The Islamic Ruling on Free-Mixing in Education: A Guide to Modesty and Separation

The Importance of Separation between Men and Women in Educational Settings

In the Name of Allāh, the Entirely Gracious, the Exclusively Merciful

 Question:

The questioner asks: What is the ruling of free-mixing in education between men and women in one classroom?

 The answer:

This is not permissible for it is the reason for fitnah (trial/temptation) taking place. Allah (تعالى) states: 

﴿قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ﴾

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things) and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.”

“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts)”

Men getting together with women in one place, regardless of it being for education, governmental jobs, or non-governmental jobs whereby a man sees a woman and a woman sees a man, and perhaps more than that will occur such as sitting with her continuously. He sees her whilst she is wearing a beautified Jilbaab, and perhaps her beauty is on display whereby she beautifies her hands and face, and some women may expose their faces and some women may expose their eyes. Furthermore, many of the women wear tight Jilbabs which outlines and cups her body parts, all of this is Fitnah, it is obligatory to distance oneself from this, and it is not permissible to work in a place where there is free-mixing with women as this is a reason for Fitnah. 

In the Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:

(إِيَّاكُمْ وَالدُّخُولَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ)

“Beware of entering upon the women.”

So a man from the Ansaar said:

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَفَرَأَيْتَ الْحَمْو

“Allah’s Apostle! What about Al-Hamu (the in-laws of the wife, the brothers of her husband or his nephews etc.)?

He said: 

(الْحَمْوُ الْمَوْتُ)

“The in-laws of the wife are death itself.”

Agreed upon the authority of Usaamah bin Zayd (رضي الله عنه). 

And the Prophet ﷺ said: 

(اتَّقُوا الدُّنْيَا وَاتَّقُوا النِّسَاءَ، فَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ فِتْنَةِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ فِي النِّسَاءِ)

“Beware of (the temptations of) this world and beware of (the temptations of) women, for the first trial of the children of Israel had to do with women.”

Reported by Muslim on the authority of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه). 

And the Prophet ﷺ said:

(أَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ اسْتَعْطَرَتْ، فَمَرَّتْ عَلَى قَوْمٍ لِيَجِدُوا مِنْ رِيحِهَا فَهِيَ زَانِيَةٌ)

“Any woman who puts on perfume then passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance then she is an adulteress.”

Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa’i on the authority of Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (رضي الله عنه) and it is a Sahih Hadith.

From the greatest of things that the enemies of Islam strive for is the calling to men and women free-mixing in the workplace, rather they even call for her participation in recruitment and in the army. This is from the plots of the enemies of Islam to corrupt the Muslims so that immorality can become present amongst them, and for Zina (illegal sexual intercourse) to become widespread. 

This is from the greatest reasons of falling into Zina, for a man to sit with a woman, to be alone with her, to speak and laugh with her, we seek Allah’s refuge. 

The Prophet ﷺ said: 

(لَا يَخْلُوَنَّ رَجُلٌ بِامْرَأَةٍ إِلَّا كَانَ ثَالِثَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ)

“No man should be alone with a woman because Shaytaan will be the third one present.”

Reported by Ahmad on the authority of ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab (رضي الله عنه). 

These are reasons for Fitnah taking place, and for the hearts to become sick. How many people started and became lenient with regards to looking, and then after looking it was followed with conversing and speaking, then smiling and laughing, then after that setting dates and meeting up, and then before he knows, Shaytaan tempts him into falling into the immorality of Zina, refuge is sought from Allah.

As the person said: ‘Looking followed with smiling and greeting… speaking followed by setting a date and then meeting.’

These are all Fitan (plural of Fitnah) which have become widespread amongst the Muslims, and there is no might and no power except by Allah.

It is obligatory upon the guardians of the women to have Taqwa of Allah with regards to their womenfolk, and to not allow his daughter and neither his sister to free-mix with men, and it is obligatory upon him to have Taqwa of Allah. 

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ﴾.

“O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones”

And how many men left their daughters, and allowed for her to have her freedom, and before he knew it after that he was trialled with his reputation being tarnished, and trialled with his close ones falling into Zina, and then after that from them is the one who wants to murder, and one that wants to disown, and the likes of this.  

So this is from the Fitan that the enemies of Islam are striving towards to the highest degree by spreading it amongst the Muslims. 

It is obligatory upon the leaders to separate between men and women, and that education is done for men separately and for women separately, and for the hospitals to have no free mixing within them, thus there being a section for women specifically separate from the men’s section. 

And that which takes place from the extreme necessities, then the necessities have their own rulings. If a woman is in need to be treated by a man or the likes of this, then there is no issue. 

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فتاوى فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن حزام الفضلي البعداني حفظه الله وتولاه