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Is it forbidden or suspicious for a female doctor to touch foreign male students, or for male students to touch a foreign female doctor, during practical exercises, for the purpose of correcting postures and learning?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A Muslim woman must lower her gaze, guard her chastity, and not display her adornment. Physical contact has a stronger impact than looking. Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim female student to touch a male student or a foreign (non-mahram) male professor. She must choose colleges where women teach. It is not permissible for her to practice (e.g., in medical training) on foreign (non-mahram) men except in cases of extreme necessity, such as studying medicine without the availability of a female alternative. In such a case, the necessity is estimated by its extent and should not be exceeded. If she cannot find a place where women teach and she is not compelled, then it is not permissible for her to practice on men.

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

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