulate among you - some of you, among others

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِيَسْتَأْذِنْكُمُ الَّذِينَ مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَبْلُغُوا الْحُلُمَ مِنْكُمْ ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ صَلاةِ الْفَجْرِ وَحِينَ تَضَعُونَ ثِيَابَكُمْ مِنَ الظَّهِيرَةِ وَمِنْ بَعْدِ صَلاةِ الْعِشَاءِ ثَلاثُ عَوْرَاتٍ لَكُمْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلا عَلَيْهِمْ جُنَاحٌ بَعْدَهُنَّ طَوَّافُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ

[Al-Nur: 58].
The point is that if they are below the age of puberty, seeking permission is required at these three times: before the Fajr prayer, at midday when you put down your garments, and after the Isha prayer, according to the noble verse. Likewise, a slave seeks permission at these three times, unlike a male who has reached puberty who is not a slave; he must seek permission at all times, as Allah the Exalted said:

And when the children among you reach puberty, let them ask permission [at all times] as those before them have done

وَإِذَا بَلَغَ الأَطْفَالُ مِنْكُمُ الْحُلُمَ فَلْيَسْتَأْذِنُوا كَمَا اسْتَأْذَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ

[Al-Nur: 59], meaning: so that it is possible for the woman to observe hijab in front of them and to guard against their looking at her. If he is an adolescent, observing hijab is a matter of precaution, because he may have reached puberty and she does not know it. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.

دع ما يريبك إلى ما لا يريبك

Sunan an-Nasa'i 5711Sahih (Darussalam)

O Allah, send blessings and peace upon him

Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.

دع ما يريبك إلى ما لا يريبك

Sunan an-Nasa'i 5711Sahih (Darussalam)

. If a woman observes hijab in front of an adolescent by covering herself, that is safer and more appropriate for her, but it is not obligatory until he reaches puberty. Yes.

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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