Question :
A question was asked on the ruling for working in the places where there is unrestricted mixing between men and women.
Fatwa in Brief: This is not permitted; it
involves [and leads to] immorality.
The Permanent Committee,
15/161
Response:
Working in a place where men
and women cooperate professionally, and thus mix, is
permitted, as long as both behave ethically.
Commentary:
The meeting of men and women is not, in itself,
prohibited. Rather, it is permitted, or [even] required,
if the aim of this meeting is noble. Hence, if men and
women co-operate to complete a job, a charity project,
an obligatory act of jihad, or some other such
act that requires the efforts of both men and women in
terms of planning, direction and realization, then there
is no problem. This does not mean, however, that such
meetings lie outside the boundaries of the law. Here,
instead, the emphasis must be on good, respectful and
pious interactions, such as those outlined by Islam.
Concern the nature of interactions between men and
women, the following demands are made of Muslims:
1)
Muslim men and women should
commit “to lowering his/her gaze” (bighad al-nasr):
this applies equally to both men and women, when they
are in the company of each other. A Muslim person should
not look at those areas of the body, in a person of the
opposite sex, that s/he is not permitted to look at
(i.e. al-‘awra). God says: “Tell the
believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is
purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do”.
(Q. 24:30)
2)
Both should commit to wearing
modest clothes permitted by Islamic law and appropriate
to the workplace, and the profession. Neither should aim
to expose their bodies to the scrutiny of the other, or
to entice their attention, or arouse the seual feelings
of the other. That also includes avoiding [the wearing
of] anything that stirs the desires of the opposite sex.
Thus, they should not put on perfume, or accessories
that draw attention to them.
3)
Both should commit to modesty and
good behaviour (adab) in all actions, and, in
particular, when dealing with the opposite gender. They
should observe modest behaviour when speaking, walking,
sitting, and exchanging material. They should be
respectful of each other and treat each other within the
boundaries of their work.
4)
Men and women should be cautious
of meeting in seclusion, or behind closed doors, or in
private offices. The sound hadiths have forbidden
this.
5)
Unrelated and unmarried men and
women should only meet when it is necessary to do so,
such as when they work in the same area or office [and
must complete a project together]. They should not seek
to meet outside of the workplace or work time.
If there is mixing between men and women in a place of
work, yet, such mixing remains within the parameters of
Islamic law, or close to these, then such work is not
forbidden to Muslims. They must stay close to the
ethical guidelines that we have mentioned [in the above
list].[1]
According to Shaykh, Dr. ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Ubaykan:
there is no legal text that prohibits men and women from
meeting in the workplace. In his speech during one of
the first meetings of the 7th National
Conference (al-Hawar al-Watani), al-‘Ubaykan
observed that the presence of a veiled woman [bi al-hijab
al-shar‘i] does not fall into the category of
illegal mixing of the genders (khalwa), except
when this causes disruption [iftitan]. He added
that mixing (ikhtilat) takes place when Muslims
circumambulate the Ka‘ba (tawaf), when they run
between Safa and Marwa (sa‘y). Thus, not all
mixing is prohibited; rather this prohibition extends to
those types of meeting that cause disruption (fitna)
[in the workplace and elsewhere].[2]
Dr. Anas Abu Shadi
[1]
Free summary of Yusuf Qaradawi, from his
website.
