Lady working doctor.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Asalmaoalaikum
! I need a quick reply to this question! im a doctor. I work privately at a
clinic in the evenings. It’s a senior male doctors clinic and we have other
staff like female assistants and male assistants,assigned different tasks. My
preference is to work on female patients only,but smtimes due to work load I
have to work on male patients too. I cover up my self properly,cover my head
and wear a mask usually all the time during work,first I want to know whether
is it ok for female doctors to work on male pateints,when the male doctor is
not available?
My second question relates to my boss. He is a generous man and a good
doctor.and we only talk on professional matters. What I find disturbing ,is his
attitude towards other women, the kind of women who obviously are willing and
open to flirt with him,and he offcorse does the same! I get really upset by
this thing,as he is in his late forties,has a beautiful wife and 4 kids,and he
flirts with women and has physical relations with them too,im sorry and sad to
say. This ive found out only while ive worked with him,although he remains
distanced from me,and keeps his integrity towards me,pays me on time and is
kind and helping to me at times, so do u think that his personal life(of
getting physical with women &all)should affect my attitude towards him?
which I cant stand at times,I sometimes want to leave the job becoz of that!but
since its not easy to find a well paying job these days and I need to work
becoz I need money. But even then,if its not allowed in islam to work with such
a man,id be glad to leave it..im just confused! And offcorse im not frank
enough with him to interfere in his matters,and neither can I stop him,do guide
me wt shud I do?he’ll never dare make a pass on me,and he does everything
behind closed doors bt I do feel very uncomfortable smtimes.and ive heard he
does not have a good reputation either,but since hes a very learned man and
highly educated and skilled, I keep learning so much from him ..and if I leave
the job,what reason shud I tell him plz tell me that too!and since ive heard so
many stories,that such people are plenty,who knows my next boss is cheaper,but
I really want ur help in this!thanks!
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Answer:
Lady working doctor
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His
help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, the life of a human being
is so sanctified in Islam that when faced with an absolutely emergency
situation where it is a matter of life and death, and one violates the Commands
of Allah only to save one’s life, one will be absolutely blameless in the Sight
of Allah Subhanah.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verse 173:
173 He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of
swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of
Allah; but if one is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience nor
transgressing due limits, then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah
Nahl verse 106:
106 Anyone who after accepting faith in Allah utters unbelief except
under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in faith; but such as open
their breast to unbelief on them is Wrath from Allah and theirs will be a
dreadful penalty.
Thus if Allah Subhanah has blessed one amongst the
believers to be a doctor, there is absolutely no harm if that believing doctor
attends to a non-mehram member of the opposite sex in matters of medical
emergency.
But under normal situations and conditions, Islamic
culture, Islamic Etiquette, and the Guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws)
demand that the segregation of sexes be scrupulously honored and the believing
men doctors should fear Allah and attend to men patients, and the believing
female doctors should fear Allah and attend to female patients. That would be closest to piety and
righteousness in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.
In cases of emergencies where a doctor of the same sex is
unavailable, there is no harm if a believing doctor forced by necessity but
without willful disobedience, attends to a patient of the opposite sex.
Your
Question: My second question relates to my boss….. but I really want
Respected sister, Islam does not prohibit one from being
employed by an employer who is known to have or has loose morals…. provided the
believing employee themselves strive their absolute utmost to live within the
prescribed boundaries of their Lord Most High, the morality of the employer is
not the concern of the believing employee.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah
Noor verse 31:
31 And say to the
believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that
they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must
ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms
and not display their beauty except to their husbands,
their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their
brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or
the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical
needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they
should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden
ornaments. And O ye Believers! Turn ye
all together towards Allah that ye may attain Bliss.
Respected sister in Islam, you as a believing woman who
sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, should at absolutely all times be on
your guard, and strive your absolute utmost to guard your modesty and protect
your chastity, regardless of whether the non-mehram member of the opposite sex
you are required to associate with in your work is known to have good or evil
morals…..that would be akin to piety and righteousness on your part in the
Sight of your Lord.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan