Fatwa #68596 October 2002United States of America
For a woman-1-the term mahram includes whom? 2-can I go to taraweeh? 3-what to do about human rights?
Question
I have an extensive family and I need to know which of the following are my mahram, my husband's uncles, my father's uncles, my mother's uncles, and my grandparent's uncles? Can I go to taraweeh each and every night of Ramadhan? What about only the nights of Lail-utul-Qadr? Are gatherings within a masjid with men and women separated in the same room permissible? Can we pursue human rights? For instance, working in a field promoting muslims' human rights? Jazakullah khairun. M'salaam.
Answer
a. Mahram refers to all those persons with whom marriage is not permissible on a permanent basis Below is list detailing those with whom Nikah is not permissible on a permanenet basis.%0D%0A%0D%0APersons with whom Nik%E2h is Har%E2m forever%0D%0A%0D%0A1. Marriage with one's children, grand-children, great grand-children, etc. is not permissible. Nor is marriage with one's parents, grand-parents, maternal grand-parents, etc. permissible. 2. Marriage with one's brothers, uncles and nephews is not permissible. According to the Shar%EE'ah, a brother is one whose mother and father is the same, or they have one father but two mothers, or one mother but two fathers. They are all brothers. But if the father is different, and the mother is also different; that person will not be a brother. Nik%E2h with him will be valid. 3. Marriage with one's son-in-law is not permissible. This is irrespective of whether the daughter is already living with him or not. In all cases, nik%E2h with him is har%E2m. 4. A girl's father passed away. Her mother married another person. However, before the mother could even live with her new husband, she passed away or he divorced her. In such a case, the girl can marry this step-father of hers. However, if the mother lived with him, it will not be permissible for this girl to marry him. 5. Nik%E2h with one's step-children is not valid. In other words, if a man has several wives, then one of the wives cannot marry the children of the co-wives. This is irrespective of whether she had lived with her husband or not. Nik%E2h with these children is prohibited under all circumstances. 6. It is not permissible for a woman to marry her father-in-law or even the father or grand-father of her father-in-law.%0D%0A%0D%0Ab) Women going to Musjid ? refer below%0D%0A%0D%0Ac) It is an act of virtue for any Muslim, male or female, to establish human rights as understood in Shari?ah.%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai