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What is the ruling on my working as a secretary in a commercial company, given my commitment to the legal hijab and general good manners, and is it permissible to pay off one of the sisters' debts from the money earned from this work?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The fundamental principle regarding a woman's place is her home, based on the Almighty's saying: (And abide in your houses). A woman does not need to go out for work unless there is a necessity that cannot be met by a male relative, or if the Muslim community requires something that only women can provide, and provided that the work is exclusively among women, with no mixing with men. This does not apply to the case of a secretary, as there is no necessity compelling her to work, and the work of a secretary is not specifically needed by women. Furthermore, this job exposes her to the gaze of men. Imam Bukhari narrated the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "The eyes commit fornication, and their fornication is gazing; the heart wishes and desires, and the private parts confirm or deny that." Therefore, she must leave this work in obedience to Allah.

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

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