The meaning of His saying (Mighty and Majestic): “or their wives,” and the danger of employing female non-Muslim servants.

The Shaykh : And so we must pause at this verse: , then He said (Mighty and Majestic): . The women here are Muslim women; therefore, there is another etiquette we must be aware of. This occurs in this country, which Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) has blessed with abundant wealth. I have seen this affliction here, whereas we do not see it in other poor countries. It is the Muslims’ excessive use of female non-Muslims, let alone males, as servants in their homes. The female non-Muslim servant enters the room of the Muslim woman, and she stands before her as if she were standing before her husband. This is not permissible. It is obligatory for the Muslim woman to observe hijab in front of the female non-Muslim, just as if this woman were a Muslim man, let alone a disbeliever. It is not permissible for the Muslim woman to reveal any of her hidden adornment to the female non-Muslim, because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) only permitted her to reveal the places of adornment to the Muslim woman. Therefore, it was not in vain that Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), when He added the women before whom a woman may appear to the Muslim women, said: , and did not say “or the women,” which would have included all women, whether Muslim or disbeliever. He did not say any of that, but rather said: . Therefore, it is not permissible for the Muslim woman to be lenient with the female non-Muslim servant and appear before her as she appears before the Muslim woman, within the limits mentioned from the Book of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
This is what I intended to remind you of, and the reminder benefits the believers. Now we will receive your questions to answer them as Allah makes easy. If anyone has an observation or question regarding this reminder, perhaps we can cooperate in understanding that question or resolving that issue.