A woman’s maternal uncle and paternal uncle are mahrams to her and her daughters

Praise
be to Allah.

A person’s
maternal uncle is regarded as a maternal uncle to him and all his
offspring. Similarly a person’s paternal uncle is regarded as a paternal
uncle to all his offspring. 

Based on
that, there is nothing wrong with a woman taking off her hijab in front of
her mother’s maternal uncle or paternal uncle; she may shake hands with him
and be alone with him, because he is a mahram to her. Allah, may He be
exalted, says, when listing women who are mahrams (interpretation of the
meaning): “your
brother’s daughters, your sisters daughter’s”
[an-Nisa’ 4:23]. 

Ibn Qudaamah
(may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (7/90): “Sisters’
daughters and their daughters are mahrams, because they are the daughters of
the sister. The same applies to the daughters of brothers’ daughters. End
quote. 

The Standing
Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked: I have a sister, and she has sons
and daughters. The sons have got married and produced sons and daughters. Is
it proper for me to kiss these girls, as I am the maternal uncle of their
father? Similarly, the daughters of my sister have got married and produced
sons and daughters. Is it proper for me to kiss these girls, as I am the
maternal uncle of their mother? And is it the case that they do not have to
cover in front of me? 

They replied:

A man is a
mahram to the daughters of his sister’s daughters, and to the daughters of
his sister’s sons, no matter how far the line of descent reaches, because he
is a maternal uncle to them, and they do not have to observe hijab in front
of him, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): “Forbidden
to you (for marriage) are: your mothers… your brother’s daughters, your
sister’s daughters” [an-Nisa’ 4:23].
That includes the daughters (of one’s brother and sister) and their
offspring. End quote.

Fataawa
al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (17/384). 

They were
also asked: Is it permissible for a woman to uncover and to greet with
salaam her mother’s maternal uncle and paternal uncle, and her father’s
maternal uncle and paternal uncle? Please also give the fiqhi evidence
proving that that is halaal or haraam. 

They replied:

It is
permissible for a woman to show of her adornments to her mother’s maternal
uncle and paternal uncle, and to her father’s maternal uncle and paternal
uncle, that which she may uncover in front of her mahrams, for two reasons: 

1.    
They are mahrams to her: 

it is haraam
for any of them to marry her, because of the general meaning of the verse
(interpretation of the meaning): “Forbidden
to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your
fathers’ sisters, your mothers’ sisters, your brothers’ daughters, your
sisters’ daughters” [an-Nisa’ 4:23]. 

What is meant
by the brother’s daughters in this verse is daughters (and granddaughters)
of the brother, no matter how far the line of descent reaches, not only the
brother’s own daughter. The paternal uncle of a woman’s father is the
brother of her grandfather, and grandfathers, no matter how far the line of
ascent reaches, are (regarded as being the same as) fathers. So this woman
is included in the general meaning of the prohibition of marriage to the
daughters of one’s brother. The paternal uncle of a woman’s mother is a
brother to the father of her mother, so she is included in the general
meaning of the prohibition of marriage to the daughters of one’s sister.
What is meant by the sister’s daughters in the verse is the daughters (and
granddaughters) of the sister, no matter how far the line of descent
reaches, not only the sister’s own daughter. The maternal uncle of the
woman’s mother is a brother to the mother of the mother. The maternal uncle
of her father is a brother to the mother of her father. So this woman is
included in the general meaning on the prohibition of marriage to the
daughters of one’s sister. Therefore, once it is proven that she is one of
the mahrams of those who are mentioned in the question, it is permissible
for her to uncover in front of them that of her adornments that she may
uncover in front of those whom Allah mentions in the verse (interpretation
of the meaning): “and
not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their
husbands fathers…” [an-Noor 24:31]. 

2.    
Allah has permitted the woman
to uncover in front of her brother’s sons and her sister’s sons, and their
grandsons, no matter how far the line of descent reaches, that which she may
uncover of her adornments in front of all her mahrams, fathers, sons and
brothers. 

Allah, may He
be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and
not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their
husbands fathers, their sons, their husbands sons, their brothers or their
brothers sons, or their sisters sons…”

[an-Noor
24:31]. 

The maternal
uncle of a woman’s mother and the maternal uncle of her father, and the
paternal uncles of her mother and the paternal uncle of her father, no
matter how far the line of ascent reaches, come under the heading of sons of
brothers and sisters, and their grandsons, no matter how far the line of
descent reaches. The ruling about showing adornment is the same with regard
to all of them. As for greeting them, that is by shaking hands only. 

And Allah
knows best.