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What is the ruling on a woman working in distant places where there is intermingling with Muslim and non-Muslim men, knowing that many of them cite difficult financial circumstances as an excuse?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A woman going to work in distant, mixed-gender environments is not permissible except out of a genuine necessity that is recognized by Islamic law. This would be, for example, if she has no one to support her and she cannot find an alternative or a non-mixed work environment. It is stipulated that she adheres to the Islamic veil (hijab) and the manners of Islam, such as lowering her gaze. If the work requires travel, she is not permitted to travel except with a mahram (unmarriageable kin), based on the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) saying: "It is not lawful for a woman to travel for three (days) except with a mahram from among her kin."

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

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