Fatwa ID: 09498
Answered by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Question:
Can women do job even if there is no need? When she is medical like working in a hospital? Or working in an office setting? Husband has provided permission and she does hijjab.
But in my country even though a Muslim country still doesn’t have proper segregation in separate places for men and women.
Is it permissible to do the job in this case?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
“… If you fear Allāh, then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech. And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance…” Surah Al-Ahzab (33:32-3) [1]
If a woman wishes to have an occupation, she should work towards obtaining a job that allows her to work from home, as it is preferred for a woman to not have an occupation which causes her to leave her home. However, if she has the permission of her husband and her adherence to Islam is not compromised, she can go to work even when her needs are met. When this is the case, a woman should choose a halal occupation where she is free to wear the veil (niqab) and she is protected from being alone or in close proximity with non-mahrams. A woman should avoid an occupation where she must have unnecessary or prolonged dialogues with non-mahrams and she should ensure that her dignity is respected at all times.[2]
In regards to working in a hospital, if the woman is herself a medical practitioner, she should refrain from treating patients of the opposite gender, unless there is a genuine need and there is no one of the patients’ gender to treat them. If the patient is in genuine need of treatment and an assistant cannot be instructed in treating this patient, then it would be permissible to treat a patient of the opposite gender whilst keeping contact and exposure to a minimum.[3]
“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allāh Forgiving and Merciful.” Surah Al-Ahzab (33:59) [4]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
يَا نِسَاءَ النَّبِيِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ ۚ إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
Qur’an (33:32-3)
[2]
… وَقَالَ قَبْلَهُ: وَحَيْثُ أَبَحْنَا لَهَا الْخُرُوجَ فَإِنَّمَا يُبَاحُ بِشَرْطِ عَدَمِ الزِّينَةِ وَتَغْيِيرِ الْهَيْئَةِ إلَى مَا يَكُونُ دَاعِيَةً لِنَظَرِ الرِّجَالِ وَالِاسْتِمَالَةِ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – {وَلا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الأُولَى} [الأحزاب: ٣٣]…
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.604, Dār Al-Fiqr)
وَلَا يَظُنُّ مَنْ لَا فِطْنَةَ عِنْدَهُ أَنَّا إذَا قُلْنَا صَوْتُ الْمَرْأَةِ عَوْرَةٌ أَنَّا نُرِيدُ بِذَلِكَ كَلَامَهَا، لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَيْسَ بِصَحِيحٍ، فَإِذًا نُجِيزُ الْكَلَامَ مَعَ النِّسَاءِ لِلْأَجَانِبِ وَمُحَاوَرَتِهِنَّ عِنْدَ الْحَاجَةِ إلَى ذَلِكَ، وَلَا نُجِيزُ لَهُنَّ رَفْعَ أَصْوَاتِهِنَّ وَلَا تَمْطِيطَهَا وَلَا تَلْيِينَهَا وَتَقْطِيعَهَا لِمَا فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ اسْتِمَالَةِ الرِّجَالِ إلَيْهِنَّ وَتَحْرِيكِ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنْهُمْ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.1, pg.406, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[3]
