A Woman’s Work in Medicine and Nursing and Its Relation to Hijab
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh:
All right, I am.
The questioner:
Your Eminence the Shaykh, may Allah greet you. You linked the issue of employing women outside their homes to the issue of hijab that you spoke about. Given that women are half of society, what is the course of action to serve this second half in medicine and nursing? Is it obligatory to employ women in jobs, or is it forbidden, or should a specific field be designated for them?
The Shaykh:
This is not linked to that. Women have their work, and men have their work. It is not permissible for a woman to work while her face is uncovered with her female sisters in women’s nursing, women’s medicine, or studying with women, where she is seen by them without the need for hijab. However, if she uncovers herself and works with men as a secretary or typist or the like, that is wrong and not permissible. This is not her work; this is the work of men. The intellect of men is for men, and the intellect of women is for women. Yes.
All right, I am.
The questioner:
Your Eminence the Shaykh, may Allah greet you. You linked the issue of employing women outside their homes to the issue of hijab that you spoke about. Given that women are half of society, what is the course of action to serve this second half in medicine and nursing? Is it obligatory to employ women in jobs, or is it forbidden, or should a specific field be designated for them?
The Shaykh:
This is not linked to that. Women have their work, and men have their work. It is not permissible for a woman to work while her face is uncovered with her female sisters in women’s nursing, women’s medicine, or studying with women, where she is seen by them without the need for hijab. However, if she uncovers herself and works with men as a secretary or typist or the like, that is wrong and not permissible. This is not her work; this is the work of men. The intellect of men is for men, and the intellect of women is for women. Yes.
Source
ندوات الجامع الكبير مع الأسئلة - 58 — archive.org (29:40)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.