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 help/teacher in an islamic school. But there are other muslim brothers working too. I want to know If i could work in an islamic environment, or is it that women are not allowed at all to come in front of the men. And what if you  are wearing a niqab?

please clarify as I want to do the right thing So that I could please my Allah alone.

(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:

Women and work

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.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 27 Surah Noor verses 30-31:

30 Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and scrupulously guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.

31 And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and scrupulously guard their modesty.

In principle, as long as the believers, men or women, do not violate any of the tenets of Shariah, there is absolutely no harm in them seeking lawful work in any field which is deemed lawful in Shariah.

What is of paramount importance is that the believers, men and women, should fear Allah at all times, scrupulously guard their modesty, and abstain from working, facilitating, or indulging in any work which has been declared as ‘haraam’ or unlawful by Allah and His Messenger (saws). As long as none of the tenets of Shariah are violated, the believers, men and women alike, may seek work in any lawful field of their choice.

Your Question: ….or is it that women are not allowed at all to come in front of the men.

As long as all the conditions of the ‘hijaab’ are scrupulously honored, there is absolutely no harm if one has a genuine need and talks or interacts with a non-mehram member of the opposite sex in a strictly business-like manner. What is categorically prohibited and indeed a sin in the Sight of Allah Subhanah is that two non-mehram members of opposite sex meet in privacy, or talk vain or casual talk, or develop or maintain an illicit or lewd relationship.

Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 3118 Narrated byUmar ibn al-Khattab

The Prophet (saws) said, "Whenever a man is alone with a (non-mehram) woman, the Shaitaan is the third."

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

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