Islamic Rulings - Living Shariah Verdicts

Islamic Questions & Answers

I would like to know if it is allowed for a woman to be alone with a man in one room , for example in the embassy . If she needs the money and it is nessesary to talk to the officer about a job possibility and she has no one to go with her .
If she wears islamic dress and also niqab , is there something wrong with it ?.

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible for a man to be alone with a woman who is not his mahram, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "No man should be alone with a woman unless there is a mahram with them." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1862) and Muslim (1341). And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "No man is alone with a woman but the Shaytaan is the third one present." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1171) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated in Sharh Muslim (14/153) that there was consensus among the scholars that it is haraam for a man to be alone with a woman who is not his mahram. This was narrated by al-Haafiz in al-Fath (4/77).

"Being alone with" (khalwah) refers to when the man and woman are in a place where no one can see them.

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked: Does khalwah ("being alone with") refer to when a man is alone with a woman in some house, far away from the eyes of people, or does it refer to any situation in which a man is alone with a woman, even if they can be seen by others?

They replied: What is meant by the "being alone with" (khalwah) that is forbidden in sharee‘ah is not only when a man is alone with a woman who is not his mahram in a place where they cannot be seen; rather it also includes situations in which he is alone with her in a place where she can converse with him and he can converse with her, even if they can be seen by other people, but their words cannot be heard, whether that is out in the open or in a car or on the roof of a house, and so on. That is because khalwah has been forbidden because it is the harbinger of zina and the means that leads to it. So everything that could lead to that, even making an arrangement to do that later, comes under the ruling of physical khalwah or being alone in a place where they cannot be seen. End quote.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allah ibn Baaz; Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi; Shaykh ‘Abd-Allah ibn Ghadyaan; Shaykh ‘Abd-Allah ibn Qa ‘ood

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 17/57

Khalwah can be avoided with the presence of a mahram or the presence of a righteous woman, according to the correct opinion.

It says in Asna'l-Mataalib (3/407): It is permissible for a man to be alone with two women, but not the opposite; i.e., it is not permissible for two non-mahram men to be alone with a woman even if it is unlikely that they would agree to commit immoral actions, as was clearly stated by al-Nawawi in al-Majmoo‘; that is because a woman feels more shy of another woman than a man feels shy of another man.

End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: In the case of someone who drives the girls or female teachers, no woman should ever ride on her own with him, because that is "being alone with" (khalwah) that is haraam. But if two women ride, there is nothing wrong with that.

End quote from al-Liqa' al-Shahri, 58/1

Based on that, if you need to meet this official and you do not have a mahram with you, then you should take a righteous woman to be with you during the meeting.

And Allah knows best.

Ruling on talking to women at work

Sometimes I have to talk to some of the women [at work] and discuss with them some issues that have to do with work. Is there any sin on me for that? Is it permissible for me to work in this company or should I look for another job?.

Praise be to Allaah.

There can be no doubt that the fitnah (temptation) of women is great. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "I have not left behind me any fitnah that is more harmful to men than women." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4808; Muslim, 2704. Hence the Muslim has to be cautious of this fitnah and keep away from anything that may cause him to fall prey to it. Some of the greatest causes of this fitnah are looking at women and mixing with them.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"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, Allaah 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) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, headcover, apron), and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful"

[al-Noor 24:30-31]

Here Allaah commands His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to tell the believing men and women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, then He explains that that is purer for them.

It is known that guarding one's chastity and avoiding immoral actions is achieved only by avoiding the means that lead to such actions. Undoubtedly letting one's gaze wander and mixing of men and women in the workplace and elsewhere are among the greatest means that lead to immorality.

These two things that are required of the believer cannot be fulfilled when he is working with non-mahram women as colleagues or partners at work.

Undoubtedly his working with her or her working with him in the work place is a situation in which it is impossible to lower one's gaze and guard one's chastity and attain purity of soul.

Hence Allaah commanded the believing women to lower their gaze, guard their chastity and not show their adornment except only that which is apparent, and Allaah commanded them to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms), which implies covering the head and face, because the jayb (pl. juyoob) is the site of the head and face.

So how can one lower one's gaze, guard one's chastity and avoid showing one's adornment when women go to men's workplaces and mix with them? Mixing will inevitably lead to falling into these haraam actions.

How can the Muslim woman lower her gaze when she is with a non-mahram man all the time, claiming that he is her work colleague and she is his equal with regard to work.

Khatr Mushaarikat al-Mar'ah li'l-Rajul fi Maydaan ‘Amalihi.

Conclusion:

If your work involves continually looking at and mixing with women, we advise you to leave this job and look for another, or to move to another department in the same company where there are no women.

If your work does not involve continually looking at and mixing with women, rather it only happens sometimes in an area other than the place where you work, then there is nothing wrong with staying in the job, so long as you lower your gaze and do the parts of your job that involve contact with women in the shortest possible time, and keep away from the causes of fitnah as much as possible.

We ask Allaah to help us to avoid fitnah (temptation, both obvious and hidden.

And Allaah knows best.

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