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Is it permissible for a woman to bring a domestic worker from another country without a mahram, especially if she lives in a non-Muslim country?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Bringing in a maid without a mahram (unmarriageable kin) is an act of disobedience to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, due to his saying: "No woman should travel except with a mahram." It may also be a cause for fitnah (temptation/strife). Some people's leniency in this matter is a calamity. Their claim that it is a necessity is not a valid argument, nor is saying that the sin is on her or on the recruitment agency. Whoever opens the door for someone to commit a forbidden act becomes a partner in sin due to aiding them in it. This contradicts the words of Allah Almighty: "And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression" (Quran 5:2). Bringing in a maid without a mahram is an endorsement of evil.

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

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