Ash-Shaykh Bin Baaz, rahimahullah, was asked the following question:

كيف هي زيارة بنات العم والعمة، والخال والخالة؛ لأنهن من القرابة؟

Question:

What is the [correct] way in how a person visits his female cousins since they are part of the family?

تشرع زيارة الأقارب ولاسيما المحارم كالأخوال والأعمام أو العمات ونحو ذلك حسب التيسير، أو بالمكاتبة ، أو بالهاتف (التلفون)، كله طيب. المهم أن تكون الصلة بينهم طيبة ليست قطيعة ، بل صلة طيبة ، بالكلام الطيب والزيارة والمكالمة الهاتفية ونحو ذلك، وإذا كانت المزورة غير محرم فلا بأس إذا كانت الزيارة ليس فيها خلوة ولا فتنة ولا شبهة فلا بأس إذا زارها مع زوجها أو عند أخيها أو عند أبيها زيارة للمحبة والقرابة: السلام عليكم، السلام، كيف حالكم؟ كيف..؟ فلا بأس بهذا، لصلة الرحم على وجه ليس فيه تهمة بالشر وليس فيه محرم لا خلوة ولا تبرج ولا كشف شيء من الزينة.

Answer:

It is legislated to visit one’s relatives, especially the mahrams, such as the maternal or paternal uncle, the aunt, etc., according to what is easy [for him], or writing [to them], or contacting [them] by phone; all of this is fine. What is important is that the ties between them be good and not broken. Rather, the ties should be good through nice words, through visits, and [through] phone conversations and the likes of it. And if the person you are visiting is a non-mahram, then there is no harm in it as long as the visit doesn’t comprise of any form of khalwah [i.e. seclusion], or fitnah, nor any shubah [i.e. suspicion]. There is no harm if he visits her in the presence of her husband, or in the presence of her brother, or in the presence of her father as a visit for the purpose of preserving love and family ties by saying: ‘salaamu alaykum, how are you doing, how…?’, there is no harm in this in order to keep family ties in a manner which there is no suspicion of evil while not containing anything haraam, [there being] no khalwah, [and] neither containing any exposure of herself or anything from her adornments.”

[Reference removed since it no longer exists]

Translated by

AbdulFattaah bin Uthman
Abu Fajr