Q&A: Mixed classes of men & women for education?

The following is a translation from an Arabic Q&A by Sheikh Ata Abu Rashtah.

Question:
Assalamualaikum

I have 3 separate questions , related to the social system

1.      The Reality is as such. There is a classroom where the men and women sit in a mixed way, but some sincere men sit away from the mixed men and women.

Would they not be sinful for being in a place where there is mixing happening, even though they are not party to it.

You have replied in an old question while discussing about the mixing in the celebrations that:

 mixed studies in Universities where the women’s rows are not separate from the men’s row are Haraam. However, if a shab studies in a mixed university but does not walk with female students, does not deliberately sit with them, he is only interested in his studies and his relationship with others is restricted to the minimum due to being a student in a mixed university. Then the Hizb does not see this as crossing the line which will effect his carrying of the Da’wah or people accepting his Da’wah, rather when his fellow students see his disciplined behaviour in the university which does not draw their attention to the fact that he studies in a mixed university and that it is not allowed, rather they praise his disciplined behaviour despite the study being mixed and there are women around him. Therefore, the hizb will not punish this shab administratively for this violation of studying in a mixed university because after study it found that, if as above, his action does not effect his carrying of the Da’wah or people listening to it and they do not view that he has committed a violation which dissuade them from listening to him, rather they praise his disciplined behaviour while among women.

So I understand that in principle it is not allowed but the university will look at the case and study the severity before deciding if there is an administrative punishment or not. Is my understanding correct.

2.      The Second Question is regarding a teacher who teaches a mixed gathering. As he is not mixing with the male and female however since he is part of the same crowd even though he is far away from them, is he not sinful.

3.       A shab and his friend who is not a shab has opened an institute where he is training students for exams. The young students men and women attend the class in the same room however are seated separately. The men sit in different rows and women sit in different rows. And the teacher is either a male or a female depending on the subject. Is this setup allowed ? And would it not be considered as mixing ?

If it is considered as mixing and he should seat the men and women in separate rooms. In this case, if he was to convert the existing class into two separate areas, one for the women which is the back of the room and which is built on a higher elevated platform so that there is a barrier between the mens section and womens section. Would such a separation be considered equivalent to separating the men and women. The teacher in this case as well will remain the same for both the men and women.

Wassalam

Answer

We have given a details answer to this issue on the 08-08-03, and I will quote to you from it regarding mixing and mixed studies.

1-               The mixing between men and women is Haraam. The evidences for this are extensive. The life of the Muslims during the Messenger of Allah (saw) and the Sahabah after him expresses this. They are discussed in a complete manner in social system. Mixing (ikhtilaat) is not allowed unless it is for a need recognised by the Sharee’ah for which there is a text in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw) such as buying, selling, silat rahm etc.

2-               However, the Hizb recognises that the occurrence of lapses in people behaviour is something one cannot deny. The Hizb has studied this matter and taken the view that Sharee’ah violations which are not more than a lapse in behaviour and does not effect the shab’s carrying of the Da’wah and does not effect the people listening to his Da’wah, that it is enough to advise and remind such a person, and to incite his Taqwa and encourage him to do the Ta’aat (mandobaat) and he will not be punished administratively.

However, if the Hizb views the violation to be more than a lapse in behaviour and it comes to effect his carrying of the Da’wah and people listening and accepting his Da’wah then the hizb will punish the one who committed this violation with the appropriate administrative punishment. This is so that the body of the Hizb remains pure and so only the people of Taqwah and goodness are in its ranks.

3-     For example, mixed studies in Universities where the women’s rows are not separate from the men’s row are Haraam. However, if a shab studies in a mixed university but does not walk with female students, does not deliberately sit with them, he is only interested in his studies and his relationship with others is restricted to the minimum due to being a student in a mixed university. Then the Hizb does not see this as crossing the line which will effect his carrying of the Da’wah or people accepting his Da’wah, rather when his fellow students see his disciplined behaviour in the university which does not draw their attention to the fact that he studies in a mixed university and that it is not allowed, rather they praise his disciplined behaviour despite the study being mixed and there are women around him. Therefore, the hizb will not punish this shab administratively for this violation of studying in a mixed university because after study it found that, if as above, his action does not effect his carrying of the Da’wah or people listening to it and they do not view that he has committed a violation which dissuade them from listening to him, rather they praise his disciplined behaviour while among women.

However, shab studies in a mixed university and he finds this an opportunity to walk with female students and chat with them. This will be punished by the hizb administratively because he is harming the Da’wah by his behaviour and turning the people away who know his stance due to hearing his Da’wah.

4.      The punishments of the hizb are administrative only and they do not expiate for the sin in the Akhirah such as the punishment of the state in Islam. It is there only to protect the purity and discipline of the Kutlah and to insure that it proceeds administratively in a sound manner. Not punishing administratively a violation which the hizb views as a lapse in conduct and does not effect the Da’wah does not mean this violation becomes halal. No, it remains a Sharee’ah violation. In origin the shab should do the halal and keep away from the haram due to his Taqwah and not because of an administrative punishment.

This hopefully address your question.

24/10/15

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