The Ruling on Forcing Students Sent Abroad to Make Their Wives Reveal Themselves and Mix with Men Abroad

This is a letter we received from Shalwi Muhammad al-'Ali from Riyadh. He says in his letter: I hope that this letter of mine is presented to His Eminence Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah preserve him) specifically, and we hope that he will address this letter comprehensively. He says: Some of those sent abroad take their wives with them. Among them are those who force their wives to reveal themselves, out of fear of being laughed at and mocked by the West. The wives even gather with all their husbands, and they eat and drink and joke around. In fact, some of them kiss the wife of their friend or colleague while he is watching, and they see no harm in that. We ask that this be addressed through your program, Light on the Path. May Allah guide you?
Answer: There is no doubt that this matter mentioned by the questioner is what is wrong and not permissible. It is obligatory for a man to have jealousy (ghirah) and to be concerned about the chastity of his wife and keeping her away from places of danger. She must be kept away from indecency and the lack of hijab. Rather, he is required to oversee her and direct her to what is good, and she must observe hijab wherever she is, whether she is in the lands of Muslims or in the lands of disbelievers with her husband. It is obligatory for everyone to conduct themselves with the manners prescribed by the Shari'ah and to adhere to them in every place. This includes hijab and not mixing with non-mahram men, such as the husbands of colleagues. If a person kisses the wife of his colleague, this is a great evil.
The point is that these things mentioned by the questioner are what is wrong, so it is not permissible to reveal the face or hair in front of the husband's colleagues. It is not permissible for Zayd or 'Amr among the colleagues to kiss the wife of his friend or colleague, or to look at her. Rather, it is obligatory to lower the gaze, it is obligatory to refrain from kissing, and it is also obligatory to refrain from the mixing that leads to that. Rather, the women should sit alone in their eating and drinking, and the men alone in their eating and drinking. The woman should maintain her hijab, and the man should lower his gaze wherever he is. This is what is obligatory for Muslims. It is obligatory for Islamic states that fear Allah to prevent this and to take action against whoever does it until this affliction is removed.
Sending students to lands of disbelief carries a great danger, so it must be prevented as much as possible. Studies should be conducted domestically, and people should be saved from the evil of this sending abroad, which leads to much corruption, corruption of 'aqidah (creed), corruption of morals, mixing of men and women, a decrease in jealousy, and men enjoying the wives and women of others. It may even lead to fornication, touching, and kissing without right. All of this is a great affliction and a danger. This sending abroad is a danger to both 'aqidah and morals for both men and women. Therefore, it is obligatory to prevent it decisively from our state, may Allah guide it, and from all Islamic states. It is the duty of the fathers of those sent abroad to advise them against this and not to agree to their being sent abroad as much as possible, even if it is at the expense of the fathers, or the institutions, or the like. Rather, one must adhere to learning in the lands of Islam, in Islamic schools and Islamic universities that have goodness and sufficiency. If there is a dire necessity for sending abroad that cannot be replaced, then the man who is sent should be one who is sane, religious, known for uprightness and sound mind, Islamic jealousy, and distance from the causes of evil. This person should be sent alone, or with his upright wife in case of necessity. There is no harm in this, if Allah wills, in case of necessity. He should be a caller to Allah, directing to what is good, and learning what the necessity calls for. His wife is with him to help him with chastity and safety. He talks with her and she talks with him, and he teaches her and benefits her and directs her to what is good. If he travels without his wife, there is no harm.
The point is that this should be addressed with two things. The first thing: preventing sending abroad entirely. If necessity calls for it, due to the absence of the need for which one is sent, then one must look at the person being sent. Not everyone should be sent, but only the man known for uprightness, good mind, noble morals, balance, knowledge, and virtue, so that there is no fear of him falling into falsehood, with the permission of Allah. If he has a wife with him, then one must also look at her. If she is good and chaste, there is no harm in taking her with him, along with advising her and monitoring her so that she does not fall into falsehood. If she is not good, he should not take her and should leave her with her family, out of fear for her of what has no good outcome; for he is not always with her. Yes.