Clarification of the ruling on a woman going out to summer centers and Qur'an memorization centers for the purpose of learning and calling people to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
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The Shaykh : We heard your fatwa on a tape from a meeting in Kuwait that it is not befitting for a woman to go out to call people to Allah, but rather women should come to her to learn from her; does this apply in the case of a woman going out to call people to Allah and to learn and benefit, for example, at summer centers or Qur'an memorization centers?
The Shaykh : Here, attention must be drawn to a point in this question; it says in the middle, "Does this apply in the case of a woman going out to call people to Allah and to learn?" The phrase "to call people to Allah" has already been answered in that tape; that is, she does not go out to call people to Allah. If the question is about learning, as stated after the phrase that should be deleted, "if a woman goes out to learn and benefit," then I say: this going out is permissible. However, I am confused by the rest of the question, "for example, summer centers." I do not know what these summer centers are; are they exclusively for men, exclusively for women, or do they mix both sexes? If it is the last case, it is not permissible for them to go out. They should only go out to mosques or Qur'an memorization centers if these centers are exclusively for women and not for men.
The Shaykh : I correct the question to summarize the answer: We heard your fatwa on a tape from a meeting in Kuwait that it is not befitting for a woman to go out to call people to Allah, but rather women should come to her to learn from her; does this apply in the case of a woman going out to learn and benefit from summer centers or Qur'an memorization centers?
The Shaykh : This going out is permissible if the summer centers are exclusively for women, or if the Qur'an memorization centers are also exclusively for women. As for this going out, its evidence is what is in "Sahih al-Bukhari" that some women said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) — the meaning of the hadith is — that the men have taken all the good from you; will you not allocate a day for us to come to you, O Messenger of Allah? So he allocated a day for them to learn knowledge from him (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, if a woman goes out to a mosque where the verses of Allah are recited, the servants of Allah are reminded of Him, and Islamic knowledge is taught, it was for this reason that women in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to go out to the mosques. Knowing that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding them: Likewise, Qur'an memorization centers, with the condition mentioned earlier; namely, that this center is exclusively for women so that they avoid mixing with men.
The Shaykh : This is the summary of this second question.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The answer to this has already been given when I asked about the summer centers; are they exclusively for men, or for women, or for both men and women? If the answer is that they are exclusively for women, there is no harm in that; because this is going out for education. I corrected the question to state that her going out for education is permissible. I mentioned earlier that women used to go out to a place where they would gather so that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would teach them. As for the tape referred to at the beginning of this question, it is specific to women who imitate men and call themselves "da'iyah" (female callers to Islam), so you see them here and there, moving about as if they were men; this is what is prohibited. As for women gathering in one place to learn the Islamic knowledge that is obligatory upon them; there is no harm in that, there is no prohibition in it. I mentioned earlier the hadith that supports this.
The Shaykh : Here, attention must be drawn to a point in this question; it says in the middle, "Does this apply in the case of a woman going out to call people to Allah and to learn?" The phrase "to call people to Allah" has already been answered in that tape; that is, she does not go out to call people to Allah. If the question is about learning, as stated after the phrase that should be deleted, "if a woman goes out to learn and benefit," then I say: this going out is permissible. However, I am confused by the rest of the question, "for example, summer centers." I do not know what these summer centers are; are they exclusively for men, exclusively for women, or do they mix both sexes? If it is the last case, it is not permissible for them to go out. They should only go out to mosques or Qur'an memorization centers if these centers are exclusively for women and not for men.
The Shaykh : I correct the question to summarize the answer: We heard your fatwa on a tape from a meeting in Kuwait that it is not befitting for a woman to go out to call people to Allah, but rather women should come to her to learn from her; does this apply in the case of a woman going out to learn and benefit from summer centers or Qur'an memorization centers?
The Shaykh : This going out is permissible if the summer centers are exclusively for women, or if the Qur'an memorization centers are also exclusively for women. As for this going out, its evidence is what is in "Sahih al-Bukhari" that some women said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) — the meaning of the hadith is — that the men have taken all the good from you; will you not allocate a day for us to come to you, O Messenger of Allah? So he allocated a day for them to learn knowledge from him (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, if a woman goes out to a mosque where the verses of Allah are recited, the servants of Allah are reminded of Him, and Islamic knowledge is taught, it was for this reason that women in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to go out to the mosques. Knowing that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding them:
And their homes are better for them.
وبيوتهنَّ خيرٌ لهنَّThe Shaykh : This is the summary of this second question.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The answer to this has already been given when I asked about the summer centers; are they exclusively for men, or for women, or for both men and women? If the answer is that they are exclusively for women, there is no harm in that; because this is going out for education. I corrected the question to state that her going out for education is permissible. I mentioned earlier that women used to go out to a place where they would gather so that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would teach them. As for the tape referred to at the beginning of this question, it is specific to women who imitate men and call themselves "da'iyah" (female callers to Islam), so you see them here and there, moving about as if they were men; this is what is prohibited. As for women gathering in one place to learn the Islamic knowledge that is obligatory upon them; there is no harm in that, there is no prohibition in it. I mentioned earlier the hadith that supports this.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.
