Question

In our region, the summer is hot and unbearable and there is a lot of load-shedding. Due to that, can a woman wear thin clothes without undergarments in front of her Mahrams (father, brothers, or sons) within the house? Or can she wear just bra without any shirt in front of her Mahrams?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Principally, we need to understand what is the awrah (the area which needs to be covered) of a woman before her Mahrams (those who are permanently forbidden to marry, e.g. a father, son, brother, etc.). As for the awrah of a woman in front of her Mahrams, it comprises of her stomach, back, and the region between her navel up to and including the knees.

It is important to bear in mind that those areas which are excluded from the awrah may only be looked at when there is no fear of lust. A Muslim woman should adopt modesty even in front of her Mahrams. Hence, it does not appropriate for her to wear such thin clothing whereby her awrah can be seen nor walking around the house with only a bra on.

It is understood that it is extremely hot in the area you live in, however by adopting patience and being modest, you will attain great reward. Alternatively, you may wear thin, loose-fitting clothing that does not reveal what is underneath. (Fatawa Hindiya: v. 5, p. 405 [DKI]; Raddul Muhtar: v. 9, p. 528 [Dar Alamil Kutub]; الموسوعةالفقهيةالكويتيةصادرعن: وزارةالأوقافوالشئونالإسلامية – الكويت)

Written by Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham