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Is it permissible for the fostered orphan girl, upon reaching maturity, to sit in the home without a hijab? And is it permissible for the wife of the foster parent to sit without a hijab in front of the fostered orphan boy when he reaches maturity?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Sponsoring an orphan does not make them a mahram, but they can become one through legitimate suckling. The orphaned girl becomes a mahram to the guardian and his sons if his wife breastfeeds her with five full, satisfying sucklings before the age of two years. In this case, she is not required to observe hijab in front of them. However, if she passes the age of two without being breastfed, she remains a stranger to them after puberty and must observe hijab. Similarly, a young orphaned boy can become a mahram to the guardian's wife and daughters if the wife breastfeeds him with five full, satisfying sucklings before the age of two years. In this case, they are not required to observe hijab in front of him. However, if he passes the age of two without being breastfed, he remains a stranger to them after puberty, and they must observe hijab in front of him. It is permissible to keep an orphaned girl after she reaches puberty, provided that Islamic legal guidelines are met.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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