Is it permissible for a man to stand before women to spread knowledge and religion? And is it permissible for a man to be alone with a woman in order to guide her to the straight path?
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The questioner : Is it permissible for a man, O honorable Shaykh, to stand before women to spread knowledge and religion? And is it permissible for a man to be alone with a woman in order to guide her to the straight path?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible for a man to be alone with a woman if he is not a mahram to her, even for teaching, even for enjoining good and forbidding evil, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 5233 And if a man is alone with a woman, Satan becomes the third among them, and he whispers to them the whispers that may lead to lewdness, may Allah protect us from that.
As for a man standing before a group of women without any religious concern in order to teach them, then there is nothing wrong with that, but on the condition that a person feels safe regarding himself and that he is trustworthy. However, in such a case, if the matter is official, a barrier should be placed between this man and the women so that the women are at ease and so that no woman is tempted by this man. And I say: it is also not befitting for men to teach women except out of dire necessity. But if there is no dire necessity, then the one who teaches women should be a woman, and likewise the one who teaches men should be a man, because the Lawgiver aims for women to be kept away from men and for there to be no free mixing with them. Have you not seen that when a woman prays in the mosque with the congregation, it is obligatory for her to be alone, outside the rows of men, and not to be in a row with a man, as the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has been established? And it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sunan Abi Dawud 678Sahih (Al-Albani) And all of this indicates that the Lawgiver aims for men to be kept away from women and for there to be no free mixing with them. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. The listener from Sudan says.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible for a man to be alone with a woman if he is not a mahram to her, even for teaching, even for enjoining good and forbidding evil, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
No man should stay with a lady in seclusion except in the presence of a Dhu- Muhram.
لا يخلون رجل بامرأة إلا مع ذي محرمAs for a man standing before a group of women without any religious concern in order to teach them, then there is nothing wrong with that, but on the condition that a person feels safe regarding himself and that he is trustworthy. However, in such a case, if the matter is official, a barrier should be placed between this man and the women so that the women are at ease and so that no woman is tempted by this man. And I say: it is also not befitting for men to teach women except out of dire necessity. But if there is no dire necessity, then the one who teaches women should be a woman, and likewise the one who teaches men should be a man, because the Lawgiver aims for women to be kept away from men and for there to be no free mixing with them. Have you not seen that when a woman prays in the mosque with the congregation, it is obligatory for her to be alone, outside the rows of men, and not to be in a row with a man, as the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has been established? And it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst of them is the first
خير صفوف النساء ءاخرها، وشرّها أولهاThe questioner : May Allah reward you. The listener from Sudan says.