The Ruling on Women Treating Men

Q: What is your opinion, Your Eminence, regarding women treating men in the field of dentistry? Is it permissible? Given that there are male doctors available in the same field and in the same country?

A: We have made great efforts and worked extensively with the authorities to ensure that men treat men and women treat women, and that female doctors attend to women and male doctors attend to men, in dentistry and other fields. This is the truth, because a woman is a source of temptation and fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), except for those whom Allah has shown mercy. Therefore, it is obligatory (wajib) that female doctors specialize in treating women and male doctors specialize in treating men, except in cases of extreme necessity. If a man has an illness for which there is no male doctor, then there is no harm in it. Allah says: [Al-An'am: 119]. Otherwise, it is obligatory (wajib) that male doctors treat men and female doctors treat women; that the department for male doctors be separate from the department for female doctors; or that there be a hospital exclusively for men and a hospital exclusively for women, so that everyone may avoid fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and harmful mixing. This is the obligation (wajib) upon everyone.