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What is the ruling on a woman working and traveling for work in the diplomatic corps in a foreign country (Muslim or non-Muslim) for several years?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The basic principle is that women should remain in their homes, adhering to their hijab, based on the Almighty's saying: "And abide in your houses" (Quran 33:33) and "And when you ask them [the Prophet's wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition" (Quran 33:53). However, it is permissible for a woman to travel and work under certain conditions, among them: that she travels with a mahram, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel for a day and a night's journey except with a mahram." Furthermore, she should not mix with non-mahram men except out of necessity, while avoiding khalwa (private seclusion with a non-mahram), speaking softly and alluringly, displaying her adornments, and must adhere to the hijab. The situation becomes worse if the travel is to countries where evil deeds are widespread.

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

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