Obeying Allâh Almighty is Given
Preference Over Obeying Relatives

Question :

I intended to go to Makkah for 'Umrah, but when I announced my trip, I was told that I would have to visit relatives over there. If I went, I would have to meet my husband's brother along with other relatives, and I would be forced to uncover my face in front of him. In the end, I decided not to go, seeking Allah's pleasure. Is this correct? Please advise me.

Answer:

Allâh Almighty said:
"O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority"

So He placed obeying those who are in authority after obeying Allah and His Messenger; if there is a conflict between obeying Allah and His Messenger and obeying those in authority, then obeying Allâh and His Messenger takes precedence.

For this reason there is no obedience to a creature in what is disobedience to the Creator. You are not allowed to uncover your face in front of your husband's brother, doing so is unlawful. So you should cover your face even if it leads to discord between you and your relatives, for it is they who are causing the discord, and their case is such that they are not to be obeyed in disobedience to Allâh Almighty.

So you must fulfill what is obligatory upon you and know that you will be in the right against them if they sever relations with you merely because you are maintaining the limitations that Allâh has made. It is obligatory for them to say, "We hear and we obey" regarding Allâh's rules, and not to prefer customs and practices to Allah's Shariah, because the Shar'iah is the rule, not what is ruled over, and customs are governed by the Shar'iah, they are not the rule.

And perhaps the most dangerous of relations to a woman are her husband's relatives, more dangerous even than total strangers. This is because of the saying of the Prophet ﷺ when he prohibited entering upon women and warned against it saying:
"Beware of entering upon women."

Somebody asked, "What about the Hamwu (the husband's brother and other relatives)?" He ﷺ said,
"The Hamwu are death!"

This means that the Hamwu (the husband's relatives) are evil for her and that she should never be alone with them. One of them is so dangerous to her because he comes in and out of the house without anyone saying or noticing anything about it. The Shaytan flows through him like blood and is able to whisper to him and entice him toward evil. The Shaytan has too many victims in this regard, where a woman's husband's male relatives cause her to suffer.

To summarize, the questioner must cover her face in front of her husband's brother, even if this leads to his family becoming angry or staying away from her. She should make efforts to reconcile with them, but if they refuse, the sin is upon them.