Ruling on a woman uncovering her face before a man who was breastfed by her father’s wife
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Question:
The letter before us—and it is the last letter in this session—came from the sender in the Eastern Region (L. A. A). She says in her letter: I ask the honorable Shaykh to answer the following question:
She says: I have a father who had a wife before my mother who breastfed a son, and he is now fifty years old. I am currently uncovering my face in front of him, and I have heard from people that I must wear a hijab to cover my face from this man. I am now confused and do not know whether I should uncover my face in front of him or not?
Knowing that I do not know how many times he was breastfed?
Please advise us, may Allah reward you with the best reward.
Answer:
If your father’s former wife breastfed him five times; then he becomes a brother to you, and to all your father’s children, a brother through breastfeeding from the father’s side, so you may uncover your face in front of him like other mahrams.
As for if there is doubt regarding the breastfeeding, and you do not have anyone who knows whether the breastfeeding was five times or less or more? Then do not uncover your face in front of him, and do not consider him a mahram; because the breastfeeding that makes one a mahram must be five times or more within the two-year period. If it is established by the testimony of a trustworthy woman, or a trustworthy man, that this man was breastfed by your father’s wife five times while he was an infant within the two-year period, or more than five; then he is your brother, and you uncover your face in front of him like other mahrams, he is a mahram to you. But if there is doubt in this, and you do not have anyone who remembers this, and it is not known whether he was breastfed five times or less or more; then he is not a mahram, and he is not your brother, and you must cover yourself in front of him like other people, yes.
The letter before us—and it is the last letter in this session—came from the sender in the Eastern Region (L. A. A). She says in her letter: I ask the honorable Shaykh to answer the following question:
She says: I have a father who had a wife before my mother who breastfed a son, and he is now fifty years old. I am currently uncovering my face in front of him, and I have heard from people that I must wear a hijab to cover my face from this man. I am now confused and do not know whether I should uncover my face in front of him or not?
Knowing that I do not know how many times he was breastfed?
Please advise us, may Allah reward you with the best reward.
Answer:
If your father’s former wife breastfed him five times; then he becomes a brother to you, and to all your father’s children, a brother through breastfeeding from the father’s side, so you may uncover your face in front of him like other mahrams.
As for if there is doubt regarding the breastfeeding, and you do not have anyone who knows whether the breastfeeding was five times or less or more? Then do not uncover your face in front of him, and do not consider him a mahram; because the breastfeeding that makes one a mahram must be five times or more within the two-year period. If it is established by the testimony of a trustworthy woman, or a trustworthy man, that this man was breastfed by your father’s wife five times while he was an infant within the two-year period, or more than five; then he is your brother, and you uncover your face in front of him like other mahrams, he is a mahram to you. But if there is doubt in this, and you do not have anyone who remembers this, and it is not known whether he was breastfed five times or less or more; then he is not a mahram, and he is not your brother, and you must cover yourself in front of him like other people, yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.