The Ruling on Parents’ Nudity before Their Children in Imami Jurisprudence

Document Type : Original/ Research Article

Authors
Omid Aslambakhsh 1
Mohammad Davoudi 2
1 ) Ph.D. Candidate in Philosophy of Education and training, Research Institute for Hawzah and University, Expert theologian in Jurisprudence and Islamic Science, Qom, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Research Institute for Hawzah and University, Qom, Iran
10.30497/flj.2025.248666.2210
Abstract
Among the most significant dimensions that involved parents’ minds are the sphere of moral education and of sexual upbringing. A question that may relate to both of these dimensions is this: what is the ruling on the exposing of parent’s privy parts before their children? This question arises from parents’ concern that parent’s nudity before their child might disrupt the child’s sexual upbringing, leading to sexual problems either at that age or later in life. There is also the concern that dignity of the father and mother may not be properly internalized in the child’s character or that the child may encounter difficulties in maintaining respect toward the parents. with the exposing of parent’s privy parts before their or that the child may encounter difficulties in maintaining respect toward the parents.
This study, by using qualitative method and documentary analysis, examines this issue from the perspective of Imami jurisprudence. An examination of the ruling on parents’ nudity before their children, based on the four sources of jurisprudence (the Qur’an, the Sunnah, reason, and consensus) indicates that), it is obligatory to cover the private parts from a child who is capable of being taught the concept of permission, even if not yet discerning (mumayyiz) according to the verse of Isti’than (permission-seeking). However, this verse is silent regarding the period before that stage. The narrations affirm the prohibition of parent’s nudity before their children, even those who are not discerning. Also, wisdom and wise men recognize the impropriety of nudity before discerning children, but they remain silent regarding non-discerning ones, and there exists no consensus uncovering the opinion of the infallible in this matter.
The conclusion drawn from these arguments is that parent’s nudity before their children is impermissible at all ages.
Keywords
The verse of Isti’than
sexual upbringing
parent’s nudity
immature children
Ightesal narrations
Imami jurisprudence
Subjects
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Biannual Journal of Family Law And Jurisprudence
Volume 31, Issue 84
March 2026
Pages 243-259