Compilation: Abul 'Amaal Misbaah Olagunju
Bismillaahi wal'hamdulillaah wa salaatu wa salaam alaa ashraf-il-mursaleen
Though the woman is allowed to go out to seek reponse to pressing religious questions as well as to acquire knowledge essential for her due to conditional requirements, this permission is only activated when there is the absence of male relatives who can cater for these needs, and after the permission of her husband or waliy (guardian), however the case may be, and if the quest requires that she journeys away from her place of residence, then she must do so accompanied by a mahram.
Abdullaah bin Abbas narrated as was reported by Imaam Al-Bukhari in his saheeh (and by others).
:عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ تُسَافِرِ الْمَرْأَةُ إِلاَّ مَعَ ذِي
مَحْرَمٍ، وَلاَ يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا رَجُلٌ إِلاَّ وَمَعَهَا مَحْرَمٌ ".
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet said,
"A woman should not travel except with a dhu-Mahram (her husband or a man she is forbidden to marry according to the Islamic Sharee'ah), and no man may visit her except in the presence of a dhu-Mahram."
But just before she makes the decision to go out, the woman has a number of options she can adopt in seeking knowledge, from those mentioned by Imam Abdul'Azeez bin Baaz are;
(1) By way of listening to the teacher's tapes (and this is a really effective means to knowledge).
(2) By way of listening to the jumu'ah khutbah of people of knowledge who are known to be upon the pristine creed.
(3) Listening via radio programs.
(4) By getting busy with the Qur'an, by way of constant recitation with meditation and discernment.
(5) Asking the people of knowledge questions through phone calls, emails, and writen messages (also by employing her male relatives or a female relation of the shaykh to convey her questions to him, as in the practice of the female companions, employing the wives of the prophet to inquire from him on their behalf).
And then:
(6) Attending knowledge circles in the masjid when there is a student of knowledge giving lessons close to her location.
However, for any woman in a state which requires that she sets out in pursuit of knowledge, her first important assignment is the selection of suitable teacher (or teachers) for the purpose of satisfying these needs.
So the third condition which the Islamic sharee'ah had prescribed for a woman going out in search of knowledge, as outlined by Abu AbdurRahman is.
[3] Making sound choice of responder (to her questions) or teacher to take knowledge from.
This aspect is specifically important because it deals with the principle of what is permissible and what is not, for women when making choice of teachers.
And the first section of this principle is that.
#She should not seek response or knowledge from male teachers, except when there is no female teacher available to teach her or respond satisfactorily to her Inquisitions. — meaning the basis is for a woman to take knowledge from her kind and she should only find alternatives in male teachers if she can not find women capable of teaching her or giving her response. Then it is more preserving for her to have female teachers, especially for knowledge which requires Talqeen (dictation/reciting after the teachers prompt), as in learning the recitation of Qur'an as well as during memorization.
Allaah —subhanahu wa taala— commanded the Mothers of the believers and by extension the Muslim women in Surah Al-Ahzab, Verse 32:
إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا
"If you will be on your guard, then be not soft in (your) speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a good word."
And since conditioning the voice and pronouncing the huroof with nice intonation is a basic requirement in recitation (especially of Qur'an), it is not appropriate for grown-ups to take this form of knowledge from the opposite sex, as this is exposing the parties to trials.
This requirement is what is expressed in the second aspect of the principle of making teacher (or responder) choices —how the woman should relate with her male teachers—, and that is:
#The woman should not engage the Shaykh (teacher) in direct vocal conversation, except in the presence of others. A woman who have no alternative is permitted to ask the shaykh directly, but she doew that in the presence of others. The proof for this permission is in the hadith of Umm Salamah, concerning Umm Sulaym as was reported in the saheeh of Imam Muslim, and other similar narrations.
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ جَاءَتْ أُمُّ سُلَيْمٍ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ فَهَلْ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ مِنْ غُسْلٍ إِذَا احْتَلَمَتْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " نَعَمْ إِذَا رَأَتِ الْمَاءَ " . فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَتَحْتَلِمُ الْمَرْأَةُ فَقَالَ " تَرِبَتْ يَدَاكِ فَبِمَ يُشْبِهُهَا وَلَدُهَا " .
"Umm Salamah reported: Umm Sulaym came too the Messenger of Allaah and said: Messenger of Allaah, verily Allaah is not ashamed of the truth. Is bathing necessary for a woman when she have a sexual dream? Upon this the Messenger of Allaah said: Yes, when she sees the liquid (vaginal secretion). Umm Salamah said: Messenger of Allaah, does a woman have sexual dream? He (the Holy Prophet) said: may your hands be covered with dust, how else does her child resemble her"
She should not be alone or secluded with the Shaykh because of the Prophet's statement reported by Umar in one of his khutbah as the khalifah, as recorded by Imaam Tirmidhi in his Jaami'.
