Is it permissible to study in co-educational schools, given that if one leaves school, he cannot work except in co-educational institutions?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Abd al-Malik: Shaykh, we have reached you with a request for your ruling on the permissibility of studying in co-educational institutions for males and females.
The Shaykh : Yes.
Abd al-Malik: And some of our brothers said, "I imagine that if it were said to the Shaykh that the one who leaves this institution will not enter any other except a co-educational one to work in any job, because all the institutions in our country are co-educational and freelance work is very, very difficult, since the law itself does not allow it except after severe back-and-forth, he would say, 'I imagine that...'"The Shaykh : He would qualify his ruling if he knew this first, and then he would analogize it to the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Ka'bah, where there were idols and he found no way to change them, and Allah knows best. Please, may Allah bless you?
The Shaykh : I did not understand what the ruling is that I should qualify, in the view of that person mentioned.
Abd al-Malik: He says...
The Shaykh : What is my ruling?
Abd al-Malik: You say that it is not permissible, that it is not permissible for a student to study in a co-educational institution.
The Shaykh : This is correct, this is correct. So what is the qualification? That I say it is permissible?
'Abd al-Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is not a qualification.
Abd al-Malik: This is a change.
The Shaykh : This is a cancellation. So does he mean the cancellation?
Abd al-Malik: It is possible that this is what he means, because he issues a ruling to that effect.
The Shaykh: Okay
Abd al-Malik: Because he issues a ruling to that effect.
Ali: Behind the dune is what is behind it.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is exactly like the previous issue, because the one you are referring to is either with us in that mixing is forbidden, or it is upon us. If it is the latter, the discussion then takes another form. But if it is the former, and it seems so from your words, then we will ask him: What is the dire necessity he clings to in order to make permissible what Allah has forbidden? The answer is that he will not be employed unless he graduates from these co-educational universities. Is there any other excuse?
Abd al-Malik: That is it.
The Shaykh : That is it.
Abd al-Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : We will also say that this is an excuse worse than the sin. I give an example of some brothers here: a man here near the parking lot, you find him driving a small cart, which was originally for placing a small child for some wealthy elders, and they drive this small cart in which the child is placed. So he modified it, gave it four wheels, and made a surface for it. So what is he selling? What do you call this bitter thing that...
Ali: Chickpeas.
The Shaykh : Chickpeas. Do you know what is called chickpeas?
'Abd al-Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you know it?
Abd al-Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : Very good. He sells chickpeas. This is his livelihood. This is his livelihood, and he is an old man, possibly around fifty years of age. And I know another one here next to the girls' school here, in the winter days, with a cart larger than this one, in which he fries falafel. Do you know falafel? In the height of the cold...
Abu Layla : Ta'amiyyah.
The Shaykh : Ah?
Abu Layla : Ta'amiyyah.
The Shaykh : Ta'amiyyah. So I say, O people, the means of livelihood and living are many, and very many. But also, the youth today in all lands of Islam, except for a few, have also become accustomed to living as slaves to the rulers, regardless of the results that come from employment. For a Muslim to become an employee of the state means that he becomes a slave to the state. So if this were the only thing, and there were not the commission of the forbidden thing we agreed upon, it would be enough to advise the Muslim youth to stay away from state jobs. What can be said when we take a path whose origin is forbidden in order to become employees, slaves to the rulers? This is my answer.
Abu Layla : Our Shaykh, and we also... the door of the mosque.
The Shaykh : The means, O my master, are many.
The Shaykh : Yes.
Abd al-Malik: And some of our brothers said, "I imagine that if it were said to the Shaykh that the one who leaves this institution will not enter any other except a co-educational one to work in any job, because all the institutions in our country are co-educational and freelance work is very, very difficult, since the law itself does not allow it except after severe back-and-forth, he would say, 'I imagine that...'"The Shaykh : He would qualify his ruling if he knew this first, and then he would analogize it to the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Ka'bah, where there were idols and he found no way to change them, and Allah knows best. Please, may Allah bless you?
The Shaykh : I did not understand what the ruling is that I should qualify, in the view of that person mentioned.
Abd al-Malik: He says...
The Shaykh : What is my ruling?
Abd al-Malik: You say that it is not permissible, that it is not permissible for a student to study in a co-educational institution.
The Shaykh : This is correct, this is correct. So what is the qualification? That I say it is permissible?
'Abd al-Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is not a qualification.
Abd al-Malik: This is a change.
The Shaykh : This is a cancellation. So does he mean the cancellation?
Abd al-Malik: It is possible that this is what he means, because he issues a ruling to that effect.
The Shaykh: Okay
Abd al-Malik: Because he issues a ruling to that effect.
Ali: Behind the dune is what is behind it.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is exactly like the previous issue, because the one you are referring to is either with us in that mixing is forbidden, or it is upon us. If it is the latter, the discussion then takes another form. But if it is the former, and it seems so from your words, then we will ask him: What is the dire necessity he clings to in order to make permissible what Allah has forbidden? The answer is that he will not be employed unless he graduates from these co-educational universities. Is there any other excuse?
Abd al-Malik: That is it.
The Shaykh : That is it.
Abd al-Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : We will also say that this is an excuse worse than the sin. I give an example of some brothers here: a man here near the parking lot, you find him driving a small cart, which was originally for placing a small child for some wealthy elders, and they drive this small cart in which the child is placed. So he modified it, gave it four wheels, and made a surface for it. So what is he selling? What do you call this bitter thing that...
Ali: Chickpeas.
The Shaykh : Chickpeas. Do you know what is called chickpeas?
'Abd al-Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : Do you know it?
Abd al-Malik: Yes.
The Shaykh : Very good. He sells chickpeas. This is his livelihood. This is his livelihood, and he is an old man, possibly around fifty years of age. And I know another one here next to the girls' school here, in the winter days, with a cart larger than this one, in which he fries falafel. Do you know falafel? In the height of the cold...
Abu Layla : Ta'amiyyah.
The Shaykh : Ah?
Abu Layla : Ta'amiyyah.
The Shaykh : Ta'amiyyah. So I say, O people, the means of livelihood and living are many, and very many. But also, the youth today in all lands of Islam, except for a few, have also become accustomed to living as slaves to the rulers, regardless of the results that come from employment. For a Muslim to become an employee of the state means that he becomes a slave to the state. So if this were the only thing, and there were not the commission of the forbidden thing we agreed upon, it would be enough to advise the Muslim youth to stay away from state jobs. What can be said when we take a path whose origin is forbidden in order to become employees, slaves to the rulers? This is my answer.
Abu Layla : Our Shaykh, and we also... the door of the mosque.
The Shaykh : The means, O my master, are many.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.