Ruling on Women Studying in Universities with Free Mixing of Men and Women

The issue raised by our sister is one that many Muslim women face. She says: Many of my sisters in Allah are studying in universities, and some of these universities are mixed. You find the communists—as His Eminence the Shaykh describes them—and the Christians, and those who belong to non-Islamic parties—this is also her statement. So, is it permissible for a Salafi woman, meaning one who follows the methodology of the Salaf, to study in this field? And is their study a necessity for law, biology, and mathematics? Is this a necessity that permits the Muslim woman to study with the young men mentioned earlier? It is known that the students say they are Salafis and study in this mixed environment, and also on the grounds of necessity. Does the Shari'ah permit this for them, even though they do not even adhere to wearing the niqab, claiming that it is not a necessity? She asks for clarification on these issues. May Allah reward you with good.
The answer: This is a great matter and a serious issue, and it is not permissible for women to study in mixed schools, institutes, or universities; because of the great trial and major corruption involved; and because it is a close means to the occurrence of what Allah has forbidden . So they must not study in these schools, universities, or institutes, but rather seek education in another environment, in sound schools where there is no mixing, or by correspondence with scholars so that she can ask about her religion, or by attending circles of knowledge in the mosques while they are veiled and covered, as was the case in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The women in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray with him (peace and blessings be upon him) while veiled, and when they finished praying, they would leave, listening to the sermon and the knowledge. As for their studying with men in a mixed setting, this is not permissible at all, even if they are veiled, so how much more so if they are not veiled? The evil would be greater and more severe.
Furthermore, there is no necessity for a woman to study what she does not need for her religion, such as geology, arithmetic, mathematics, or anything else. She should only study what she needs for her religion: her prayer, her fasting, transactions, marriage, divorce, and other things she needs for her religion. The most important thing is 'aqidah (creed), studying the Noble Qur'an, and knowing what Allah has forbidden and what Allah has made obligatory. This is what is required. Anything beyond that, the men will handle, and she does not need to study that.
There is no harm in studying medicine so that she can treat her female sisters. The thing for which the community has a need, there is no harm in a woman of the same gender learning medicine to treat her sisters. There is no blame in this, and it is good and beneficial, but on the condition of no free mixing of men and women. If there is free mixing, then it is not allowed.
And this is what is obligatory upon the believing woman: that she fear Allah, that she stay away from the causes of trial, and that she not take her own opinion and desire as a path to what Allah has forbidden , but rather she should ask the scholars of knowledge and benefit from the knowledge they possess. And Allah, Exalted and Majestic is He, said: [Al-Ahzab: 33] And He said: [Al-Ahzab: 32] And He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Ahzab: 33] So the woman is commanded to remain in her home except when there is a clear benefit in her going out. She is forbidden from displaying her adornment, from mixing with men, from being alone with men, and from being submissive to men in speech. All of this harms her in her religion and her morals. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So he (peace and blessings be upon him) indicated that this type of women, who are the clothed yet naked, the ones who turn away from the truth and turn toward falsehood, are among the people of the Fire, those threatened with the Fire for not fulfilling the obligation of covering and veiling, and for their laxity regarding what brings trial upon them and causes them to fall into immorality. There is no power and no strength except with Allah. So we ask Allah for our sisters in Allah for guidance and success. Yes.