FatwaFederal TerritoriesEthics, Remembrance & Supplication
AL-KAFI #1370: HUKUM BUKAN MAHRAM MENUMPANG TIDUR DI RUMAH
Are a husband and the wife's unmarried female friend considered cohabiting if the friend stays overnight at the house while the wife is away, and what should be done?
Short answer
Being alone together between an unrelated man and woman without a third person is forbidden and counts as khalwat.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Ethics, Remembrance & Supplication
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Being alone together between an unrelated man and woman without a third person is forbidden and counts as khalwat. In the Shafi'i school, the possibility of khalwat is removed if a third person is present or there is a barrier such as a room, or the house has separate floors, so it is not khalwat but is disliked because of the risk of seeing awrah. In this case the separate room means it is neither khalwat nor cohabitation, yet it should be avoided to prevent suspicion, slander and possible legal action. If the wife is absent and only the husband is home, the friend should preferably not stay in the same house alone with him.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Justeru itu, perbuatan berdua-duaan antara lelaki dan perempuan yang ajnabi tanpa ditemani orang ketiga adalah haram dan dikira sebagai khalwat.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1370: HUKUM BUKAN MAHRAM MENUMPANG TIDUR DI RUMAH”, 19 September 2019. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/3688-al-kafi-1370-hukum-bukan-mahram-menumpang-tidur-di-rumah. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-non-mahram-staying-overnight-at-home/