Q) Can women sit for I'tikaf in a mosque in the last ten days of Ramadan?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible for a woman to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadaan.
Indeed, i'tikaaf is Sunnah for both men and women, and the Mothers of the Believers (may Allaah be pleased with them [i.e., the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] used to observe i’tikaaf with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during his lifetime, and after he passed away.
Al-Bukhaari (2026) and Muslim (1172) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to spend the last ten nights of Ramadaan in i'tikaaf until he passed away, then his wives observed i'tikaaf after he died.
It says in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood:
This indicates that women are the same as men when it comes to i'tikaaf.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
I’tikaaf is Sunnah for both men and women, because it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i'tikaaf during Ramadaan, and finally he settled on i'tikaaf during the last ten days, and some of his wives used to observe i'tikaaf with him, then they observed i’tikaaf after he died. The place for i’tikaaf is the mosque in which prayers in congregation are performed.
From the internet website of Shaykh Ibn Baaz.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
‘Umrah is mustahabb at any time in Ramadaan
Q) Is ‘Umrah mustahabb during the last ten days of Ramadaan?.
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged us to perform ‘Umrah in the month of Ramadaan. Al-Bukhaari (1782) and Muslim (1256) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ ‘Umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj.”
This includes all of Ramadaan, not just the last ten days.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged us to perform ‘Umrah in the month of Ramadaan. Al-Bukhaari (1782) and Muslim (1256) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ ‘Umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj.”
This includes all of Ramadaan, not just the last ten days.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
It is permissible to cook whilst fasting
Q) Is it permisable to cook while fasting?
A) It is permissible to cook whilst fasting.
“It is OK for a person to taste the food during the day whilst fasting, if necessary, and his fast is still valid so long as he does not deliberately swallow anything of it.”.
See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, vol. 10, p. 332
A) It is permissible to cook whilst fasting.
“It is OK for a person to taste the food during the day whilst fasting, if necessary, and his fast is still valid so long as he does not deliberately swallow anything of it.”.
See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, vol. 10, p. 332
He fasts and lies
Q) There is a man who is accustomed to telling lies ever since he was a child. He is trying to overcome this bad habit but he forgets and tells lies, then he asks Allaah’s forgiveness again. Does that have any effect on his fasting?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (1903, 6057) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink.”
The phrase “false speech” includes lying, backbiting, spreading slander and bearing false witness, and every kind of speech that is haraam.
Acting upon it means doing evil and immoral actions. See Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi.
Ignorance means committing all kinds of sins. This was the view of al-Sindi in Haashiyat Ibn Maajah.
Al-Haafiz said:
With regard to the phrase “Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink”, Ibn Battaal said: This does not mean that he is to be told to stop fasting, rather it is a warning against false speech and the other things mentioned along with it… this is an indication that (his fast) is not accepted… what is meant is that a fast that is contaminated with falsehood is rejected and that a fast that is free of that is aceepted.
Ibn al-‘Arabi said: This hadeeth implies that whoever does the things mentioned here will not be rewarded for his fast. What is meant is that the reward for fasting cannot outweigh the sin of false speech and the other things mentioned here.
What is meant is that all sins have an effect on the fast and thus reduce the reward for fasting. The reward may be cancelled out altogether if there are too many sins.
So you have to continue to strive against yourself until you give up this evil habit. Every time you sin you have to repent and seek forgiveness, for the one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin at all.
May Allaah help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (1903, 6057) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink.”
The phrase “false speech” includes lying, backbiting, spreading slander and bearing false witness, and every kind of speech that is haraam.
Acting upon it means doing evil and immoral actions. See Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi.
Ignorance means committing all kinds of sins. This was the view of al-Sindi in Haashiyat Ibn Maajah.
Al-Haafiz said:
With regard to the phrase “Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink”, Ibn Battaal said: This does not mean that he is to be told to stop fasting, rather it is a warning against false speech and the other things mentioned along with it… this is an indication that (his fast) is not accepted… what is meant is that a fast that is contaminated with falsehood is rejected and that a fast that is free of that is aceepted.
Ibn al-‘Arabi said: This hadeeth implies that whoever does the things mentioned here will not be rewarded for his fast. What is meant is that the reward for fasting cannot outweigh the sin of false speech and the other things mentioned here.
What is meant is that all sins have an effect on the fast and thus reduce the reward for fasting. The reward may be cancelled out altogether if there are too many sins.
So you have to continue to strive against yourself until you give up this evil habit. Every time you sin you have to repent and seek forgiveness, for the one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin at all.
May Allaah help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.
Islam Q&A
Passing in front of someone who is praying
Q) One time, by mistake, I told some women in a prayer room, who wanted to pray but were wating for some women to pray so they could pass in front of them, I told them that it was okay since it was a prayer room, and we do pass in fornt of others in the masjids. But I have recently learnt that you can only pass in front of others when the congregation takes place, and otherwise you cannot and the person praying must stop the person from passing or else the person passing is a devil. I told a lot of women there this, and I am sincerly sorry for speaking without knowledge and have asked Allaah (swt) to forgive me, but I feel guilty for spreading wrong information which they might take to be true, and might even pass on to others! What can I do, and would the sin of these people come on to me? Can you please also tell me what should one do in a masjid, where people usually pass by in front of you when you are just praying normally (not in congregation)? Does this apply to the masjids at Makkah and Medinah (haram shariff) also?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
You should note – may Allaah forgive you – that you have committed a great sin, which is speaking about Allaah without knowledge. This is a sin which Allaah mentioned in conjunction with shirk. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad): (But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawaahish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge” [al-A’raaf 7:33]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever introduces a good way in Islam which is followed after he dies will have a reward like that of those who did it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. Whoever introduces a bad way in Islam which is followed after he dies will have a burden of sin like that of those who did it, without that detracting from their burden in the slightest.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1017, from Jareer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah).
So you have to repent to Allaah and seek His forgiveness for this sin. I ask Allaah to bless you with sincere repentance.
You should also strive to put right your mistake by telling those who heard what you said before without knowledge.
With regard to the question that you mention, if someone wants to pass in front of a person who is praying, one of the following scenarios must apply:
1 – If he passes in front of the one who is praying, i.e., in the area between the spot where he puts his forehead when he prostrates and where he stands, this is haraam, and indeed it is a major sin as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the one who passes in front of a person who is praying knew what (a burden of sin) he bears, it would be better for him to stand for forty rather than pass in front of him.” Abu’l-Nadar – one of the narrators – said: I do not know whether he said forty days or months or years. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 510; Muslim, 507 – from Abu Juhaym (may Allaah be pleased with him).
In this case it makes no different whether the person has a sutrah (object to serve as a screen) or not.
2 – If he passes in the area that is beyond the place where he prostrates. Two scenarios may apply in this case:
(i) If the one who is praying has set up a sutrah (object to serve as a screen). In this case it is permissible to pass beyond the sutrah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If any one of you prays, let him face towards something. If he cannot find anything, then let him set up a stick. If he cannot do that, then let him draw a line, then it will not matter if anyone passes in front of him.”
Narrated by Ahmad, 3/15; Ibn Maajah, 3063; Ibn Hibbaan, 2361. Ibn Hajar said in al-Buloogh, 249: The one who said that it is mudtarab (a kind of weak hadeeth) is not right; rather it is hasan.
And it was narrated that Talhah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If one of you puts something in front of him that is like the back of a saddle, then let him pray and not worry about anyone who passes beyond that.” Narrated by Muslim, 499.
(ii) If the one who is praying has not set up a sutrah, he has no more than the space in which he prostrates. This is the most correct scholarly opinion. It is permissible for the one who wants to pass in front of him to pass in the space beyond where he prostrates. That is because the prohibition mentioned in the hadeeth applies to passing in front of the one who is praying, and what is beyond the place where he prostrates is not counted as being in front of the one who is praying.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after mentioning the differences of scholarly opinion concerning the distance within which the worshipper should stop anyone from passing in front of him:
The most correct opinion is that it is the distance between his feet and the place where he prostrates. That is because the one who is praying has no right to anything more than what he needs for his prayer. So he does not have the right to prevent the people from (using space) that he does not need.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/340.
All of this has to do with one who is praying alone or is leading others in prayer. If he is a member of a congregation, then the sutrah of the imam is the sutrah for those who are behind him.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Baab sutrat al-imam sutrah li man khalfahu (the sutrah of the imam is the sutrah of those who are behind him).
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: Once I came riding a female donkey and had (just) attained the age of puberty. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) praying at Mina, and there was no wall in front of him. I passed in front of part of the row while they were praying. Then I let the donkey loose to graze and joined the row, and nobody objected to it. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 76; Muslim, 504)
See al-Mughni, 2/42, 2/46
The correct scholarly view is that Makkah and other places are the same because of the general meaning of the evidence. There is nothing to suggest that Makkah is not included in this general meaning. This is the view favoured by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen. See al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/342.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
You should note – may Allaah forgive you – that you have committed a great sin, which is speaking about Allaah without knowledge. This is a sin which Allaah mentioned in conjunction with shirk. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say (O Muhammad): (But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawaahish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge” [al-A’raaf 7:33]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever introduces a good way in Islam which is followed after he dies will have a reward like that of those who did it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. Whoever introduces a bad way in Islam which is followed after he dies will have a burden of sin like that of those who did it, without that detracting from their burden in the slightest.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1017, from Jareer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah).
So you have to repent to Allaah and seek His forgiveness for this sin. I ask Allaah to bless you with sincere repentance.
You should also strive to put right your mistake by telling those who heard what you said before without knowledge.
With regard to the question that you mention, if someone wants to pass in front of a person who is praying, one of the following scenarios must apply:
1 – If he passes in front of the one who is praying, i.e., in the area between the spot where he puts his forehead when he prostrates and where he stands, this is haraam, and indeed it is a major sin as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the one who passes in front of a person who is praying knew what (a burden of sin) he bears, it would be better for him to stand for forty rather than pass in front of him.” Abu’l-Nadar – one of the narrators – said: I do not know whether he said forty days or months or years. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 510; Muslim, 507 – from Abu Juhaym (may Allaah be pleased with him).
In this case it makes no different whether the person has a sutrah (object to serve as a screen) or not.
2 – If he passes in the area that is beyond the place where he prostrates. Two scenarios may apply in this case:
(i) If the one who is praying has set up a sutrah (object to serve as a screen). In this case it is permissible to pass beyond the sutrah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If any one of you prays, let him face towards something. If he cannot find anything, then let him set up a stick. If he cannot do that, then let him draw a line, then it will not matter if anyone passes in front of him.”
Narrated by Ahmad, 3/15; Ibn Maajah, 3063; Ibn Hibbaan, 2361. Ibn Hajar said in al-Buloogh, 249: The one who said that it is mudtarab (a kind of weak hadeeth) is not right; rather it is hasan.
And it was narrated that Talhah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If one of you puts something in front of him that is like the back of a saddle, then let him pray and not worry about anyone who passes beyond that.” Narrated by Muslim, 499.
(ii) If the one who is praying has not set up a sutrah, he has no more than the space in which he prostrates. This is the most correct scholarly opinion. It is permissible for the one who wants to pass in front of him to pass in the space beyond where he prostrates. That is because the prohibition mentioned in the hadeeth applies to passing in front of the one who is praying, and what is beyond the place where he prostrates is not counted as being in front of the one who is praying.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after mentioning the differences of scholarly opinion concerning the distance within which the worshipper should stop anyone from passing in front of him:
The most correct opinion is that it is the distance between his feet and the place where he prostrates. That is because the one who is praying has no right to anything more than what he needs for his prayer. So he does not have the right to prevent the people from (using space) that he does not need.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/340.
All of this has to do with one who is praying alone or is leading others in prayer. If he is a member of a congregation, then the sutrah of the imam is the sutrah for those who are behind him.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Baab sutrat al-imam sutrah li man khalfahu (the sutrah of the imam is the sutrah of those who are behind him).
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: Once I came riding a female donkey and had (just) attained the age of puberty. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) praying at Mina, and there was no wall in front of him. I passed in front of part of the row while they were praying. Then I let the donkey loose to graze and joined the row, and nobody objected to it. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 76; Muslim, 504)
See al-Mughni, 2/42, 2/46
The correct scholarly view is that Makkah and other places are the same because of the general meaning of the evidence. There is nothing to suggest that Makkah is not included in this general meaning. This is the view favoured by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen. See al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/342.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
He is threatening to divorce her if she does not work
Q) I'm a young woman, converted to Islam - alhamdulillah. I'm married to a Muslim from Guinea. We doen't have children yet. I worked in a factory here in Europa. But they stoped the production and I losed the job. I'm happy about it, because I like to stay at home, I doen't want to work and the job was mixed. The problem is that my husband earns not a lot of money. His income is hardly enough for us, as life is very expensive here. And he has brothers in his county how are poor and need his help (his parents do not live anymore) . So he wants me to work. I was looking for a job that is not mixed. But I didn't finde one. I called a shaikh in Germany, which talked to my husband and explained him that it is my right to stay at home. My husband doesn't deny that but he sais that I must work as he doesn't earn a lot of money. Now he said to me: "f you don't work in one month I leave you (means: divorce)." My questions are: 1. Can I go to an interwiev where I have to talk to a woman and to her husband (for a job as babysitter) ? 2. Do I must work if I find a halal job ? 3. What do you advise me to do now ?
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The husband is obliged to spend on his family, pay the rent, cover food expenses and so on, and the wife is not obliged to provide any of that, even if she is working or is wealthy.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Let the rich man spend according to his means”
[al-Talaaq 65:7].
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Their rights over you are that you should provide for them and clothe them in a reasonable manner.” Narrated by Muslim (1218). And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Hind the wife of Abu Sufyaan: “Take [i.e., from his wealth] what is sufficient for you and your child on a reasonable basis.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5364).
Secondly:
The basic principle is that women should stay at home and not go out except for necessary purposes. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance”
[al-Ahzaab 33:33].
Although this is addressed to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the believing women are to follow them in that. It is addressed to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as an honour to them due to their standing with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and because they are an example for the believing women.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Woman is ‘awrah and when she goes out, the Shaytaan gets his hopes up. She is never closer to Allaah than when she is in the innermost part of her house,” Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan and Ibn Khuzaymah; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2688.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said regarding women’s prayer in the mosque: “Their houses are better for them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (567) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Thirdly:
It is haraam for a woman to work in a place where she mixes with men, because of the evils and problems that result from that mixing for both men and women. She may work outside the home in a permissible job in which there is no mixing with men, subject to the following conditions:
- That she needs to work
- That the work is suited to women’s nature and suited to their femininity and physical constitution, such as working in medicine, nursing, teaching, sewing and so on.
- That the work is in a place that is only for women, and there is no mixing with non-mahram men
- That the woman adhere to proper shar’i hijab at work
- That her work should not lead to her travelling without a mahram
- That her going out to work does not involve her committing any haraam action, such as being alone with the driver, or wearing perfume where non-mahram men may smell it.
- That it does not lead to her neglecting a more important duty such as taking care of her house and looking after her husband and children.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The field of work for women is that a woman should work in areas that women specialize in, such as teaching girls, whether it is an administrative or teaching position, or she may work in her home, sewing clothes for women and the like. As for working in fields in which men specialize, it is not permissible for her to work where she will be required to mix with men, as this is a great fitnah which must be avoided. It must be noted that it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I am not leaving behind after me any fitnah that is more harmful to men than women; the fitnah of the Children of Israel had to do with women.” A man must make his family avoid all areas and causes of fitnah in all circumstances. End quote from Fataawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah (2/981).
Fourthly:
There is nothing wrong with you working as a babysitter. If it is in your house there is no problem; if it is in the house of the family you are working for, it is essential that you avoid being alone with the father of the child and any other non-mahram men, and beware of other things that are haraam, such as looking, shaking hands, speaking to men unnecessarily.
You are not obliged to work even though it is permissible, so long as your husband did not stipulate that in the marriage contract. If you are afraid that your husband will divorce you, then you have the choice between working and getting divorced, and in this case it is better for you to look for permissible work, and you will find it in sha Allaah, for the bitterness of having to work may be less than the bitterness of divorce.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).
3. And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things”
[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]
We ask Allaah to set your affairs straight and to bring you together in obedience to Him.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
A) Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The husband is obliged to spend on his family, pay the rent, cover food expenses and so on, and the wife is not obliged to provide any of that, even if she is working or is wealthy.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Let the rich man spend according to his means”
[al-Talaaq 65:7].
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Their rights over you are that you should provide for them and clothe them in a reasonable manner.” Narrated by Muslim (1218). And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Hind the wife of Abu Sufyaan: “Take [i.e., from his wealth] what is sufficient for you and your child on a reasonable basis.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5364).
Secondly:
The basic principle is that women should stay at home and not go out except for necessary purposes. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance”
[al-Ahzaab 33:33].
Although this is addressed to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the believing women are to follow them in that. It is addressed to the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as an honour to them due to their standing with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and because they are an example for the believing women.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Woman is ‘awrah and when she goes out, the Shaytaan gets his hopes up. She is never closer to Allaah than when she is in the innermost part of her house,” Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan and Ibn Khuzaymah; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2688.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said regarding women’s prayer in the mosque: “Their houses are better for them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (567) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Thirdly:
It is haraam for a woman to work in a place where she mixes with men, because of the evils and problems that result from that mixing for both men and women. She may work outside the home in a permissible job in which there is no mixing with men, subject to the following conditions:
- That she needs to work
- That the work is suited to women’s nature and suited to their femininity and physical constitution, such as working in medicine, nursing, teaching, sewing and so on.
- That the work is in a place that is only for women, and there is no mixing with non-mahram men
- That the woman adhere to proper shar’i hijab at work
- That her work should not lead to her travelling without a mahram
- That her going out to work does not involve her committing any haraam action, such as being alone with the driver, or wearing perfume where non-mahram men may smell it.
- That it does not lead to her neglecting a more important duty such as taking care of her house and looking after her husband and children.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The field of work for women is that a woman should work in areas that women specialize in, such as teaching girls, whether it is an administrative or teaching position, or she may work in her home, sewing clothes for women and the like. As for working in fields in which men specialize, it is not permissible for her to work where she will be required to mix with men, as this is a great fitnah which must be avoided. It must be noted that it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I am not leaving behind after me any fitnah that is more harmful to men than women; the fitnah of the Children of Israel had to do with women.” A man must make his family avoid all areas and causes of fitnah in all circumstances. End quote from Fataawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah (2/981).
Fourthly:
There is nothing wrong with you working as a babysitter. If it is in your house there is no problem; if it is in the house of the family you are working for, it is essential that you avoid being alone with the father of the child and any other non-mahram men, and beware of other things that are haraam, such as looking, shaking hands, speaking to men unnecessarily.
You are not obliged to work even though it is permissible, so long as your husband did not stipulate that in the marriage contract. If you are afraid that your husband will divorce you, then you have the choice between working and getting divorced, and in this case it is better for you to look for permissible work, and you will find it in sha Allaah, for the bitterness of having to work may be less than the bitterness of divorce.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).
3. And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things”
[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]
We ask Allaah to set your affairs straight and to bring you together in obedience to Him.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
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