What is the ruling on the presence of male and female servants, including disbelievers, in the homes of Muslims, given the occurrence of seclusion?

The questioner : Please issue a ruling for us—may Allah reward you with good—regarding the calamity we have been afflicted with, which is the presence of male and female servants, including disbelievers, in our homes, where seclusion occurs under the pretext of dire necessity?

The Shaykh : This is one of the calamities that some countries have been afflicted with, and especially countries like yours, which you have been afflicted with an abundance of wealth. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is obligatory for those whom Allah has blessed to respond to this blessing of Allah with gratitude. Gratitude is obeying Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in what He has commanded and refraining from what He has forbidden and warned against. First: It is not permissible for a Muslim man to bring a disbelieving woman into his home. It is not just a Muslim man, let alone a disbeliever, but it is not permissible for a Muslim to bring a disbelieving female servant into his home. This is because this disbelieving woman will see the 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) of the Muslim woman. You must know that the 'awrah of the Muslim woman in relation to a disbelieving woman is in the same position as that of a man; therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to expose anything before a disbelieving woman, even if she is a servant, except the palm of the face and the hands. Who is able to impose this obligation on the lady of the house, the mistress being served? I believe this is very difficult, if not practically impossible. Therefore, it is not permissible to employ a disbelieving woman. And if you know that, you know that employing a man is not permissible. Employing a disbelieving man is not permissible a fortiori; because it is on the same scale as the statement of our Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) in His instruction regarding children: If Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) has instructed the child and forbidden him to address his father or mother with the word "uff," then a fortiori He forbids him from striking him, or striking her with the palm of the hand. This is called by the scholars the a fortiori analogy (qiyas awla), and it is agreed upon by the scholars. If it is not permissible to employ a disbelieving woman because she will see some of the 'awrah of the Muslim woman, then a fortiori it is not permissible to employ a disbelieving man. Similarly, employing a Muslim man is not permissible; because we also know, through experience, that the lady is lenient and tolerant with the servant who is a Muslim man. As they say in our Syrian lands and others: "There is no stranger here, this is our servant, and he is one of us and within our circle." Then this servant might be the driver of the car, so he drives the car and is alone with her in it, and perhaps Satan will stir things up between them, and then the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) that occurs in some countries will happen. Therefore, all of this is not permissible in Islam. If the husband and wife must employ a woman, she must be Muslim; because the fitnah with her is less than the fitnah with a disbelieving woman.