{"id":23809,"date":"2022-01-19T12:52:44","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T12:52:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/?p=23809"},"modified":"2022-01-19T14:57:53","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T14:57:53","slug":"how-should-we-approach-working-with-the-opposite-gender-in-todays-workplaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/how-should-we-approach-working-with-the-opposite-gender-in-todays-workplaces\/","title":{"rendered":"How Should We Approach Working With the Opposite Gender in Today\u2019s Workplaces?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Fatwa ID: 05777<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Answered by: Maulana Sibghat Ullah<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Question:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">How should we approach working with the opposite gender in today\u2019s workplaces? For strictly work-related purposes are we able to make eye contact with females with the intention that there is no desire?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong><u>In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong><u>Answer:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Following are the guidelines one should follow to interact with the opposite gender.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Lower your gazes<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Stay clear of Secluded Encounters<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Your tone.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Treat each other with dignity<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Lower Your Gazes:-<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Allah s.w.t says in Quran<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">&#8220;Tell the believing men to lower their gazes and guard their private parts.&#8221; <a href=\"#sdendnote1sym\"><sup>i<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">In the next verse straight after Allah s.w.t\u00a0says<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">&#8220;And tell the believing women that they must lower their gazes and guard their private parts&#8221; ii<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Stay Clear of Secluded Encounters:-<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">The Prophet s.a.w warned us that people of the opposite sex (non-mahram)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">It was narrated from Ibn &#8216;Umar that &#8216;Umar bin al-Khattab addressed us in al-Jabiyah, and said that Prophet s.a.w said, \u201cAnd no one of you should be alone with a woman for the Shaitan will be the third one present.\u201d <a href=\"#sdendnote3sym\"><sup>iii<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">We should keep the following in mind when having close encounters with women:-<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">There should be a barrier between the man and woman.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">A Mahram (like a brother) of the woman (or her husband) should be present.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">An upright old woman from whom desire and sexual passion are not (typically) acquired, and who is capable of protecting herself and the other woman, is present.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">If another non-Mahram man is present.<a href=\"#sdendnote4sym\"><sup>iv<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Your Tone: &#8211;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Use a serious tone of voice and expression. This doesn\u2019t mean you have to be rude, but speaking in a professional manner dictates the way people interact with you. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Allah says in the Quran,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">\u201c\u2026do not speak in lowered tones (with a sweet voice) lest he in whose heart is a disease of lust should be moved with desire. \u00a0And speak in a befitting manner.\u201d<a href=\"#sdendnote5sym\"><sup>v<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Treat Each Other with Dignity:-<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Let us learn from the beautiful example from the story of Prophet Musa when he reached the Well of Madyan when He saw two girls struggling to keep their sheep away from the well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">\u201c\u2026He (Musa) said, \u201cWhat is your circumstance?\u201d They said, \u201cWe do not water until the shepherd&#8217;s dispatch [their flocks], and our father is an old man.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">So he (Musa) watered [their flocks] for them\u2026\u201d \u201cThen one of the two women came to him walking with shyness. She said, \u201cIndeed, my father invites you that he may reward you for having watered for us\u2026\u201d <a href=\"#sdendnote6sym\"><sup>vi<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">The word used is Haya which means bashfulness and dignified manner. These women had dignity and were shy around men as the Quran mentions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">So, if we follow these rules and in the necessity, only then we are permitted to interact with opposite genders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Only Allah knows best.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Written by Maulana Sibghat Ullah<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Darul Ifta Birmingham<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a href=\"#sdendnote1anc\">i<\/a> Al Quran, Sura Noor, verse 30<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a href=\"#sdendnote2anc\">ii<\/a> Al Quran, Sura Noor, verse 31\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a href=\"#sdendnote3anc\">iii<\/a> Musnad Ahmad, Musnad Umar bin al-Khattab r.a<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a href=\"#sdendnote4anc\">iv<\/a> Fatawa Shami, Chapter of Looking and Touching, Page 685<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a href=\"#sdendnote5anc\">v<\/a> Al Quran, Sura Al Ahzab, verse 32<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><a href=\"#sdendnote6anc\">vi<\/a> Al Quran, Sura Qasas, Verse 23 &amp; 25<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fatwa ID: 05777 &nbsp; Answered by: Maulana Sibghat Ullah &nbsp; Question: &nbsp; How should we approach working with the opposite gender in today\u2019s workplaces? For&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23809"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23809"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23834,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23809\/revisions\/23834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}