Fatwa ID: 04318

Answered by: Alimah Nasima Umm Hamza

Question

Assalamu Alaikum. I want to ask a couple of questions:

1) Can I live with my maternal aunt in the same room for days and nights?

2) Can I sleep while being shirtless in front of her?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

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

Answer:

When a child reaches the age of ten years old, it is obligatory to separate the beds between the genders. ^[1]

This is due to the saying of the Prophet (PBUH) about the child of ten years old,

“…and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.” ^[2]

Because your maternal aunt is from the Maharim, it is permitted for you to sleep in the same room as her as long as it is in separate beds, so long as you both observe the correct covering of the awrah between mahrams.

This is between the navel and the knees for a male ^[3]  and the area between the navel and knees, and also the stomach and back for a woman. ^[4]

In conclusion, you are permitted to share a room with your maternal aunt, so long as you sleep in separate beds and you ensure that you are covered between your navel and knees.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Alimah Nasima Umm Hamza

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

^[1] Ibn Abideen, Raddul Muhtaar, Volume 5, Page 700

^[2] Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith Number 495

^[3] Ibn Abideen, Raddul Muhtaar, Volume 1, Page 404-

^[4] Ibid, Volume 6, page 367