Does studying in co-educational universities fall under the rule: “Necessities permit the prohibited”?

The questioner : In what field, my sir, is the question?

The Shaykh: Yes.

The Shaykh : Here is Abu Muhammad Badri!

The questioner : May Allah bless you, may Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : Welcome.

The questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Welcome.

The questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

The questioner : Regarding the brother who asked about the university, my sir, the jurisprudential rule says: “Necessities permit the prohibited”!

The Shaykh : Necessities permit the prohibited?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : I think, Professor, you forgot the previous research, or you did not pay attention to it, but you will know now. Where is the necessity here? That he learns knowledge?

The questioner : That there is no door open to him other than this door to enter and learn the knowledge he aims to learn!

The Shaykh : You are talking about this person and you do not know him, and you are ruling on him!

The questioner : No, because his problem is considered general!

The Shaykh : You speak about a specific person you know. For example, his father can say to him: “Sit with so-and-so the Shaykh and learn the Qur'an from him, and I will suffice you with the cost of living.” So you do not interfere in the private matters of a person you do not know. But speak about a person in your mind, and I will go with you in the discussion.

The questioner : What I understood from your answer, my sir, is that you answered with a general answer!

The Shaykh : I am telling you, my dear, I am telling you: how did the matter become? Speak about another person, because I know this one. Speak about a person in your mind and proceed with your speech as you wish.

The questioner : I mean seeking knowledge!

The Shaykh : Seeking knowledge, what knowledge?

The questioner : Worldly knowledge.

The Shaykh : Is it obligatory?

The questioner : Worldly knowledge is not obligatory.

The Shaykh : So where is the necessity?

The questioner : That we must not leave it to others.

The Shaykh : Please, one by one.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : If it is not obligatory, where is the necessity? We brought you the verse and guided you to it just now Why? Because he is going to die, so it became obligatory for him to eat. But this person wants to seek worldly knowledge and disobey his Lord in seeking this knowledge under the pretext of what? That he is compelled. No, Professor, this is a widespread illusion, unfortunately. It is not a necessity for a Muslim to sustain himself and earn his lawful livelihood through a haram path. I think you do not doubt this.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : I say and repeat: It is not necessary for a Muslim to seek lawful livelihood through a haram path. Do you have any doubt about this?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : Well, either you say: mixing is halal, in which case you do not say: “Necessities permit the prohibited.” Or you say: No, mixing is haram, and in that case also you do not say: “Necessities permit the prohibited.” Because, as we said or did not say just now, because the occasion did not come up, I say: When the scholars said: “Necessities permit the prohibited,” they qualified it with another rule and said: “Necessity is measured by its extent.” And this is very great and from the precision of the exegetes. Where did they take this rule from? , A man, for example, an ordinary one, when he eats from lawful meat, mutton or chicken, let us assume he eats half a kilo. This is as they say in our place: “Khisqarwa,” they say about us in the Levant. What do you say in your place?

The questioner : We have the same word, Shaykh.

The Shaykh : So what does this mean? What is his system of eating? Half a kilo of meat.

The questioner : His custom, you mean?

The Shaykh : Well, his custom, ah. This man is in the wilderness and faces destruction by hunger. He finds a flatbread, he finds pork, he finds what is haram. Does he start cutting and roasting and sit to eat half a kilo? The answer is: No, meaning the amount that saves him from destruction. From here came the two rules: “Necessities permit the prohibited” and “Necessity is measured by its extent.” Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) admonished his Companions one day and said: .