The Prohibition of the Mixing of Women and Men at Weddings and Other Occasions

Question:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. We return in this episode to a message from a listener who says, "I am Min from one of the Arab countries. We presented some of his questions in a previous meeting, and in this meeting he asks your Eminence, Shaykh Salih: What is the ruling on the mixing of men and women at wedding occasions, where some people dance and the clothing is short? Please give us a ruling, and may Allah reward you. May Allah reward you with good."

Answer:
The mixing of men and women at weddings and elsewhere is forbidden and a clear evil because of the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) involved in it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that women be kept back and separated from men in prayer if they are praying with the Muslims in the mosques. He said (peace and blessings be upon him): The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with some men, and a woman prayed behind them alone, behind the row. If this is the case in the realm of worship and in the places of worship, which are the abode of worship and the place of fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), how much more so in places of play, places of negligence, and parties? The matter is more severe in this regard. Therefore, it is not permissible for men to mix with women, neither in parties, weddings, or elsewhere, nor in offices, nor in markets, nor in anything else. Rather, women must be completely separated from men in order to avoid the causes of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). As for what you mentioned about dancing, it is not permissible for men to dance, even if they are alone, on the occasion of a wedding; rather, this is specific to women. Women dance in a place where men do not see them, in a place specific to women, and they must also be covered. They do not wear short clothing that exposes their bodies or the parts of their bodies that are a source of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), even among women. So she must wear modest clothing and covering clothing, except for what is customary to expose among women, such as the feet, hands, face, and hair. This is the hair of the head; it is permissible to expose it among women and among mahram (a relative one may not marry) men. As for anything other than that, it must be covered at weddings and elsewhere. Yes.