Is it permissible to wear the niqab only when leaving the house, or must it be worn inside the house all day, given that relatives enter without permission and neighbors can see from the balcony, knowing that there is a private apartment used only for sleeping?

This problem, which recurs in some societies that permit intermingling and shared living, can be overcome by observing the hijab and the Islamic etiquette. The wife can protect herself by closing the house door and wearing the hijab when foreign men are present. The husband must alert his family to Allah's limits regarding intermingling, while cautioning against leniency in admitting relatives. The wife should utilize her private apartment as a solution to the problem of intermingling and live in it, especially since covering the face from foreign men is obligatory.