موقع الشيخ عبد الحق التركماني - The ruling of a woman studying medicine in a mixed university where she has to wear pants and touch the opposite gender

The ruling of a woman studying medicine in a mixed university where she has to wear pants and touch the opposite gender

30 تموز 2024

السؤال :

Question

One of the sisters asked, "Is it permissible to study medicine in a mixed university without taking any interest-based loans if there is no desire from the woman to engage in free mixing, whilst it is also mandatory for her to wear pants and touching the opposite gender as part of her studies?”

الجواب :

Answer

All praise belongs to Allah Lord of the Ālamīn.

From the matters which are known in the Shariah, is the prohibition of free mixing between the two genders. This prohibition is put in place to stop any route to further evil and corruption. This prohibition is not a prohibition due to the essence of the act as is the case with interest and pork amongst other prohibitions, but rather this ruling came in order to block the route to evil. So, based on this, it is permissible for a person to take a concession (in regards to this ruling) in accordance with the needs without any overindulgence. The default position is that male and female Muslims strive to study in a university or school which isn’t mixed between the two genders and they avoid free mixing as much as they can. However, this may not be easy for the majority of people and Muslims as a whole. This is because universities, schools, and institutes which don’t have free mixing are very rare. So if this sister wishes to study medicine and she doesn’t find a suitable university or a university free from free mixing, then she will take the concession in this matter according to her needs whilst being conscious of Allah in this affair. She is responsible for her mannerisms, behavior, and needs in front of Allah. No one is able to know her circumstances or give her a fatwa if she can find a replacement or not, she knows if there is an opportunity to study in a university that doesn’t have free mixing.

As for the question regarding wearing pants, then we will say regarding this matter to not take any concessions regarding it. Rather, strive to wear on top of these pants a jilbaab, which is wide and covers you in a way that doesn’t describe the body features by being too tight. There is no problem with her wearing pants under her jilbaab or thobe. However, do not wear pants in a way that you will appear to the people in it or it describes to the people your body features or is tight on you. So, it is incumbent upon her to not take any concession regarding this, rather it is obligatory upon her to abide by the well-known shariah rulings regarding clothing.

As for the issue of touching the opposite gender during studies, what was said about the free mixing is also mentioned here, a concession is taken in accordance to the need. Also, I advise this woman to try and specialise in a sector that caters to women so that she may distance herself from free mixing and cater towards the Muslim woman and the Muslim women would, in turn, benefit from the availability of this Muslim female doctor and would then not go to the male doctors.

I ask Allah to grant success to everyone to please Him and Allah knows best.

And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the 'Ālamīn.

Transcript of Sheikh Abd al-Haqq Turkmāni's answer