Fatwa ID: 08945
Answered by Maulana Muhammad Haque
Question:
I am seeking clarification and a formal ruling regarding the “bare below the elbow” policy required in healthcare settings in the UK, particularly in hospitals and clinical environments. According to this policy, staff must keep their arms uncovered from the elbow down for hygiene reasons.
For Muslim women who wish to pursue a career in medicine, nursing, or other healthcare professions, this presents a serious difficulty. While disposable sleeve covers are sometimes provided, they are usually transparent and therefore do not offer real coverage.
1. Is it permissible for a Muslim woman to uncover her forearms in this specific healthcare context, given the necessity and the policies in place? If it is permissible, what are the evidences from Qur’an, Sunnah, or fiqhthat support this allowance?
2. If it is not permissible, does this mean that Muslim women should withdraw from healthcare professions altogether, even though the community urgently needs female Muslim doctors, nurses, and other professionals?
3. What advice would you give to young Muslim girls who aspire to become doctors or nurses but face this same challenge? Should they avoid this career path, or can they proceed given the circumstances.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, it is pleasing that you are eager to protect your religious obligations in the realm of your professional journey. May Allah ﷻ Bless you in this search for knowledge and guidance.
Your question is in three parts, and I shall answer each part separately, below:
1. In the Hanafi Madhab, the dominant ruling is that a woman must cover her entire body in front of non-mahram males, except her face, handsand feet [1]. However, a woman must not expose any part of her body to someone to look at her with desire [2].
Addressing the believing women, Allah Ta’ala said in the Qur’an:
وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا [3]
{…and do not show off their adornment except only that which is apparent}
Imam Abu Hanifa understood the meaning of ‘apparent adornment’ to be the face and hands, and this is also the opinion of Sayyiduna Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما and an interpretation of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما opinion [4].
Regarding the feet, the most relied upon opinion in the Hanafi Madhab is that the feet are not a part of the Awrah [5].
However, Imam Abu Yusuf, a student of Imam Abu Hanifa, holds a different opinion, which is a minority view applicable only in necessity. In the book, جامع البراكمة, he is quoted as stating that the forearms up to the wrists are not part of a woman’s Awrah, as they are often exposed during common chores such as washing and cooking [6].
Imam Abu Yusuf’s opinion is not the dominant opinion within the Hanafi Madhab, however, it provides leeway for women who work in medical fields, such as medicine and nursing, to follow the “bare below the elbow” policy required in UK healthcare settings.
This leeway is established from the jurisprudential rule: الضرورات تبيح المحظورات, which means that things forbidden may become permitted due to necessity [7]. There is also another Qāidah Fiqhiyyah: المشقة تجلب التيسير, which means that due to the excessive hardship, an easier solution may be sought [8].
This concession (rukhsah) may be followed only under necessity (ḍarūrah), while the original ruling remains that the forearm is ʿawrah. Moreover, once you are out of this ‘bare below the elbow’ requirement, you must ensure that your ʿawrah is fully covered, as the necessity no longer applies.
The British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) has produced information on its website stating that there may be a possibility of wearing 3/4-length sleeves rather than being ‘bare below the elbow’. I provide the link to their website below, and you can explore this policy with your healthcare management team:
https://britishima.org/advice/hijab-bare-elbow-infographics/
2. As the permissibility to follow the ‘Bare Below TheElbow’ policy has been established, this policy should not cause Muslim women to withdraw from urgently needed healthcare professions, such as doctors and nurses. However, this is as long as their career path does not involve anything else against the Shariah.
3. Muslim girls aspiring to become doctors and nurses can pursue these career paths as long asit does not involve falling into sin and compromising their adherence to the Shariah.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Maulana Muhammad Haque
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
وبدن الحرة كلها عورة، إلا وجهها وكفيها، لقوله – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ -: «المرأة عورة مستورة»
كتاب البناية شرح الهداية، باب: عورة الحرة، ص: ١٢٤، https://shamela.ws/book/427/778#p1
وفي المحيط: ”إلا الوجه واليدين إلى الرسغين والقدمين إلى الكعبين“
كتاب البناية شرح الهداية، باب: عورة الحرة، ص: ١٢٥، https://shamela.ws/book/427/779#p9
[2]
”وذلك كله إذا لم يكن النظر عن شهوة، فإن كان يعلم أنه لو نظر (٨٧ب٢) اشتهى، أو كان أكثر رأيه ذلك، فليجتنب.“ كتاب المحيط البرهاني – الفصل التاسع فيما يحل للرجل النظر إليه وما لا يحل وما يحل له مسه وما لا يحل، ص: ٣٣٤، https://shamela.ws/book/10875/1965#p5
[3]
سورة النور: ٣١
[4]
تفسير القرآن العظيم للحافظ ابن كثير، سورة النور، المجلد ٦، ص: ٤٧ (دار الشعب)
[5]
”في القدم أقوال ثلاثة: الأول ما ذكر القدوري في المتن من أن القدم عورة مطلقا. الثاني: أنها عورة خارج الصلاة لا فيها، و هو الذي ذكر المحشي العلام عن الإمام الطحاوي. و الثالث أنها ليست بعورة، و هو المعتد.“ الدراية قي تخريج أحاديث الهداية (الحاشية)، المجلد ١، ص: ١٧٠، كتاب الصلاة، باب: شروط الصلاة (دار البشرى)
[6]
في «جامع البرامكة» عن أبي يوسف: ”أنه يجوز النظر إلى ذراعيها أيضاً؛ لأنها تصير مبتلياً بإبداء ذراعيها عند الغسل والطبخ“. كتاب المحيط البرهاني – الفصل التاسع فيما يحل للرجل النظر إليه وما لا يحل وما يحل له مسه وما لا يحل، ص: ٣٣٤، https://shamela.ws/book/10875/1965#p5
[7]
هذه قاعدة فقهية: ” الضرورات تبيح المحظورات “
القواعد الفقهية مع الشرح الموجز لعزت عبيد الدعاس، ص: ٤٣ (دار الترمذي)
[8]
هذه قاعدة فقهية: ”المشقة تجلب التيسير“
القواعد الفقهية مع الشرح الموجز لعزت عبيد الدعاس، ص: ٤٠ (دار الترمذي)