Calling a paternal uncle “father”

Question

Question: A man has six sons. One of the sons died, leaving three children who live with their paternal uncle. It is the uncle who is responsible for their food, drink and lodging, and he keeps his nephews like his own children. And these nephews also address their uncle as “father”. Can it be permissible in the Shari‘a for these children to address their uncle in this way, calling him “father”, or not?

Answer

A paternal uncle may be called “father” in a figurative sense (majazan), especially when he is also responsible for their upbringing and so on; there is nothing objectionable in this in the Shari‘a. [ar]والجد والعم يسميان أبًا مجازًا[/ar] “The grandfather and the paternal uncle are called ‘father’ figuratively” (Ruh al-Ma‘ani, vol. 2, p. 507).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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