Question
Reference number: 645228 | Family and Marriage Issues | Nov. 2, 2025
Is it permissible for my wife not to wear the hijab in front of my paternal uncle, who is 70 years old?
Answer
Praise Be to Allah and Peace Be Upon His Messenger.
It is not permissible for your wife to uncover her hair or adornment in front of your uncle because he is not one of her lawful mahrams; rather, he is a non-mahram to her, even if he is elderly. Mahram relationships are established through blood ties, breastfeeding, or direct marriage relations, and the husband’s uncle does not fall under any of these categories. Allah says:
“and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons,).
Thus, your wife must observe the hijab in front of him.
