Women Working as Programmers
Fatwa No: 401287

Question

In the question that I asked about coding, I meant like python, ruby, java, what people study to work as a software developer for example. It is male dominated, but women are being encouraged to study it. Is it permissible for a woman who wants to work from home to study it? Would a she be imitating men?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

There is nothing wrong for women to learn the programming languages you mentioned, or to take programming as a profession. The profession you mentioned is like any other job women are allowed to work in, just as men are allowed to work in, such as commerce, agriculture, and other jobs.

The scholars have mentioned the criterion when it would be forbidden for women to resemble men or men to resemble women in general. This would be when the matter is specific to one gender only; in such a case, it would be forbidden for one of them to resemble the other.

Allah Knows best. 

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