The Benefit of Scientific Seminars and Women Attending Them

Question:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. And after that, I ask the honorable scholars (may Allah preserve them all) to clarify to the people the benefit of these conferences and why women are not invited to them, given the great benefit in that and the care for Muslim women. A rear section in the eastern mosque is designated for them. I ask that this be pointed out in this conference, because many people do not know that women attend. So point that out.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions. As for what follows, these conferences contain much good and numerous benefits.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon anyone who hears about such a seminar to hasten to attend and benefit from it, even if it is in another country or another village, for knowledge is worthy of being traveled to, just as the righteous predecessors used to travel from land to land to transmit knowledge and narrate reports, even for a single hadith. Especially in this age when scientific circles have become few, it is incumbent upon anyone who hears of a scientific seminar in any place to strive to attend it and benefit from it in any country. Likewise, women should benefit from this, but on the condition that they go out veiled and covered, far removed from the causes of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: In one narration it was added: Also, care must be taken to avoid attention-grabbing clothing, tabarruj (a woman's display of her adornment), or anything similar that harms society. If they go out veiled and covered with a good intention to hear the benefit and attend the circles of knowledge, this is a good thing. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered women to go out for the Eid sermon so that they could benefit from the sermons on the days of Eid, because of the great good in them, and because the sermons are repeated throughout the year and the need for them is pressing. Therefore, he ordered them to go out to attend, even the young unmarried women. This is with regard to the aforementioned points about hijab, modesty, and staying away from the causes of fitnah. We will work, if Allah wills, to cause this by installing loudspeakers in the eastern minarets, so that the benefit is complete for everyone, if Allah wills. We will also work, if Allah wills, to have the minaret speakers connected to this so that those who pass by and those who are somewhat far away can hear these seminars, attend, and benefit, because some people may pass by without knowing about these seminars. It is incumbent upon every brother to inform those behind him, as was mentioned in some seminars and some lectures that it is incumbent upon everyone who attends knowledge to convey what he benefits from, what knowledge he has that is connected and preserved with its evidence. Let him be certain so that he does not transmit except with certainty that he heard such and such, and preserved such and such, so that he benefits others. But he must be cautious not to transmit something in a way that is not its proper form, thereby harming the Muslims and harming the one from whom he transmitted, so that things are attributed to him that he did not say. Rather, the transmitter and the one who conveys should strive to transmit as he heard, without addition or subtraction, and he should be a preserver of what he heard so that he does not mix it with other things. The speakers, if Allah wills, will be present, if Allah wills, in the minarets and the eastern minarets so that those who attend from the women and those who pass by from the people around the mosque can benefit. We ask Allah for success and guidance for everyone. Yes.