What is the ruling on a woman studying in a coeducational university?

The questioner : There is a question from our sisters in the university. They say that they are in a coeducational university; what is the ruling on that? Even though they go to the university, of course, wearing Islamic clothing; is that permissible for them? Or must they not enter the university and be content with the sciences that do not require entering the university for study? And is it permissible to participate in university activities or not?

The Shaykh : I think the answer to this question can be taken from a previous statement of mine, which contains some detail, but it seems that an answer is necessary, even if it is brief. I say: If the female university student openly states that she mixes with male university students, even if she is wearing the complete clothing of the Muslim woman, but one of the ugliest sights is for a Muslim woman or female university student to sit facing a young man who is shaved and has a completely European appearance; by what right? Because the university has gathered her and him together! I believe that seeking knowledge, especially the sciences studied today in universities, and then the intentions that drive people, male and female, to this study—of all the students, male and female, I can say, except for a few of them, no one intends by this study the Face of Allah, but rather intends to reach a certificate that enables him to become a small or large employee; so the goal of seeking this knowledge is securing a livelihood, and it is not performing a collective obligation as is known in the Shari'ah that if a collective obligation is not performed by anyone, they are all sinful, and if some perform it, it drops from the rest; so those who want, with pure intentions, from the Muslim girls or Muslim boys, to study in the university with this good intention, that is: to perform or they are performing a collective obligation; they must note that this obligation must be kept away from falling into Shari'ah violations.
I give a clear example that admits no argument; if, for example, the girl studying medicine in some circumstances may be forced to be alone, even for a few minutes, with her male doctor; this is a forbidden seclusion, so does Islam permit it to obtain an obligation that is not an individual obligation? The answer is: No, this is from one side, and from another side, if it is necessary to achieve or if there must be people who perform and fill this gap of the collective obligation; I look at people as being three categories of Muslims, excluding the disbelievers; there is a Muslim who is sincere in his Islam and mindful of his Lord; so he has no necessity to come and attend a place where, by his own admission, there is a violation of the Shari'ah on the pretext that he wants to fulfill a collective obligation; this work will be done by the second category of Muslims; this second category either does not care much about avoiding Shari'ah violations, or they care but have interpretations that we do not see as absolutely correct in any way; so these people will perform this obligation naturally, and following them—and they are the majority—is the third category that does not forbid or permit, and their goal is only to reach a job as we said; and if the talk is now regarding the girls, the first category of believing girls will abstain from performing this collective obligation; because Allah has not tasked them specifically to perform this obligation, and on the path to it are pitfalls and Shari'ah violations.
The second category will perform this obligation either as excused, by having an interpretation they are convinced of, as we hear from some Muslim writers today or Islamic preachers, or the third category that does not care whether this is forbidden and this is lawful; so the collective obligation will be realized by a path other than our path, we who strive to preserve our honor, our religion, and our chastity.