Understanding the Considerations Surrounding Women’s Roles in Law Enforcement from an Islamic Viewpoint
The Issue of Women Working in the Police Department
The police department has long been infamous. It doesn’t hold much good for men, let alone women. Circumstances have turned this field into a center of bribery, dishonesty, and deceit. A woman is the adornment of the home; her responsibilities include raising her children, serving her husband, and managing household duties. For this reason, Islam has relieved her of economic struggles. If a woman leaves her home to take on responsibilities outside, the home is often left empty or, at times, even ruined. Some people, driven by greed for wealth, women’s freedom, or fame, desire to see women in positions unsuitable for them. One such position is in the police department. According to Islamic teachings, it is not permissible for a woman to work in this field, as it involves engaging in various sinful acts.
Here, I will outline a few concerns about the police department, which clarify why it is religiously inappropriate for women to work in this profession.
1. Mixing of Men and Women:
The primary concern is the mixing of men and women, which is prohibited in Islam. Today, intermixing has pushed society to the edge of ruin. Around ninety percent of crimes are the result of this intermingling. In schools, colleges, markets, shops, streets, parks, events, and crowded places, men and women are seen together. Under the guise of “Women’s Empowerment,” women have been placed in nearly every position similar to men, leading to numerous societal issues. This mixing has fueled immorality, normalized immodesty, degraded women’s honor, promoted love affairs, introduced indecency among youth, encouraged abortions, led to women’s murder, and violated their rights. Islam has instructed men to speak with women from behind a veil to protect women and prevent men from harboring inappropriate thoughts.
Allah states:
"And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts." (Al-Ahzab 33:53)
The same Islam that commands speaking to women from behind a veil would never permit women to work in close proximity with men, with unveiled faces, open hair, tight clothes, or alluring beauty. A woman symbolizes modesty, chastity, and embodies modesty in its complete form. She is instructed to lower her gaze, wear a veil, speak with strangers from behind a barrier, walk on the side of the road, and avoid attracting attention. Adhering to these principles prevents the negative consequences of intermingling.
2. Lack of Modesty:
Working in the police department demands a specific uniform that both men and women must wear. This uniform often reveals a woman’s body shape and lacks covering for the head and face. Islam prohibits women from wearing tight, transparent, or body-revealing clothing, and it forbids them from adopting clothing similar to men.
The Prophet (ﷺ) cursed women who imitate men and men who imitate women.
"The Messenger of Allah cursed those women who imitate men, and those men who imitate women." (Sahih al-Tirmidhi: 2784)
Modesty, especially in the form of the veil, is crucial to a woman’s honor. Observations show that women without hijab often fall victim to exploitation by vile men. Even before the revelation of the hijab verse, Umar (RA) had the thought of a hijab in mind and mentioned it to the Prophet (ﷺ). Hence, Muslim women must avoid any profession that requires them to forsake modesty.
3. Seclusion with Non-Mahram Men:
This profession entails regular interactions and associations with men. Islam strictly prohibits a woman from interacting with, dining with, or working alongside non-mahram (non-permissible) men. A dangerous aspect of this intermixing is the possibility of seclusion, which paves the way for indecency.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"A man must not be alone with a woman except that Satan is the third among them." (Mishkat al-Masabih, 3054)
This hadith highlights the potential for immorality when Satan is present between a man and woman in seclusion. Working in the police department inevitably involves such situations, thus making this profession unsuitable for women.
4. Traveling without a Mahram:
Police work sometimes requires women to travel unaccompanied by a mahram (a close male relative). This is problematic from an Islamic perspective, as women are forbidden from traveling alone. In this profession, one may be required to travel at any time or be transferred to various locations. Without a mahram, a woman’s journey is impermissible.
Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"No woman should travel except with a mahram." Then a man got up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have enlisted in the army for such-and-such Ghazwa and my wife is proceeding for Hajj." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Go, and perform the Hajj with your wife." (Sahih al-Bukhari: 3006)
Here, a man was commanded to leave his role in battle to accompany his wife for Hajj, despite the purity of Hajj compared to other travels. Indeed, Allah’s guidelines for women are pure and structured. A woman who abides by these limits creates a safe society, while the transgression of these boundaries often leads to widespread fitnah (temptation and chaos).
5. Women’s Leadership:
Islam has freed women from the need to lead men. Any profession or role that requires a woman to exercise authority over men is not permissible. The police department, in its nature, is a leadership-oriented institution. A woman is the adornment of the home, not a display for the public. Those who desire immoral acts have seated women in positions of power under the guise of women’s liberation, exploiting the vulnerabilities of the weaker gender for personal gain.
We have ignored the teachings of the Quran, which has resulted in the degradation of both women and men:
"And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance." (Al-Ahzab: 33)
If a woman must leave her home out of necessity, she should embody modesty without excessive adornment that might attract others. The same Islam that instructs women to stay at home and avoid unnecessary outings, and even prescribes a particular manner of walking, would never permit her to become a spectacle in the marketplace.
Abu Usaid al-Ansari narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, while he was leaving the mosque when men and women started mixing on the road. He said to the women:
"Stay back; it is not appropriate for you to walk in the middle of the path. Walk along the edges of the road." Henceforth, the women walked so close to the wall that their clothes would catch on it. (Sahih Abu Dawood: 5272)
Women are not allowed to lead men. Men are the guardians of women, and leadership is the exclusive right of men. Allah has endowed men with physical and skill-based qualities that suit leadership roles, while women are not inherently suited to these responsibilities. Allah says:
Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and to their husbands), and guard in the husband’s absence what Allah orders them to guard (e.g. their chastity, their husband’s property, etc.). (An-Nisa: 34)
It is narrated from Abu Bakrah that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard that the people of Persia had appointed the daughter of Chosroes as their ruler, he said:
"A people will never prosper who appoint a woman to rule over them." (Sahih al-Bukhari: 4425)
It is forbidden for a woman to engage in armed or defensive roles involving weapons, guns, or combat-related jobs. Therefore, working in the police force, the military, or any similar position is not allowed. Islam has kept women away from warfare, assigning this duty to men.
When Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, asked the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, if jihad was required of women, he replied:
"Yes, but there is no fighting involved in it; it is the Hajj and Umrah." (Sahih Ibn Majah: 2362)
Thus, a Muslim woman should not participate in leadership, enlist in any army, or work in any police department for economic reasons. Such work is often assigned to young people, and one can only imagine the consequences when a young woman is placed, unveiled, among men. However, if the role is strictly among women, such as investigative duties or handling the care of women in a prison where no men are present, and she can work while maintaining her dignity and modesty, then such a role would be permissible.
Written by: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah
Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia
Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail