Conditions for Women to Work

31-7-2022 | IslamWeb

Question:

[Urgent]Assalamu alaikum. I am an engineer. My salary is in an amount thatI can just afford my family. I will not be reach by saving. However, my wifeis a dentist, she does not started her practice yet. she just passed a monthago. i permit her to see female patient by opening a chamber. But she wantsto be a BCS cadre. this is the highest prestigious govt job in our countryfor practicing in govt. hospital. That means, she is not only interested onmoney but also social dignity. But if she become a dentist of a govthospital, she will face to nurse male patient also in need. if she can avoidmale patient, she will need to talk with other male doctor as her colleague.she will need to talk some unnecessary talks also as natural human being.suppose, i can talk a joke to you and you can laugh. But if a male doctor saya joke can she laugh? can she say her colleague, hello Mr. X, how are you andyour family? and some social talk which is not directly related to herprofession but she must have to do this as a social being. Plz, note that shemaintain curtail (purdah). but she is very keen to do that job. I am notinterested due to those reason I mentioned above. but she forces me again andagain. that hampers my mental calmness. so i asked u this fatwa, if it is atleast jayez. i will permit her and save my mental peace.

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

There are some conditions for women to work which we have already highlighted in Fataawa 82399 and 83607.

Among these conditions is that there should not be forbidden mixing in the field of work.

Hence, if your wife’s work in the hospital entails this type of mixing, or that she treats men without necessity or need, then it is not permissible for her to work there.

She should avoid joining this work as a way of obedience to Allah who ordained us to obey Him.

Allah Says (what means): {And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy.} [Quran 3:132]

She should also avoid this work as a way of obedience to you as a husband, as she is commanded to obey you in what is permissible.

Abu Hurayrah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him narrated that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “If I were to order anyone to prostrate to someone else other than Allah, I would have ordered the wife to prostrate to her husband." [At-Tirmithi]

She should know that if she fears her Lord and avoids this work in order to please Him, then Allah will compensate her with a better job.

Allah Says (what means): {And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out.} [Quran 65:2]

It was also reported that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “You do not leave something for the Sake of Allah, except that Allah brings you something better than it." [Ahmad]

Finally, it should be noted that a woman speaking to a non-Mahram man is permissible for a need, but it should not exceed the need, and she should not speak to him in an attractive way and she should observe the Hijaab. As regards conversing with him in a very relaxed way and laughing with him, then this is a cause of temptation.

For more benefit that a woman is not permitted to leave her home without her husband’s permission, please refer to Fatwa 90507.

Allah knows best.

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