The Ruling on Mixing in Education

All praise and thanks be to Allah and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah; as for what follows:

I have read the article published by the newspaper As-Siyasah, issued on the 24th Rajab 1404 AH., edition no. 5644 and ascribed to the Principal of the University of San'a', 'Abdul- 'Aziz Al-Maqalih, in which he claimed that the request to have the female students separated from the male students is contrary to the Islamic Law. He cited as evidence for the permissibility of mixing the fact that the Muslims in the time of the Prophet used to offer the prayers in one mosque-the man with the woman; and he said: "Therefore, education must be carried out in one place."

I was amazed that such words should come from the Principal of an Islamic University in an Islamic country, when it was requested from him that he should direct his people men and women towards that in which happiness and salvation is found in the life of this world and in the Hereafter. For verily, we are for Allah and verily, to Him shall we return, and there is no power nor strength except in Allah.

There is no doubt that these words are a great outrage against the Islamic Law, because the Islamic Law does not call for mixing (of men and women) so that (as he claims) the request to prevent it is in contradiction to it. In fact, it forbids it with a strict forbiddance, as Allah says:
"And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance".
and He, Most High says:
"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

and He, Most Glorified says:
"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, headcover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their hushand's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess".

up to His Words:
"...And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful."

and He, Most High says:
"And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen: that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts."

In these Noble Verses, there is a clear indication that the Islamic Law requires women to stay in their houses, in order to beware. of temptation and trial (Fitnah), unless there is some need which calls for her to go out. Then Allah, Most Glorified warned them (i.e., women) against displaying themselves as they used to display themselves during Jahiliyyah, which was that they would reveal their beauty and their charms among men; and it has been authentically reported on the authority of Usamah bin Zaid, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Prophet said:
"I have left behind me no greater trial and temptation (Fitnah) to men than women.

Muslim also narrated it in his Sahih, on the authority of Usamah and also from Sa'id bin Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail- may Allah be pleased with all of them.

It is reported in Sahih Muslim, on the authority of Abu Sa'id Al- Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet that he said:
"Verily the life of this world is (like the) beauty of plants, and Allah places you in it, generation after generation, observing what you do, so beware of the life of this world, and beware of women, because, the first temptation and trial (Fitnah) of the Children of Israel was by women."

The Messenger of Allah spoke the truth, because the temptation that occurs because of them is great, especially in these times, when most of them have removed the Hijab and display themselves as women used to do during Jahiliyyah, and because of this, there has been an increase in corruption and evil deeds. It also has caused young men and women to have an aversion to marriage which Allah has legislated for them in many countries.

Allah, Most Glorified has made it clear that the Hijab is purer for everyone's heart, which proves that its removal is nearer to uncleanness of their hearts and a perversion from the Path of Truth.

It is well known that female students sitting with male students. in classrooms is one of the greatest causes of temptation, and one of the causes of abandoning the Hijah which Allah has legislated for the believing women. He has forbidden them from revealing their beauty to men other than those whom Allah, Most Glorified has mentioned in the aforementioned Verse in Surah An-Nur. And whoever claimed that the command to wear the Hijab is only for the Mothers of the Believers,has erred far from the truth and contradicted the many evidences which show that it is general, and he has contradicted the Words of Allah, Most High:
"...that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts."

So, it is not permissible to say: The Hijah is purer for the hearts of the Mothers of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with them, and the men among the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and not those who came after them. For there is no doubt that those who came after them are more in need of the Hijab than the Mothers of the Believers and the men among the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, since there is a great difference between them regarding the strength of their faith and their understanding of the truth, because the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them the men and women (and among them are the Mothers of the Believers). are the best of mankind after the Prophets, peace be upon them, and the best of generations, according to the words of the Prophet reported in the Two Sahihs.

So if the Hijab is purer for their hearts, then those after them are more in need of this purification and more deprived of it than those before them. Also, it is not permissible to claim that the texts of the Qur'an and Sunnah refer to a particular person from the (Muslim) community without some authentic evidence which proves the particularization. This is because it is general, for all of the community in the time of the Prophet and after him until the Day of Resurrection. Allah, Most Glorified, sent His Messenger to the Jinn and mankind in his time and after them until the Day of Resurrection. He the Almighty, the All- Powerful says:
"Say: O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah...

and He, Most Glorified says:
"And We have not sent you except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most of men know not.

And likewise, the Noble Qur'an was not revealed (only) for the people of the time of the Prophet, but for them and those who came after them whom Allah's Book reaches. He, Most High says:
"This is a Message for mankind, in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is the only One Ilah (God- Allah) and that men of understanding may take heed.

and He, the Almighty, the All-Powerful says:
"This Qur'an has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach,"

The women at the time of the Prophet did not indulge in mixing with the men. neither in the mosque, nor in the markets the kind of mixing which is prohibited by the reformers today and which the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the scholars of the Muslim nation warn against, in order to beware of the Fitnah of it.

