A man leaving his wife with a friend while traveling

Q: My colleague's job requires a lot of traveling. He is married and has a friend whom he trusts. He wants to leave his wife with his friend while he is traveling. He inquires whether he is considered sinful, and what he should do if this is impermissible.

A: All the wise legislations of Islam intend to preserve the five necessities: religion, life, mind, money, and honor. Each one of these necessities has its own legislations that protect it, remove hardship from it, and elevate its status. These necessities include honor, which is the core of progeny. Islam takes great care of honor, which is evident in protecting women, imposing Hijab (veil) on them to make them respectable and modest, and forbidding them from revealing their ornaments except to those mentioned in the Ayah (Qur'anic verse) where Allah (Exalted be He) says: And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islâm), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. (Part No. 17; Page No. 88) The friend you mentioned is not one of those mentioned in the Ayah, so it is impermissible for the wife to reveal her ornament in front of him or to be alone with him, whether he is a friend, a brother-in-law or any thing else. It was authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "Beware of entering houses and meeting women (in seclusion). A person asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! What about the (male) in-laws?' Whereupon he said, '(Male) in-laws are like death.'" In-laws refer to the husband's brother, uncle, or any such male relative who is not a Mahram (unmarriageable relative) to the wife. He (peace be upon him) also said: "No man stays with a woman in seclusion except Satan will be their third one." Thus, it is impermissible for a married man to leave his wife at his friend's home and travel. We are so glad that the questioner has embraced Islam and sacrificed for the sake of his religion with his family, clan, and money. May Allah grant him a better family, better clan, and more blessed money. We would like to remind him of (Part No. 17; Page No. 89) his role models in that, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and his Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) who escaped with their religion to Madinah and left their families and their money, so Allah (Exalted be He) rewarded them with better ones and granted them good results. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.