Does a woman have to cover her hair in the house? If a member of the woman’s family insists she has to cover her hair does she have to obey?

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

Answer

The answer to your question depends on who is at home with the woman. If there are Ghair Mahram men (those with whom marriage is permissible) in the house then it will be obligatory for her to cover her entire body including the hair. If her husband is in the house or Mahram men such as fathers, brothers etc… then it will be permissible to expose the following parts of her body in front of them: head, hair, face, neck, chest, shoulders, hands, forearms, and legs from below the knees. (Fatawa Hindiyyah p.328 v.5 & Hidayah p.461 v.4)

With regards to your second part of the question, if by a member of the family you mean your parents then you should obey them and cover your hair. Covering the hair (even though there may only be Mahram men in the house) is a mubah (permissible) action and we are obliged to obey our parents in mubah things. (Duruus Tirmizi, Molana Raees Uddin, p.21 v.2)

Similarly, if someone older than the woman requests her to cover her hair then out of respect and politeness she should obey him or her.

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham