Career women in Islam

All Islamic societies contain a mixture of local pre-Islamic practices and behavior (budaya zaman jahilia), resulting in the present cultural diversity among the followers of Islam and one of the pre-Islamic practice that has slipped through is the segregation of men and women.

The practice of some Muslim women staying at home so as to avoid mixing with men, other than their husbands and mahram can be traced back to a verse of the Quran, which was 'directed specifically' to the Prophet (pbuh) wives only:

"O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allah , then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech. And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as the display of the former times of ignorance. " (QS 33:32, 33)

The wives of the Prophet (pbuh) were in a unique situation because they were the wives of a Prophet of God which was also the Head of State. And they were given the title 'Mother of the Believers' (Ummul Mukminin). And they had the responsibilities of teaching and spreading Islam to other women.

However, the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) are allowed to go out, there were no prohibition for them to go out if they want to. There was a hadith from Aisyah ra in Sahih Bukhari that narrates one of the Prophet wives asked him if women are allowed to go out, and the Prophet replied, "Women are allowed to go out for their needs".

Furthermore, during the Prophet time, women are allowed to work, attend gatherings, pray in the mosque, travel long journeys in caravans from Makkah to Madinah and perform Hajj. Women are even allowed to fight battles alongside men in war, all away from homes.

The Caliph Umar ibn Khattab ra appointed a woman, Shaffa bint Abdullah bin Abdush-Shams, as Chief Administrator of a marketplace. She would stand in the middle of the crowd administering and justifying fairness in trading and transaction among men and women traders in the busy market.

If Islam had prescribed strict gender segregation, it would surely have prescribed it for the great gathering of Hajj. Instead, both sexes perform the Hajj together. In fact, a truly Islamic society requires women to take up a profession such as doctors, gynecologists, female nurses, teachers etc to cater to the women needs.

In Islam, if a woman wishes to go out and work (or do business), she is allowed to do so. There is no prohibition in the Qur’an or any authentic hadith that prevents them to so, as long as it is not unlawful work and as long as it is within the preview of the Islamic Shariah.


Wallahu'alam