A Warning Against Mixing Between Men and Women

A Warning Against Mixing Between Men and Women

From ‘Abdul-‘Azīz ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn Bāz to all my Muslim brothers who see and read this. May Allah guide me and you to acts of obedience and keep us away from innovations and wrongdoings. Peace and Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you. To proceed:

As a duty of sincere counsel and reminder, I must warn about a matter that should not be left unaddressed. Rather, it must be avoided and kept away from—namely, the mixing that occurs among some ignorant people in certain places and villages with non-mahrams. They see no harm in it, claiming it is the custom of their forefathers and that their intentions are good. You find, for example, a woman sitting with her husband’s brother, or her sister’s husband, or her paternal cousins and the like, without hijab and without concern.

It is known that a Muslim woman’s covering herself from non-mahram men and veiling her face is obligatory, as established by the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the righteous predecessors.

("وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ")

“And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to draw their headcovers over their chests…” (An-Nur 24:31, Sahih International)

("وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْـَٔلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ")

“And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.” (Al-Ahzab 33:53, Sahih International)

("يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ")

“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused.” (Al-Ahzab 33:59, Sahih International)

The jilbāb is the outer garment worn over the khimār, like the cloak. Umm Salamah (RA) said: when this verse was revealed, the women of the Ansār came out “as if crows were on their heads” (due to calm dignity), wearing black garments.

These noble verses clearly show that a woman’s head, hair, neck, upper chest, and face are among what she must cover from all who are not her mahrams, and that exposing them to non-mahrams is forbidden.

Prophetic Evidence and the Way of the Companions

From the Sunnah: when the Prophet ﷺ commanded that women be brought out to the Eid prayer, they said: “O Messenger of Allah, some of us do not have a jilbāb.” He said: “Let her sister lend her a jilbāb.” (Bukhari and Muslim). This indicates that the norm among the women of the Companions was not to go out except in a jilbāb.

‘Ā’ishah (RA) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would pray Fajr and women would attend wrapped in their mantles, then return to their homes unrecognized due to the darkness.” She also said: “Had the Messenger of Allah ﷺ seen of women what we have seen, he would have prevented them from the mosques, just as the Children of Israel prevented their women.” This shows that hijab and covering were customary for the women of the best generations—those most honored by Allah—whose manners were highest and faith most complete. They are the right example.

‘Ā’ishah (RA) also said: “Riders would pass by us while we were in ihram with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When they drew near, one of us would lower her jilbāb over her face from her head; when they had passed, we would uncover again.” (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah). Her words “when they drew near” (the riders), “she lowered her jilbāb over her face,” is evidence for covering the face; for in ihram the default is to uncover the face, so if not for a strong reason to cover, it would remain uncovered.

Harms of Uncovering and the Ruling on Mixing

If we reflect on a woman uncovering her face to non-mahram men, we find many harms: temptation arising from her facial appearance, which is among the greatest causes of evil and corruption; the diminishing of modesty in women; and men being tempted by them. Thus it is forbidden for a woman to uncover her face in the presence of non-mahram men, and it is forbidden for her to expose her chest, neckline, arms, legs, or other parts of her body in their presence. Likewise, seclusion with non-mahrams is forbidden, and so is mixing with them without proper covering. When a woman regards herself as equal to a man in exposing the face and roaming unveiled, she will feel no modesty or shyness in crowding with men, which is a great fitnah and grave corruption.

The Prophet ﷺ once left the mosque and found that women were mixing with men in the road. He said: “Stay back, for it is not for you to walk in the middle of the road. Keep to the sides.” Thereafter women would walk so close to the wall that their garments would cling to it. Ibn Kathīr mentioned this under Allah’s saying, “And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision…” (An-Nur 24:31).

Therefore it is forbidden for a woman to uncover her face to non-mahrams; rather she must cover it. It is forbidden for her to be alone with them, to mix with them, or to place her hand in the hand of a non-mahram to shake hands. Allah has clarified who is permitted to see a woman’s adornment:

("وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ")

“And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to draw their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.” (An-Nur 24:31, Sahih International)

Non-Mahrams in the Household and Seclusion

As for the husband’s brother, the sister’s husband, paternal cousins, maternal cousins, and the like: they are not mahrams. They may not look at a woman’s face, and she may not lift her jilbāb in their presence—lest they be tempted by her.

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Beware of entering upon women.” A man of the Ansār said: “O Messenger of Allah, what about the in-law?” He said: “The in-law is death.” (Bukhari and Muslim). The “in-law” here includes the husband’s brother and his paternal uncle’s sons and the like. They commonly enter homes without suspicion, yet they are not mahrams merely by relation to the husband. Thus a woman may not reveal her adornment to them even if they are seemingly righteous and trustworthy, because Allah restricted permissibility to those named in the verse—and the husband’s brother, paternal uncle, etc., are not among them.

In the agreed-upon hadith: “A man must not be alone with a woman except with a mahram.” A mahram is one permanently forbidden to marry her due to lineage, breastfeeding, or marital relation—like a father, son, brother, paternal uncle, and the like. The Prophet ﷺ forbade seclusion because Shayṭān then has room to incite and corrupt. It is also authentically reported from ‘Umar (RA) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “A man is not alone with a woman except that the devil is the third.” (Ahmad, with a sound chain).

Rejecting Wrong Customs and Modern Calls

Whoever’s local custom contradicts this—claiming it is the way of their people—must strive against their souls to remove such customs and cooperate to eliminate them, preserving honor, cooperating upon righteousness and piety, and implementing Allah’s and His Messenger’s commands. They must repent from past violations, exert themselves in commanding right and forbidding wrong, persist in it, and not be deterred by mockery or scorn. The Muslim is obliged to follow Allah’s law willingly and contently, seeking Allah’s reward and fearing His punishment, even if the nearest and dearest oppose him. Desires and customs not legislated by Allah must not be followed; Islam is the religion of truth and guidance and equity in all things. It calls to noble character and righteous deeds and forbids their opposites.

Allah is the One asked to grant us and all Muslims success in what pleases Him and to protect us from the evils of our souls and our misdeeds. Indeed, He is Most Generous. May Allah send His peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions. And peace and Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you.