Reference: Fataawa Noor ‘alad-Darb – Question No.5786, Page 225-226, Volume 11
Question: From the habits in our village, which I suspect are bad, is that a woman in her home sits in the company of her male relatives who come to visit. They can either be male friends of her husband or her father, or sons of her paternal uncle or sons of her maternal uncle, not to mention many non-relatives such as neighbours and the husband of her sister. [So the question is] what is the ruling regarding that, and may Allaah bless you?
Response: The ruling regarding that is that it is not befitting for a woman to freely mix with men – even if they are from her relatives. That is because it is a cause for fitnah; and how good it would be if the men had a meeting area specific to them, and the women had a meeting area specific for the family, and in this way the men will be amongst themselves, and the women will be amongst themselves – and as a result the fitnah which is feared from this free mixing will be kept at a distance.
