Do Women Need To Cover In Front Of A Child Who Is Five Years Old?
Islamic Rulings -
Living Shariah Verdicts
Islamic Questions & Answers
I have a
plural marriage,and a son (five years old), who is not
the biological son of the husband.
Do the other wives have to be fully covered in hijab
when this boy is present.
Jazakum Allahu Khair.
Praise be to Allaah.
The boy
mentioned is young, and women do not need to cover
their faces when he is present. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And say to the believing women to lower their gaze
(from looking at illegal things) and protect their
private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.), and
not to show off their adornment except only that which
is apparent (like palms or hands or one eye or both
eyes for necessity to see the way, our outer dress
like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to
draw their veils all over juyoobihinna (i.e., their
bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.), and not to
reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their
fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their
husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's
sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women
(i.e., their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves
whom their right hands possess, or old male servants
who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense
of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet
so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And
all of beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers,
that you may be successful." [al-Noor 24:31]
This little boy is a "small child who has no sense of
the shame of sex," so it is permissible to uncover
one's adornment in front of him. Ibn Katheer (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer: " 'The
words (interpretation of the meaning), or small
children who have no sense of the shame of sex refer
to children who because of their young age do not
understand anything about women or the temptation they
may present, such as their soft voices or the way they
walk. Because the child is so young, he does not
understand anything about that, so there is nothing
wrong with letting him enter upon women. But if a boy
is approaching puberty and beginning to understand
these things and to distinguish between who is
beautiful and who is not, then he should not be
allowed to enter upon women. And Allaah knows best.
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