أَلاَ لاَ يَخْلُوَنَّ رَجُلٌ بِامْرَأَةٍ إِلاَّ كَانَ ثَالِثَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ
"Behold! a man is not alone with a woman except that the third of them is Shaytan"
Meaning his (shaytan's) temptation is more severe whenever a woman is secluded with an ajaanib.
Then the fourth point to note from the Shuroot (conditional requirements) binding the going out of women on the path of knowledge is the avoidance of Ikhtilat and Khalwah.
[4] Avoiding coming in contact with the Shaykh or being in seclusion with him, and also intermingling with male students in the knowledge circles or classes.
This is an important point to give special attention to, as it is a major door from the doors in which majority fall into fitnah (tribulations).
The excuse of learning or giving knowledge does not permit seclusion or intermingling of opposite sexes, as the danger is as severe, and may even be more severe than it's occurrence at other instances. It may be more severe because the teacher already has a connection with his student; the student admiring the teacher for the status he holds with her as her teacher and for the purpose he is serving her, and the teacher being concerned about his student. This is a means Shaytaan could explore to try both of them, and how many people have been tried by way of this means? We ask Allaah for safety.
Also she must avoid being in contact with male students in the gathering and this is also very important. The women in the knowledge circle must be segregated from the men so that they do not see them. They could occupy a separate space behind a barrier which doesn't prevent them from hearing the lessons. And the best practice is to have separate classes for the women, as this is more preserving, and it is the sunnah of the noble Prophet —may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace—, but when the Shaykh goes to teach them, he should again avoid entering upon them alone. Uqbah bin Aamir narrated from the Prophet as reported in the saheehayn and other books of ahaadith;
عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِيَّاكُمْ وَالدُّخُولَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ " . فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَفَرَأَيْتَ الْحَمْوَ قَالَ " الْحَمْوُ الْمَوْتُ " .
'Uqbah bin. Aamir reported Allaah's Messenger as saying: "Beware of entering upon the women! A person from the Ansar said: Allaah's Messenger, what about husband's brother, whereupon he said: 'Husband's brother is like death.'"
The Shaykh should emulate the Prophet —may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace— in doing this and in going to them while being accompanied by others.
Abu Said al-Khudri narrated as was reported in the Saheehayn:
وعن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه قال: جاءت امرأة إلي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فقالت: يا رسول الله ذهب الرجال بحديثك، فاجعل لنا مننفسك يوماً ناتيك فيه تعلمنا مما علمك الله، قال: “اجتمعن يوم كذا وكذا” فاجتمعن، فأتاهن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فعلمهن مما علمه الله، ثم قال:
"ما منكن من امرأة تقدم ثلاثة من الولد إلا كانوا لها حجاباً من النار" فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ وَاثْنَيْنِ فَقَالَ " وَاثْنَيْنِ "
"Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Only men benefit from your talks, so please fix a day for us, to teach us the knowledge which Allah has taught you." The Messenger of Allah fixed a day and directed them to assemble. When they gathered, the Prophet went to them and taught them what Allah had taught him. He then said, "Any woman of you whose three children die (in infancy) they will be a guard for her against Fire (of Hell)." One of the women asked: "What if she loses two?" The Messenger of Allah replied, "Even two."
And from what is derived from this report is that the reporter (Abu Sa'id) witnessed this because he accompanied the Prophet on the occasion of this incident.
Another point of note if she must ask the Shaykh in person or via other conversational means without intermediary is that she should to be precise and brief with her questions, and shield herself with the adornment of good mannerism in the presence of the teacher. And from what Abu AbdurRahman has mentioned from these mannerism is the fifth conditional requirement for a woman going out in search of knowledge:
[5] Exclusivity as much as necessary for the response.
The woman inquiring about or seeking clarification to a particular matter relating to her religion from a male Shaykh has the obligation of being precise and brief as much as possible with her questions, and should avoid details and digressions that are not necessary for the Shaykh to understand her. She should try as much as possible to stay on the subject matter.
And after she gets a response to her question(s), it is not permissible for her to engage the Shaykh in prolonged conversation. This is for the fear of fitnah for her and the Shaykh.
References:
Fadaailul-Hijaab wa aaqibatu tabarruj wal ikhtilaat - Aboo AbdurRahmaan.
Al-Adaab ash-shar'iyyah linisaa fee talabil lm - Amr Abdumun'im.
Kayfiyah talaqiy al-mar'ah li-lm ash-shar'iy - Mawqi' ar-rasmiy samaa'ah ash-shaykh Abdul'Azeez bin Baaz
Wa salallaahu alaa nabiyyina Muhammad wa alihi was'haabihi wa salaman tasleeman katheerah.
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