What is the ruling on a woman working outside the home while adhering to the Shari'ah hijab?

The questioner : A small question, if you please?

The Shaykh : Make it big, make it big so that the reward becomes big.

The questioner : Is it permissible for a man to allow his wife to go out to teach, wearing Shari'ah clothing?

The Shaykh : The question is complete up to this point; but it is missing where the teaching takes place, and whether she mixes with men or not.

The questioner : She does not mix with men.

The Shaykh : She does not mix.

The questioner : Ah.

The Shaykh : I mean, is it a girls' school, or do men come to them?

The questioner : Yes, it is a men's school, and men do not come to them.

The Shaykh : If it is with these conditions, it is permissible. But what about her salary? What is her wage?

The questioner : From the ministry.

The Shaykh : No, that is not the question; who benefits from her salary, she or you?

The questioner : She and her husband.

The Shaykh : And is she willing?

The questioner : She is willing.

The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with that under these conditions; but does she have children?

The questioner : She has children.

The Shaykh : Who takes care of their affairs?

The questioner : The father, of course.

The Shaykh : Ah, here the verse is reversed. The father is the foreign minister and the wife is the interior minister. So now you have reversed the divine system. I am afraid that a day will come when the foreign minister, who is the husband, will blow up the stove, cook, and sweep, while she goes out to teach and becomes the foreign minister.

The questioner : And he becomes the interior minister, ...

The Shaykh : This is a reversal of the divine system and is not permissible. However, if it is early in the marriage, or if she has been afflicted with infertility—and Allah has His own wisdom and purposes in His creation—and she is wearing the hijab, is committed, and does not mix with men, then Allah may benefit the girls through her. But if she has children, she must take care of raising her children, and the man must fulfill his role by working outside the home. The home is for women, not for men. Therefore, the Lord of the Worlds said in the Noble Qur'an: The verse addresses two rulings that may coincide or may be separate. She may not go out and display herself in the manner of the first age of ignorance, but she goes out without necessity or without a pressing need. The default for women, as some of the earlier, precise scholars said, is that the default for women is to stay home, and for men to go out. And now the verse is reversed in this question, which has some good qualities, let alone the reality of many women today who work in offices, transactions, and factories. All of this is contrary to the Shari'ah. So if you are asking about yourself and your wife, tell her to stay in your home, and you look for work for yourself. And if you are asking about a friend of yours, convey this to him. I charge you to convey what you have heard, and it is not our responsibility except to convey the message. And peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : ... The wheel of knowledge is turning and continues until the day when the knowledge of hadith ends, which will never happen. Therefore, I say to our brothers who print our books: this book in front of me, I was speaking with this brother of ours, who is named AhmadAbu Layla : from our brothers in Zarqa. In front of me now is the first volume of the Series of Authentic Hadiths, which I am preparing for the new edition.