Fatwaa ID: 967

Question:

Assalaamu ‘Alaikum. Is hugging your aunts sinful? Like if they lean in to say hi. Or female cousins
What about mother in law or wife’s aunts or female cousins

Answer:
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

1. Your biological aunts, i.e., your parents biological sisters, are mahrams. You may hug them modestly.
2. Cousins of the opposite gender are non-mahrams. It is haraam to hug them or have physical interactions with them. The laws of hijaab are fully applicable with them.
3. The mother-in-law is a mahram. It is permissible to hug her modestly.
4. The wife’s aunts are non-mahrams. You cannot hug them. The laws of hijaab are applicable with them.
5. The wife’s cousins of the opposite gender are non-mahrams. It is not permissible to hug them or have physical interactions with them. The laws of hijaab are fully applicable with them.

And Allaah Ta’aala knows best.
Mufti Muajul I. Chowdhury
Darul Iftaa New York
https://askthemufti.us/

وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى ءاله وصحبه أجمعين

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