Intermingling at Weddings

Question

Assalamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa barakatu
Dear Ulama.
Pray all are well.
I would like to inquire about the Islamic ruling regarding interactions between two genders
who are not Mahaarim (close relatives) for each other. For instance, how does Islam view
mixing at events like weddings, graduations, and similar occasions?

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

  1. The presence of both males and females in the same space is permissible.
  2. Interaction between individuals of the opposite gender is impermissible if it involves gazing with desire, fear of fitnah, seclusion, or close intermingling.
  3. The close intermingling of opposite genders, which is deemed haram by our fuqahā’, occurs when their bodies come into such close proximity that there is no space between them.
  4. If an event or gathering ensures that the above impermissible interactions are avoided, then attending for both males and females is permissible, provided no other haram activities, agreed upon by consensus, take place.
  5. While the above highlights what is strictly permissible and impermissible, one should also consider the ideal standards of modesty set by the mothers of the believers and the daughters of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ. These standards are best exemplified by the words of Fāṭimah al-Zahrā’ when she was asked to explain modesty. She said, “It entails that a woman does not see the face of a strange man and that he does not see her face.”
  6. Accordingly, whenever feasible, it is preferred to hold functions where males and females are segregated. It is ultimately the way of the Messenger  ﷺ and would remove one from all blame.

والله تعالى أعلم

And Allāh knows best

 

Mufti Abdurragmaan Khan

النصوص المستندة إليها

إعانة الطالبين (عثمان البكري) صــــــــــ٣١٣ جــــــ ١

ﻭﻣﻨﻪ اﻟﻮﻗﻮﻑ ﻟﻴﻠﺔ ﻋﺮﻓﺔ ﺃﻭ اﻟﻤﺸﻌﺮ اﻟﺤﺮاﻡ، ﻭاﻻﺟﺘﻤﺎﻉ ﻟﻴﺎﻟﻲ اﻟﺨﺘﻮﻡ ﺁﺧﺮ ﺭﻣﻀﺎﻥ، ﻭﻧﺼﺐ اﻟﻤﻨﺎﺑﺮ ﻭاﻟﺨﻄﺐ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ، ﻓﻴﻜﺮﻩ ﻣﺎ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻜﻦ ﻓﻴﻪ اﺧﺘﻼﻁ اﻟﺮﺟﺎﻝ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺎء ﺑﺄﻥ ﺗﺘﻀﺎﻡ ﺃﺟﺴﺎﻣﻬﻢ ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﺣﺮاﻡ ﻭﻓﺴﻖ

