#691: The Inability to avoid Congregations of Free Mixing
QUESTION:
“سلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Question: pls how do we reconcile the teaching in Islam that shuns us away from free mixing when we live in a country that doesn’t follow the Islamic rules of segregating the genders. Would the aya in suratul Nisa :97 be against us?”
ANSWER:
Wa Alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh.
Sūratu An-Nisā verse 97 talks about the punishment of the Believers who had the opportunity to migrate to the Land of Islām where they would be free to make apparent their Dīn and render Ibādah to Allāh and failed to do so without excuses, then got carried away with mixing with the Kuffār and then ultimately lost the strength of their faith to the Fitnah of living with the Kuffār.
The Ulamā have agreed that the punishment for not making Hijrah is dependent on an established presence of an Imām of the Muslims, the wherewithal to make the Hijrah and the inclusion of that Muslim among those upon whom Hijrah was compulsory.
We shall, Allāh willing, discuss in detail, the matters relating to Hijrah in the near future. We ask Allāh to make it easy, Amin.
What is important to understand here is simply that the verse to which you refer is not applicable to such situations.
As for free mingling of the sexes, a Muslim must fear Allāh and avoid arenas where such free mingling takes place. And if situations compel him to be in such environs, then he must fear Allāh, lower his gaze and avoid the acts that may lead him to the Nār.
And Allāh knows best
Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran
9th Rabi’u Ath-thani, 1440H.
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