We often see – O honorable Shaykh – a woman or a group of women with the driver, and when the discussion about that takes place, they say
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The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace.
The questioner : We often see – O honorable Shaykh – a woman or a group of women with the driver. And when the discussion about that takes place, they say: there are fatwas that permit a woman to ride with the driver inside the city. What is your opinion?
The Shaykh : Yes. He says: It is often found that women are with a driver who is not a mahram to them. So I say: If this is in the town, there is nothing wrong with it, because they are women with one man. And what is prohibited is seclusion. That is: one woman is secluded with the driver. This is not permissible, even in the town. And the different fatwas mentioned in this matter must be presented to the Book and the Sunnah, and the result of them must be looked at. Have you seen a man with a woman who is not a mahram to him in a car? The windows are closed and the car is moving. Is this called seclusion or not? It is called seclusion, without doubt, because he is not standing where people can see him; he is passing by, moving, people do not see him, they do not see what he is doing, and they do not hear what he is saying, especially after cars have been permitted to have tinted windows. Is it not possible for this non-mahram man to say to the woman: Come here to the front? And while driving, he talks to her and whispers, and perhaps he kisses her, and perhaps he squeezes her thigh. Is this possible or not possible? Hmm? This is possible. That means, even if it is assumed that this is not seclusion, as long as it leads to what is forbidden, the permissible, if it leads to what is forbidden, becomes what? It becomes haram. Have you seen buying and selling, is it halal or haram? Buying and selling is halal. And when the second adhan for Friday is called, it becomes haram. So it is obligatory upon the muftis, and they bear the responsibility. And how great is the slip of a scholar! It is obligatory upon them to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and to look at the result of what they issue as a fatwa, not merely to look at matters on a superficial level, but to look at what the result is. I say: Even if we said that it is not seclusion and that it is permissible, it must be said that it is haram, because of what follows from it, which is? The harms. And I say, and I bear witness to what I say, and the elders of our scholars whom Allah has taken, and the remaining ones – also – say this: That it is not permissible for a woman to be secluded with the driver alone, and that her seclusion with him is a legal seclusion. And this is what I advise you with, O brothers: Be deliberate in fatwas, do not listen to every fatwa until you know that it was issued by a knowledgeable scholar who is trustworthy regarding the worship of Allah and a jurist in the religion of Allah. And the scholar is not the one who is deep in preserving the sciences. The jurist scholar is the one who estimates matters and plans for the fatwa before he issues it. For this reason, Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Look at the speech, the readers are many, meaning: it means: much knowledge but it is not fiqh. And the rabbanian scholar is the one who raises the ummah upon the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). The important thing: The summary: That the seclusion of a woman with the driver in the town is haram, it is not permissible, it falls under the prohibition. As for in travel, there are two prohibitions in it: First: Traveling without a mahram. And the second: What? Seclusion. Yes.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace.
The questioner : We often see – O honorable Shaykh – a woman or a group of women with the driver. And when the discussion about that takes place, they say: there are fatwas that permit a woman to ride with the driver inside the city. What is your opinion?
The Shaykh : Yes. He says: It is often found that women are with a driver who is not a mahram to them. So I say: If this is in the town, there is nothing wrong with it, because they are women with one man. And what is prohibited is seclusion. That is: one woman is secluded with the driver. This is not permissible, even in the town. And the different fatwas mentioned in this matter must be presented to the Book and the Sunnah, and the result of them must be looked at. Have you seen a man with a woman who is not a mahram to him in a car? The windows are closed and the car is moving. Is this called seclusion or not? It is called seclusion, without doubt, because he is not standing where people can see him; he is passing by, moving, people do not see him, they do not see what he is doing, and they do not hear what he is saying, especially after cars have been permitted to have tinted windows. Is it not possible for this non-mahram man to say to the woman: Come here to the front? And while driving, he talks to her and whispers, and perhaps he kisses her, and perhaps he squeezes her thigh. Is this possible or not possible? Hmm? This is possible. That means, even if it is assumed that this is not seclusion, as long as it leads to what is forbidden, the permissible, if it leads to what is forbidden, becomes what? It becomes haram. Have you seen buying and selling, is it halal or haram? Buying and selling is halal. And when the second adhan for Friday is called, it becomes haram. So it is obligatory upon the muftis, and they bear the responsibility. And how great is the slip of a scholar! It is obligatory upon them to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and to look at the result of what they issue as a fatwa, not merely to look at matters on a superficial level, but to look at what the result is. I say: Even if we said that it is not seclusion and that it is permissible, it must be said that it is haram, because of what follows from it, which is? The harms. And I say, and I bear witness to what I say, and the elders of our scholars whom Allah has taken, and the remaining ones – also – say this: That it is not permissible for a woman to be secluded with the driver alone, and that her seclusion with him is a legal seclusion. And this is what I advise you with, O brothers: Be deliberate in fatwas, do not listen to every fatwa until you know that it was issued by a knowledgeable scholar who is trustworthy regarding the worship of Allah and a jurist in the religion of Allah. And the scholar is not the one who is deep in preserving the sciences. The jurist scholar is the one who estimates matters and plans for the fatwa before he issues it. For this reason, Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: