What is the ruling on a woman studying in a coeducational university for the sake of da'wah? And what about young men entering coeducational universities?

The questioner : Shaykh, it is said that in one of the Arab countries, it is in the interest of the da'wah (calling others to Islam) for a girl to enter the university, even though the university is mixed, in order to call her female counterparts to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). What is your opinion, Shaykh? Especially since if we do not do this, we would be enabling the communists and others?

The Shaykh : How was that last phrase, with what?

The questioner : With the fact that if we do not do this, we would be enabling the communists.

The Shaykh : This justification for girls entering coeducational universities is a case of treating a matter with a deadly disease; that is, following the method of Abu Nuwas: "And treat me with that which was the disease."
I do not know how some of our Muslim brothers imagine that it is possible to achieve an Islamic society, and to fight the communists and others like the Ba'athists, by violating the Shari'ah?
I am amazed—by Allah—of such an imagination; that we permit committing a sin whose outcome we do not know for this Muslim girl, so that she may later become a caller to Islam—they claim! Who guarantees to us that one who circles around the sanctuary will not soon fall into it? And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: .
Indeed, those who justify committing religious violations under the claim of achieving religious interests have not understood what we mentioned earlier regarding taking a means that is not forbidden in itself. We mentioned that even if a means is not forbidden in itself, as long as the Shari'ah has not legislated it despite the presence of the requirement for it, we said: it is not permissible for us to adopt it; because it achieves an unguided interest. So how can we say it is permissible to adopt a means that is a sin to achieve a prescribed goal? This is an inversion of religious realities, and it is the method of Abu Nuwas entirely; "And treat me with that which was the disease."
It is never permissible for a Muslim to risk his wife, or his sister, or his daughter by putting her in a coeducational university to learn. What does she learn in this university or that? Most of what she learns has no relation to the da'wah they claim; because she learns sciences that, for males, for young men, are not obligatory matters to make him an Islamic caller; so what about for women?!
I say: And I give you a sensitive example. We are in need in all Islamic societies of Muslim female doctors so that we do not expose our women to examination by men. This is undoubtedly a pressing necessity. And how can this be achieved except by exposing our daughters to the strongest mixing in their study of medicine; because there are medical exercises where the head of the girl may meet the head of her professor, her breath with his breath; if we do not say her cheek with his cheek!! How can we produce these Muslim female doctors? There must be a scapegoat here. Who will be the scapegoat? Those who issue these fatwas.
So we say: It is true that there must be female doctors, and this is not open to any debate. But I am too high to allow my wife, or my sister, or my daughter to mix with men in that dangerous mixing so that she comes out as a doctor. I fear, and I fear greatly, that this one or that one will fall into a sexual problem, and the idea will be lost from its root; which is that a female doctor comes out.
Therefore, I imagine that "for every drop in the neighborhood, there is a catcher." So for every opinion, however anomalous, there is someone who adopts it. If there are people who see the permissibility of this mixing, let them be the scapegoat with their own women, sisters, and daughters. Then it will be the turn of our women, and they will learn from those who were the scapegoat.
Therefore, I never permit a Muslim to risk his honor; because you heard his saying (peace be upon him) earlier: . And whoever does not believe in this hadith, or believes in it and interprets it figuratively—that is, he nullifies its meaning by various tricks—let him adopt the results of this risk of his. As for us, we ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to keep us away from entering these narrow dilemmas with ourselves or our women.
Other than that?

Another questioner : Very well, Shaykh, may Allah reward you with good. What about young men entering mixed universities?

The Shaykh : It is the same statement. Otherwise, we would be encroaching on the gentle sex at the expense of the coarse sex .