After the generalization of the free mixing system in Islamic universities, the young man’s eye is no longer safe from looking at women who are clothed yet naked, whether in
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The questioner : After the generalization of the free mixing system in Islamic universities, the young man is no longer safe from his eye falling upon women who are clothed yet naked, whether in the university courtyard or in the lecture hall. Then, he is unable to forbid the evil of some of the open sinners among the young men and women who mix in secluded corners or sit in the cafeteria and other places. Does the young Muslim man sin while he is exposed to trial and falling into it? Does he sin by entering the universities, or does he owe nothing?
The Shaykh : What I see in this matter, which the young Muslim man is afflicted with today, is that we must return to the Islamic scientific principles in it. It is well known that seeking knowledge, especially modern knowledge and not religious knowledge, is best described as permissible, recommended, or a collective obligation, and not an individual obligation. Therefore, if a Muslim wants to expose himself to committing a sin, such as the sin of free mixing or looking at what is wrong, while he is in no need of attending it—if he must be exposed to some of these religious violations in the path of obtaining knowledge, as we said is either recommended or a collective obligation—then this is not permissible in my opinion. The young Muslim man should strive, as some of our brothers do in Kuwait, as far as we are informed, to prevent this free mixing and to direct the ruling state to work toward applying the Islamic system. Even in the acquisition of knowledge, the young Muslim man should not get entangled in obtaining knowledge that is not an individual obligation in exchange for falling into one of the sins I referred to in the question. Such a thing is like the old Arabic saying: “So-and-so is like one who builds a palace and demolishes a city.”
The Shaykh : What I see in this matter, which the young Muslim man is afflicted with today, is that we must return to the Islamic scientific principles in it. It is well known that seeking knowledge, especially modern knowledge and not religious knowledge, is best described as permissible, recommended, or a collective obligation, and not an individual obligation. Therefore, if a Muslim wants to expose himself to committing a sin, such as the sin of free mixing or looking at what is wrong, while he is in no need of attending it—if he must be exposed to some of these religious violations in the path of obtaining knowledge, as we said is either recommended or a collective obligation—then this is not permissible in my opinion. The young Muslim man should strive, as some of our brothers do in Kuwait, as far as we are informed, to prevent this free mixing and to direct the ruling state to work toward applying the Islamic system. Even in the acquisition of knowledge, the young Muslim man should not get entangled in obtaining knowledge that is not an individual obligation in exchange for falling into one of the sins I referred to in the question. Such a thing is like the old Arabic saying: “So-and-so is like one who builds a palace and demolishes a city.”