حاشية البجيرمي على الخطيب، صـــ ٤٥٦، جـــــ ٣

ﻗﻮﻟﻪ: (ﺃﻥ ﻻ ﻳﻜﻮﻥ ﻫﻨﺎﻙ ﻣﻨﻜﺮ) ﺃﻱ ﻭﻟﻮ ﻓﻲ اﻋﺘﻘﺎﺩ اﻟﻤﺪﻋﻮ ﻓﻘﻂ ﻛﻔﺮﺵ ﺣﺮﻳﺮ ﻟﻠﺮﺟﺎﻝ ﻭﺷﺮﺏ ﻧﺒﻴﺬ، ﻧﻌﻢ ﻳﺠﻮﺯ اﻟﺤﻀﻮﺭ ﺇﻥ اﻋﺘﻘﺪ اﻟﻔﺎﻋﻞ اﻟﺠﻮاﺯ ﻛﺎﻟﺤﻨﻔﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﺜﺎﻟﻴﻦ ﻟﻜﻨﻪ ﺇﺫا ﺣﻀﺮ ﻻ ﻳﻨﻜﺮ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻫﻮ ﻣﻌﻠﻮﻡ ﻣﻦ ﻗﺎﻋﺪﺓ ﺇﻥ ﺷﺮﻁ اﻹﻧﻜﺎﺭ ﻛﻮﻥ اﻟﻤﻨﻜﺮ ﻣﺠﻤﻌﺎ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺃﻭ ﻳﻌﺘﻘﺪ اﻟﻔﺎﻋﻞ ﺣﺮﻣﺘﻪ. ﻭﻗﻀﻴﺔ ﺫﻟﻚ ﺳﻘﻮﻁ اﻟﻮﺟﻮﺏ ﺩﻭﻥ اﻟﺠﻮاﺯ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﻟﻮ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻫﻨﺎﻙ ﻣﺎﻟﻜﻲ ﻳﺘﻄﻬﺮ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﺴﺘﻌﻤﻞ ﺃﻭ ﺣﻨﻔﻲ ﻳﺘﺮﻙ اﻟﻄﻤﺄﻧﻴﻨﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺼﻼﺓ ﻭﻟﻮ ﻛﺎﻥ اﻟﻔﺎﻋﻞ ﻳﺮﻯ اﻟﺘﺤﺮﻳﻢ ﺩﻭﻥ اﻟﻤﺪﻋﻮ، ﻓﺎﻟﻮﺟﻪ ﺳﻘﻮﻁ اﻟﻮﺟﻮﺏ ﻭﺣﺮﻣﺔ اﻟﺤﻀﻮﺭ ﺇﺫ ﺣﻀﻮﺭ اﻟﻤﻨﻜﺮ ﻭﻟﻮ ﻓﻲ اﻋﺘﻘﺎﺩ اﻟﻔﺎﻋﻞ ﻓﻘﻂ ﻟﻐﻴﺮ ﺇﻧﻜﺎﺭﻩ ﺣﺮاﻡ؛ ﻷﻥ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺇﻗﺮاﺭا ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﻌﺼﻴﺔ ﻭﻫﻮ ﺣﺮاﻡ. اﻩـ. ﺳﻢ.
ﻭﻗﻮﻟﻪ: ” ﻭﻟﻮ ﻓﻲ اﻋﺘﻘﺎﺩ اﻟﻤﺪﻋﻮ ﻓﻘﻂ ” ﻭﻻ ﻳﻨﺎﻓﻴﻪ ﻣﺎ ﻳﺄﺗﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺴﻴﺮ ﺃﻥ اﻟﻌﺒﺮﺓ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺬﻱ ﻳﻨﻜﺮ ﺑﺎﻋﺘﻘﺎﺩ اﻟﻔﺎﻋﻞ ﺗﺤﺮﻳﻤﻪ؛ ﻷﻥ ﻣﺎ ﻫﻨﺎ ﻓﻲ ﻭﺟﻮﺏ اﻟﺤﻀﻮﺭ ﻭﻭﺟﻮﺑﻪ ﻣﻊ ﻭﺟﻮﺩ ﻣﺤﺮﻡ ﻓﻲ اﻋﺘﻘﺎﺩﻩ ﻓﻴﻪ ﻣﺸﻘﺔ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻓﺴﻘﻂ ﻭﺟﻮﺏ اﻟﺤﻀﻮﺭ ﻟﺬﻟﻚ، ﻭﺃﻣﺎ اﻹﻧﻜﺎﺭ ﻓﻔﻴﻪ ﺇﺿﺮاﺭ ﺑﺎﻟﻔﺎﻋﻞ ﻭﻻ ﻳﺠﻮﺯ ﺇﺿﺮاﺭﻩ ﺇﻻ ﺇﺫا اﻋﺘﻘﺪ ﺗﺤﺮﻳﻤﻪ ﺑﺨﻼﻑ ﻣﺎ ﺇﺫا اﻋﺘﻘﺪ اﻟﻤﻨﻜﺮ ﻓﻘﻂ؛ ﻷﻥ ﺃﺣﺪا ﻻ ﻳﻌﺎﻣﻞ ﺑﻘﻀﻴﺔ اﻋﺘﻘﺎﺩ ﻏﻴﺮﻩ. اﻩـ. ﺣﺞ. اﻩـ. ﺳ ﻟ.

MJC (SA)

Other Fatwa

Mufti Abdurragmaan Khan

Is it permissible to operate a drop shipping business?

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته   1. Our current understanding of “drop shipping” is that …

Read More →
Marriage

The Ruling of Marriage to Non-Muslim Females

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته   1. Although marriage to women of the Ahl al-Kitāb …

Read More →
Children

Wuḍū and touching corpses, and crucial decisions at childbirth

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته 1. In terms of the Shāfiʿī madhhab, the wuḍū breaks …

Read More →
Mufti Abdurragmaan Khan

Can Zakah collected by an organization be used to pay the salaries?

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته   1.There are eight categories of Zakah-eligible recipients clearly outlined …

Read More →
Halal

Hypnotherapy

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته 1. To answer your question accurately, we have had to …

Read More →
Mufti Taha Karaan

Zakah for a Hifz Student

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته 1. Of the eight categories outlined in the Qurʾān as …

Read More →
Mufti Abdurragmaan Khan

Periods of Spotting and Continuous Flow

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته   May Allah reward you for your sincere efforts to …

Read More →
Mufti Taha Karaan

Reciting and touching Quran During Menses

السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته   The Mālikī madhhab permits both the recitation and touching of …

Read More →
Jana'iz

Can Females follow a Janāzah procession?

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته   1. There is a consensus in our madhhab that …

Read More →
Marriage

Mother’s Contribution to Wedding Expenses

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته   1. Let us state first and foremost that the …

Read More →
Scroll to Top