Sleeping in the Same Room as One’s Son

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question: Is it permissible for a mother and her son (who is above 18 years of age) to sleep in the same room with a curtain between them, due to conflicts between parents.

Answer: In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful.

It would be permitted for them to sleep in the same room as long as nothing untoward or
undignified is feared to take place. What is not permitted is for two adults to sleep unclothed
under the same sheet, for obvious reasons. [Saffarini, Ghidha al-Albab Sharh Mandhumat alAdaab, 2.352-353]

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Let no man sleep with
another under one sheet, and let no woman sleep with another under one sheet.” [Muslim and
Ahmad]

Imam Tumurtashi stated in his Tanwir al-Absar (the most accurate and detailed of primers
(mutun) in Hanafi fiqh, with notes from Ibn Abidin), “It is not permitted for a man to sleep with
another man [A: under one sheet, without a barrier, naked], even if they are on different sides of
the bed. [Radd al-Muhtar `ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar Sharh Tanwir al-Absar, 6.382]

And Allah alone gives success.

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani