How do we admonish women?

The questioner : I recently returned from Pakistan; I had been there for forty days, and I developed a strong sense of jealousy and burning concern for the religion. I was strong in da'wah, so I was always active in it, calling both men and women. Praise be to Allah, He guided many of the girls, and they became modest and wore the hijab, as did the young men. However, frequent contact diminishes sensitivity. It seems the emotion has started to fade a little, and I began to find it difficult to speak with them. Especially with many of them, because some scholars disagree with me and say that it is not permissible to admonish girls or women without a hijab. We are employed together in the same office, sitting together, and the nature of the work is without a hijab. So, is it not permissible to meet for admonition, while it is permissible to meet for work? This is one point. I have become very reserved when I want to speak about religion.

The Shaykh : ... And these people who told you this, are they scholars?

The questioner : By Allah, I ... wanted to seek your guidance.

The Shaykh : I am going to tell you something that you will not hear from them. If they wanted to advise you, they would have told you to leave that gathering, meaning to quit your job within three days. If they said that to you, then their words that you quoted to me earlier would follow. But they do not say the first thing to you, and you say to them the word I told you about. This is the reality: you are living with them, so why is it not permissible? Perhaps the matter needs clarification, do you not agree?

The questioner: Go ahead.

The Shaykh : I mean, mixing in the Shari'ah is prohibited, and there is a difference between a person who is able to avoid mixing and another person for whom mixing is imposed. For example, one of us goes to the market, especially if the market is crowded, and finds women on the road, this and that, and so on. What is he supposed to do? But a person who wants to enroll to study a certain science at a certain university, and the teaching there is mixed, it is not permissible for him to seek this knowledge with this mixing. Because Allah has not obligated him to throw himself into the depths, where he may be saved or he may not. And as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So, whether it is you or anyone else, regarding this job you are working in, I say it is either one or the other; because I do not want to impose my opinion on others. Either you are compelled to do this work, in which case it is permissible; or you are not compelled, in which case it is not permissible. If you assume you told me you are compelled, I am willing to discuss it with you, but I do not want to enter this path or go down this alley. If your job falls into the first category, meaning you are compelled, then your answer to the shaykhs is in its proper place. Is that clear up to this point?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Their saying that there must be a hijab between you and them; you should reverse the matter on them and say, "Tell the girls that they must put a hijab between us and them, not us."

The questioner : They are not going to respond to that.

The Shaykh : No, the issue now is not speaking with the girls; it is speaking with these people you called scholars. Instead of telling you that you are not allowed to speak except with a hijab between you and them, we tell them: "Tell these girls to wear the hijab." And finally, I tell you, without going into details, whether you are compelled or not compelled, until it becomes possible for you to have a more lawful job than the one you are in, and regarding the ruling on this job as I said earlier, you are gathered with a group, some young men and some young women, and so on. I see no obstacle at all to your enjoining good and forbidding evil, with lowering the gaze ... .