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:

I like to know what a women should do when she is placed in a condition where she has to work.

1)working in an MNC where by she has to mingle with men,delay her prayers sometimes due to work . is it ok if she covers herself with the normal salwar kameez dress and then cover here head with a dupattah,as when one wears a hijab( the complete black dress) she draws more attention and at the same time finds its uncomfortable to move around in.is a decent loose fitting full selves salwar-kameez with a nice big duppatah enough as hijab?

2)sometimes she has to shake hands with men though she hates to is that ok initially until the colleges usdersatnd that she is not offending them by not shaking hands but only protecting her modestly. u may say that i may have to look for another work environment ,but the reality is such jobs pay u less or are the appropriate one for your qualifications.

please help as i am very confused.

sister in islam

jazakallah kairan 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Dilemna of a working woman

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: I like to know what a women should do when she is placed in a condition where she has to work.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 51 Surah Dhariyat verse 56:

I have not created the jinn and men except for this that they should worship Me alone.

Dear and Beloved Sister in Islam, at the outset we would like to remind you as we remind ourselves, that no matter where we are, or what we do; we must remember that the very mission and reason of our creation is that we are to fear and worship none but The One and Only Lord Who Created us and everything in existence; thus it is absolutely obligatory upon the believers that unless it is a matter of life and death, they are duty bound to obey and stay within the prescribed limits of their Lord.

Your Statement: working in an MNC where by she has to mingle with men,delay her prayers sometimes due to work . is it ok if she covers herself with the normal salwar kameez dress and then cover here head with a dupattah,as when one wears a hijab( the complete black dress) she draws more attention and at the same time finds its uncomfortable to move around in.is a decent loose fitting full selves salwar-kameez with a nice big duppatah enough as hijab?

There is absolutely no harm and no restriction in Islam if a believing woman desires or needs to work, provided she does not violate any of the commands of her Lord Creator.

Ref: she has to mingle with men

It at work or otherwise, a believing woman ‘has’ to interact with non-mehram men, or a believing man ‘has’ to interact with non-mehram women, they have to follow the following guidelines:

1. Lower their gaze and guard their modesty
2. Talk to non-mehrams only on an absolutely need-to-know basis and in a strictly professional and business-like manner.
3. The believing woman, under all circumstances, must and I reiterate must honor the conditions of ‘hijaab’.

Ref: delay her prayers sometimes due to work

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 103:

Indeed the Salaat is a prescribed duty that should be performed by the believers at appointed times.

Unless and until it is a life and death situation, there is absolutely no excuse for a believer to intentionally miss or delay their obligatory prayers in Shariah.

Ref: is it ok if she covers herself with the normal salwar kameez dress and then cover here head with a dupattah,as when one wears a hijab( the complete black dress) she draws more attention and at the same time finds its uncomfortable to move around in.is a decent loose fitting full selves salwar-kameez with a nice big duppatah enough as hijab?
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 59:

O Prophet, enjoin your wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons. It is expected that they will thus be recognized, and (thus) not molested. Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Contrary to popular belief, one amongst the paramount reasons and wisdoms behind the ‘hijaab’ is that the believing woman should be ‘recognized’ ….as a righteous, pious, God-fearing woman who is obedient to her Lord and her dress code is a ‘red’ signal to all the ‘slicks’ that she is unlike all the other women!

There is absolutely no condition in Islam that a believing woman has to wear a complete ‘black’ dress to honor the conditions of ‘hijaab’. If one adorns herself with a loose-fitting dress (like a shalwar-kameez) which completely covers her body and her curves, and wears an outer garment (like a long full dupattah) which completely covers her hair and her beauty; it is expected that she would not be in violation of the command of ‘hijaab’.

Your Question: sometimes she has to shake hands with men though she hates to is that ok initially until the colleges usdersatnd that she is not offending them by not shaking hands but only protecting her modestly.

Under normal cordial circumstances, it is absolutely impermissible in Islam for a believing woman (or a man) to touch or shake hands with non-mehram members of the opposite sex.

Beloved Sister, Allah is our witness, if you adorn yourself and honor the conditions of ‘hijaab’, at an instant you will immediately be recognized by your non-mehram colleagues that you are unlike any other women and they themselves will not put their hands forward for a hand-shake. If perchance one were to put their hands forth for a hand-shake, you don’t have to offend them but politely and with wisdom let them know that you do not shake hands with men. It is expected that not only will any other man who witnesses this conversation will try to ever shake your hand again, but the good amongst them will honor and respect you for guarding your modesty and the evil amongst them will beware and fear from ever harming your modesty.

Your Statement: u may say that i may have to look for another work environment

In these modern-free-educated-but-ignorant-ungodly times, we understand that it is near impossible for a believing woman who ‘has’ to work because of necessity would find an environment which abides by the Islamic principles of modesty. Thus it becomes even more important for such a woman to observe and honor the commands of modesty and ‘hijaab’; not only in her dress code, but also in her manner of etiquette, conversation, character and talk.

If one does so only because she is commanded by her Lord Creator to do so, it is expected that she will be in a constant and continuous state of obedience to her Lord and she will get her due rewards from her Lord for her continuous worship when she ultimately returns back to Him.

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