What is your advice to girls in mixed-gender universities? What are the limits of collegiality between men and women in study and work, and is it permissible for a woman to sit with a man in a public place for that purpose, and what is your response to citing the participation of female Companions in battles to justify this?

There is no harm in a woman being with a man in public places such as schools, workplaces, and the like, if the woman adheres to the following Sharia-compliant guidelines:

1. No khalwa (private seclusion). 2. The woman’s adherence to the Sharia-compliant dress, covering her entire body, free from anything that excites or describes. 3. Not to be perfumed. 4. Not to speak in a soft, alluring manner in her speech.

As for establishing relationships between men and women, it is forbidden regardless of its purpose.