In fact, the women in the mosque of the Prophet used to pray behind the men in the rows farthest from the men, and he used to say:
"The best rows for the women are those in the rear and the worst of them those in the front, while the best rows for men are those in the front and the worst are those in the rear."

-in order to warn them against the trial and temptation of the last rows of the men by being in the first rows of the women.

The men at the time of the Prophet were ordered to delay their departure from the mosque in order to allow the women to leave without their mixing with the men at the doors of the mosque, in spite of the (strong) faith and piety of all of them men and women so what of the situation of those who came after them? And the women were forbidden to claim the path, but were ordered to stay close to the sides of the path, in order to avoid contact with the men and the temptation of them touching each other when walking on the path; and Allah, Most Glorified commanded the believing women to draw their cloaks all over their bodies in order to cover their adornments and beauty with them, so as to avoid the trial and temptation of (revealing) them. He, Most Glorified, forbade them from revealing their adornments and beauty to other than those specified by Allah, Most Glorified in His Grand Book (i.e., the Qur'an), in order to prevent the causes of trial and temptation (Fitnah), to encourage the causes of purity, and to avoid the appearance of corruption and mixing (of the sexes).

So how can it be accepted for the Principal of the University of San'a' may Allah guide his reasoning after having said all this to call for mixing and to claim that Islam calls for it and that the precincts of the university are like the mosque and that the times of study are like the times of prayer, when it is well known that the difference is great and the distance between them is great, to anyone who understands what Allah has commanded. and what He has forbidden, and knows the Wisdom of Him. Most. Glorified in legislating for His creatures and the rulings. and judgements which He has expounded in His Grand Book for men and women.

And how can it be permissible for anyone to say that a female student sitting in the place of a male student in the classroom is the same as her sitting with her sisters behind the men. No one with even the slightest grasp of faith and understanding, who knows what he is saying would claim this. This is if we accept the presence of the legally-mandated Hijab so how would it be if they were sitting with the male students in the classroom, while unveiled and displaying their charms, with alluring or suggestive looks and the kind of speech which leads to trial and temptation being exchanged? Allah is the One from whom we ask, and there is no power nor strength except in Allah; Allah, Most High says:
"Verily it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind."

As for his saying: "And the fact is that the Muslims, since the time of the Prophet have offered the prayer in one mosque. Therefore, education must be carried out in one place."

The answer to this is to say that this is correct, except that the women were at the back of the mosque, wearing the Hijah, taking care and protecting themselves against the causes of trial. and temptation (Fitnah), while the men were at the front of the mosque; so they could hear the admonitions and sermons and take part in the prayer and learn the rulings of their religion from what they heard and saw.

On the day of Eid, the Prophet used to go to them after admonishing the men and remind them, due to their being far away, and therefore experiencing difficulty in hearing his sermon. And there is no problem in any of this, nor any sin. The problem is in the saying of the Principal of San'a University may Allah guide him and reform his heart and grant him success in his religion: "Therefore, education must be carried out in one place." How can it be permissible for him to compare education in our time to women's prayer behind men in one mosque, when there is a vast difference between the current, well known state of education and the state of the women's prayer behind men at the time of the Prophet. This is why the reformers call for women to be separated from men in educational areas and to be alone and the men to be alone, so that they may receive knowledge from the female teachers with complete ease, without wearing Hijab or a cloak. Because studying time is long in comparison to prayer time and because the acquisition of knowledge from female teachers in a private place is safer for all and farther for them (i.e., the women) from the causes of trial and temptation. It also makes the men safer from being tempted by them, because the seclusion of young men from young women in educational areas as well as being safer for them from temptation is more likely to result in them attaining the aim of their studies and being able to concentrate on them and pay good attention to their professors and acquire knowledge from them. This is far from the distraction of looking at young women and thinking about them and the exchange of poisonous glances and words which incite immorality.

As for his claim may Allah reform him that the call for segregating the female students from the male students is narrow-minded, and in contradiction with the Islamic Law: This is an unacceptable claim. In fact, that is the essence of advice for Allah's sake and for His creatures, for prudence in His religion, acting upon the aforementioned Qur'anic Verses and the two noble Hadiths.

So my advice to the Principal of San'a' University is to fear. Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful and to turn in repentance to Him, for what he has said, and to return to rightness and truth. Because returning to that is the essence of virtue and the evidence for the pursuit of the student of knowledge for truth. and justice.

We ask Allah, Most Glorified to guide us all to the path of integrity and honor and that He protect us, and all of the Muslims, from speaking about Him without knowledge, and from the possibilities of Al-Fitan (temptations and trials) and the whisperings of Satan. As we ask Him, Most Glorified, to grant success to the Muslims' scholars and their leaders in every place in which there is goodness for the countries and for the worshippers in the life of this world and in the Hereafter-and that He guide us all to His Straight Path. Verily, He is Most Generous, Most Noble. And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad and upon his family and Companions and those who followed them faithfully until the Day of Judgement.

Source:
Shaikh Abdul-'Aziz bin Baz
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 5 Pages from 146 to 155