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Mahram
Originally used to describe the part in a Bedouin tent reserved for women.
In Islamic law, mahram “connotes a state of consanguinity precluding marriage.’
Term Variants: mahram, mahrem, mehram
How this term should be used
The word Mahram is likely to be used on the topic of women’s rights, particularly guardianship and women’s mobility. Conservative interpretations and understandings should be marked out and differentiated from everyday Muslim practice where women are able to function independently.
Derived from the same root as the word ‘haram’ (forbidden, sacred, sacrosanct), mahram refers to close relatives of the opposite sex with whom marriage is permanently forbidden, such as one’s parents, siblings, grandparents, and parents’ siblings. These relations may be established by blood ties, or by breastfeeding a child under the age of 2 years.
People who are mahram for each other do not need to observe the rules of modesty that normally exist between men and women.