His saying (peace and blessings be upon him): “Let them [the women] be in the last rows, as Allah has placed them in the last rows.” Is this specific to acts of worship, or does it apply to everything where men and women are present?

The questioner:
His saying (peace and blessings be upon him), as you mentioned, “Let them be in the last rows, as Allah has placed them in the last rows.” Is this specific to acts of worship, or does it apply to every matter where men and women are present?

The Shaykh:
This is mentioned regarding prayer, and does it also include other things, or not?

The questioner:
For example, in elevators, in waiting areas, in waiting seats. The Sunnah is always that the rows of women are in the back. Is this ruling always applied generally?

The Shaykh:
Yes, the Sunnah is that women should be separated from men. If she rides in an elevator, she should be separated from a non-mahram man, meaning she should keep her distance from him. Also, she should not ride with him alone; there must be someone else in the elevator to remove the state of seclusion, and she should keep her distance from the men. So, be on one side of the elevator. Yes.