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Girl Staying Alone with Younger Brother

Question

Is it true that its forbidden for a girl to stay with her younger brother alone at home? What are Ahadith Sharifah and Qur'an say concerning this matter?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Basically, a house is the best place for a woman to live in and it is the secure location for her. Allah Says (what means): {And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance. And establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification.} [Quran 33:33]

There is no evidence stipulating that a Mahram should stay with her in a house. But, if it seems likely that there would be any harm to a woman staying alone in her house, or if she stays with a small boy, then, in this case, we could say that it is not permissible for her to live in such a condition.

The evidence for the permissibility of living alone in normal situations is as follows:

First, the condition of being with a Mahram or with an aged person in a house causes difficulty which is objectionable in the Sharee'ah. Allah Says (what means): {…and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship, …} [Quran 22:78]

Second, Ibn ‘Umar  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him narrated that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “After today it is absolutely prohibited for every man to enter upon a woman whose husband is absent unless he is accompanied by another one or two men.” [Ahmad and Muslim]

This Hadeeth proves that a woman can live alone in her house.

Allah knows best.

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