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Fatwa CenterA woman taking off her Hijab in front of a blind man
Question
Salaam Alaikum .. Dear Shaikh, I found the following reply in one site, concerning the Niqaab: Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (RA) was asked: What is the ruling on observing hijab in front of a blind teacher? He replied: There is no hijab in front of a blind teacher because the Prophet (SAW) said to Faatimah bint Qays: “Observe your ‘iddah in the house of Ibn Umm Maktoom, for he is a blind man and you can take off your garment.” Narrated by Muslim (1480) Please advice if it's AUTHENTIC and if it's right to uncover in front of a blind man, knowing that THE WOMAN CAN STILL SEE HIM (A NON-MAHRAM)? Jazaak Allaahu Khairan
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
It is permissible for a woman to take off her Hijab in front of a blind man provided she is sure that no one else may see her; the evidence is the narration which you mentioned in the question and which was reported by Imaams Muslim and Ahmad 
.
As regards the narration in which the Prophet ordered Umm Salamah and Maymoonah 
to observe Hijab in front of Ibn Umm Maktoom 
then a group of scholars classified this narration as weak.
However, some scholars provided this narration as evidence proving that a woman is prohibited from looking at a non-Mahram man, as the Prophet said to them: "Are both of your blind?" Therefore, the order to wear Hijab in this narration is for this purpose (i.e. forbidding women from looking at non-Mahram men).
As regards the issue of staying in seclusion with a man, then it is not permissible for a woman to stay in seclusion with a non-Mahram man even if he is blind because it is not safe for the woman to be sexually attracted by him and vice-versa, and because there are authentic Prophetic narrations which absolutely forbid a man from staying in seclusion with a non-Mahram woman.
Allaah Knows best.
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