Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterHer job involves violations of Sharee'ah
Question
Although you have questions answering this topic I feel unsure whether my situation would be different. I am a female optometrist who is currently not working. Mashallah I have savings and with my siblings provide for my parents. The issue I have is I am considering getting back into work but I have realised my job requires me to be alone with men in a small room, and for part of the eye exam I must turn the room lights off. I don't feel many employers/patients would allow me to keep my room door open. Also another issue is male managers etc often want to shake my hand especially in interviews and I am unsure whether I am able to say no to them. The reason why I want to work now is to save up more money so I have enough after I am married which I plan to do very soon Inshallah. With the above considered would it be acceptable for me to work again? If I am in doubt whether I can refrain from shaking the hands of other men?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
It is not permissible for the Muslim woman to work in a job that involves violations of Sharee'ah such as being alone with non-Mahram men and shaking hands with them. Such matters are prohibited. For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 82112 and 133843.
If there is no way to avoid such prohibited matters in that job, then it is not permissible to work in it. The circumstances that you have mentioned do not make this job permissible for it is not included in the necessities that make forbidden things permissible. Scholars have defined necessity as what would most likely cause one to fall into unbearable hardship if he/she does not do the prohibited matter. Maybe if you fear Allaah The Almighty, He The Exalted will make for you a way out of difficulty and make easy for you His ways of provision. Allaah The Almighty says (what means): {And whoever fears Allaah - He will make for him a way out And will provide for him from where he does not expect.}[Quran 65:2-3]
It was authentically narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "You will never give up something for the sake of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, but Allaah will replace it with something that is better for you than it." [Ahmad]
For more benefit, kindly refer to Fatwa 82399.
It is worth noting here that it is not permissible for the Muslim individual to compromise in religion out of courtesy with any person, for religion is the most precious and the pleasure of Allaah The Almighty is the most sublime thing. Allaah The Almighty says (what means): {They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you].}[Quran 68:9]
Also, it was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah 
said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, saying: "Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allaah by angering people, Allaah will suffice him against the people, and whoever seeks people's contentment by angering Allaah, Allaah will forsake him and leave his matters to the people." [At-Tirmithi]
Allaah Knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
