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Does someone who stands up for an elderly woman on public transportation with the intention of getting closer to a young woman feel happy, and is a Muslim different from a non-Muslim in this regard?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A man standing up for an elderly woman to sit in his place is a praiseworthy act, but it becomes sinful if it is done with a corrupt intention, such as touching a non-mahram woman, for "the means take the ruling of the ends." Happiness lies in faith, obedience, and righteous deeds, while sins are a cause of misery. The four imams have agreed on the prohibition of physical contact and touching between non-mahram individuals due to the temptation it entails, and touching is more severe than looking. Officials should organize public transportation to avoid mixing, and a Muslim should be keen to seek Allah Almighty's pleasure in all his actions.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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