His saying, may He be Exalted: “There is no blame on you if you eat together.” Some people use this verse as evidence for the permissibility of women eating with men. Is this correct, and what is...
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The questioner : Regarding His saying, may He be Exalted: [An-Nur 24:61] Some people argued, saying that women are with men, saying “together,” saying that the women would be, for example, covered. How do we respond to them? Is this permissible?
The Shaykh : We respond to them by saying that these people looked with a one-eyed view. Where are they from the texts that prohibit free mixing of men and women and command the woman to keep her distance from the man? We say to you: if there are women and men, the women eat together and the men eat together, why do we take the generality of this text and leave the other texts? This is not permissible.
The questioner : He says, “O Shaykh, she sits with the mahrams and covers herself, but she sits with them.”
The Shaykh : If they are mahrams, she covers herself and there is no harm in it; there is no obstacle.
The questioner : I mean, there are mahrams and non-mahrams.
The Shaykh : Fine, she sits next to whom? Next to the mahram, and everyone to her right and left is a mahram, and the second one is not a mahram. How does she eat? Fine, does she put plastic on her hand?
The questioner : The hand, we said, it is not obligatory to cover it.
The Shaykh : If we say it is obligatory.
The questioner : Fine, if we do not say it is obligatory.
The Shaykh : Heh, if we do not say it is obligatory, we say that something of the arm must be exposed. And if we do not say it is obligatory, even the face, what is the need for it to be under the khimar? Wait, wait.
The questioner : We tell them it is not permissible, O Shaykh, even though they say we cover ourselves and...
The Shaykh : It is never permissible. Whatever it is, there will be talk, there will be laughter, it will be seen on her hand and when she raises the morsel. Yes, this is evil. And the matter does not stop at this; it will be a means. This time there is a mahram between them, and the next time there is no mahram between them.
There is no blame upon you whether you eat together
ليس عليكم جناح أن تأكلوا جميعاThe Shaykh : We respond to them by saying that these people looked with a one-eyed view. Where are they from the texts that prohibit free mixing of men and women and command the woman to keep her distance from the man? We say to you: if there are women and men, the women eat together and the men eat together, why do we take the generality of this text and leave the other texts? This is not permissible.
The questioner : He says, “O Shaykh, she sits with the mahrams and covers herself, but she sits with them.”
The Shaykh : If they are mahrams, she covers herself and there is no harm in it; there is no obstacle.
The questioner : I mean, there are mahrams and non-mahrams.
The Shaykh : Fine, she sits next to whom? Next to the mahram, and everyone to her right and left is a mahram, and the second one is not a mahram. How does she eat? Fine, does she put plastic on her hand?
The questioner : The hand, we said, it is not obligatory to cover it.
The Shaykh : If we say it is obligatory.
The questioner : Fine, if we do not say it is obligatory.
The Shaykh : Heh, if we do not say it is obligatory, we say that something of the arm must be exposed. And if we do not say it is obligatory, even the face, what is the need for it to be under the khimar? Wait, wait.
The questioner : We tell them it is not permissible, O Shaykh, even though they say we cover ourselves and...
The Shaykh : It is never permissible. Whatever it is, there will be talk, there will be laughter, it will be seen on her hand and when she raises the morsel. Yes, this is evil. And the matter does not stop at this; it will be a means. This time there is a mahram between them, and the next time there is no mahram between them.