What is the ruling on the wife's maternal uncle visiting her in the marital home while she is alone during her husband's frequent absence for work?
The maternal uncle is a mahram to his sisters' daughters and their daughters. He is like a father; it is permissible for him to visit his sister's daughter, be alone with her, and travel with her, as long as there is no suspicion. The Salaf differed on the permissibility of her displaying her adornment in front of him, but the majority of scholars agreed on the permissibility of her displaying her adornment in front of him because he is like parents. His not being mentioned in the Ayat al-Ahzab (Quran 33:55) was due to the sufficiency of mentioning the son of a brother and the son of a sister. The evidence for this is the Hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted Aflah, her paternal uncle through suckling, to enter upon her and be alone with her.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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