A woman being alone in a car with ...

Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta

A woman being alone in a car with a man

Question

t no. 2906 for the year 2005 which includes the following:
I am a university student. My question is whether it is permissible for a female to be alone with a male colleague in his car to give her a lift? I get embarrassed whenever I am in such a situation.

Answer


If you are asking about the ruling of Islamic law concerning a female being alone in a car with a man, then the principle is permissibility provided the legal guidelines are met and religious boundaries are respected. This is achieved by keeping one's senses and feelings from transgressing what Allah has prohibited and by avoiding being together with a member of the opposite sex in a secluded place (khulwa), and not travelling with a member of the opposite sex except for a necessity or a compelling need that reaches the degree of a necessity. It remains permissible as long as one does not violate the legal sanctity in which case it becomes prohibited.

If you are asking about a personal feeling of embarrassment due to being alone in a car with a female colleague, there is nothing wrong if you or others like you who get embarrassed about some lawful matters, avoid them for fear of committing something unlawful. Our righteous Successors would leave seventy parts of lawful matters for fear of committing something unlawful. This and similar situations are the subject of the hadith that states, "Consult your heart and consult yourself,"—the Prophet repeated this three times—"Righteousness is that about which the heart and self feel tranquil and wrongdoing is that which wavers in the soul and moves to and fro in the chest even though people give you a favorable opinion on it" [Ahmed]. All of this depends on not prohibiting what is lawful, but rather taking from it what suits you and avoiding what does not. Politely excuse yourself from your colleague in a manner that does not harm your image or that of Islam.
Allah the Almighty knows best.

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