قَالَ: – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – (وَلَا يَنْظُرُ مَنْ اشْتَهَى إلَى وَجْهِهَا إلَّا الْحَاكِمَ وَالشَّاهِدَ وَيَنْظُرُ الطَّبِيبُ إلَى مَوْضِعِ مَرَضِهَا) وَالْأَصْلُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إلَى وَجْهِ الْأَجْنَبِيَّةِ بِشَهْوَةٍ لِمَا رَوَيْنَا إلَّا لِلضَّرُورَةِ إذَا تَيَقَّنَ بِالشَّهْوَةِ أَوْ شَكَّ فِيهَا وَفِي نَظَرِ مَنْ ذَكَرْنَا مَعَ الشَّهْوَةِ ضَرُورَةٌ فَيَجُوزُ…
… وَالطَّبِيبُ إنَّمَا يَجُوزُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ إذَا لَمْ يُوجَدْ امْرَأَةٌ طَبِيبَةٌ فَلَوْ وُجِدَتْ فَلَا يَجُوزُ لَهُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ لِأَنَّ نَظَرَ الْجِنْسِ إلَى الْجِنْسِ أَخَفُّ وَيَنْبَغِي لِلطَّبِيبِ أَنْ يُعَلِّمَ امْرَأَةً إنْ أَمْكَنَ وَإِنْ لَمْ يُمْكِنْ سَتَرَ كُلَّ عُضْوٍ مِنْهَا سِوَى مَوْضِعِ الْوَجَعِ ثُمَّ يَنْظُرُ وَيَغُضُّ بِبَصَرِهِ عَنْ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعِ إنْ اسْتَطَاعَ لِأَنَّ مَا ثَبَتَ لِلضَّرُورَةِ يَتَقَدَّرُ بِقَدْرِهَا… وَلَا يَجُوزُ لَهُ أَنْ يَمَسَّ وَجْهَهَا وَلَا كَفَّهَا وَإِنْ أَمِنَ الشَّهْوَةَ لِوُجُودِ الْمُحَرَّمِ وَلِانْعِدَامِ الضَّرُورَةِ وَقَالَ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ -: «مَنْ مَسَّ كَفَّ امْرَأَةٍ لَيْسَ لَهُ فِيهَا سَبِيلٌ وُضِعَ عَلَى كَفِّهِ جَمْرٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ» قَالَ فِي التَّتَارْخَانِيَّة: أَصَابَ امْرَأَةً قُرْحَةٌ فِي مَوْضِعٍ لَا يَحِلُّ لِلرَّجُلِ النَّظَرُ إلَيْهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يُوجَدْ امْرَأَةٌ تُدَاوِيهَا وَلَمْ يَقْدِرْ أَنْ يُعَلِّمَ امْرَأَةً تُدَاوِيهَا يَسْتُرُ مِنْهَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إلَّا مَوْضِعَ الْقُرْحَةِ وَيَغُضُّ بَصَرَهُ مَا أَمْكَنَ وَيُدَاوِيهَا
Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.8, pg.218-9, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)
وَشِرَائِهَا وَمُدَاوَاتِهَا يَنْظُرُ) الطَّبِيبُ (إلَى مَوْضِعِ مَرَضِهَا بِقَدْرِ الضَّرُورَةِ) إذْ الضَّرُورَاتُ تَتَقَدَّرُ بِقَدْرِهَا وَكَذَا نَظَرُ قَابِلَةٍ وَخَتَّانٍ وَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُعَلِّمَ امْرَأَةً تُدَاوِيهَا لِأَنَّ نَظَرَ الْجِنْسِ إلَى الْجِنْسِ أَخَفُّ
وَتَنْظُرُ الْمَرْأَةُ الْمُسْلِمَةُ مِنْ الْمَرْأَةِ كَالرَّجُلِ مِنْ الرَّجُلِ) وَقِيلَ كَالرَّجُلِ لِمَحْرَمِهِ وَالْأَوَّلُ أَصَحُّ سِرَاجٌ (وَكَذَا) تَنْظُرُ الْمَرْأَةُ (مِنْ الرَّجُلِ) كَنَظَرِ الرَّجُلِ لِلرَّجُلِ (إنْ أَمِنَتْ شَهْوَتَهَا) فَلَوْ لَمْ تَأْمَنْ أَوْ خَافَتْ أَوْ شَكَّتْ حَرُمَ اسْتِحْسَانًا كَالرَّجُلِ هُوَ الصَّحِيحُ فِي الْفَصْلَيْنِ تَتَارْخَانِيَّةٌ مَعْزِيًّا لِلْمُضْمَرَاتِ (وَالذِّمِّيَّةُ كَالرَّجُلِ الْأَجْنَبِيِّ فِي الْأَصَحِّ فَلَا تَنْظُرُ إلَى بَدَنِ الْمُسْلِمَةِ) مُجْتَبًى
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.6, pg.370-1, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[4]
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
Qur’an (33:59)