Women working

Q: I am an engineer. My salary is an amount that I can just afford to take care of my family. I will not really be saving anything. However, my wife is a dentist, she did not start her practice yet. She just passed her exam a month ago. I permit her to see female patients by opening a surgery. But she wants to be a BCS cadre. This is the highest prestigious govt. job in our country for practicing in a govt. hospital. That means, she is not only interested in the money but also social dignity. If she becomes a dentist in a govt. hospital, she will have to face males nurses and male patients also. If she can avoid male patients, she will still need to talk to other male doctors as well as her colleagues. She will also need to talk about some unnecessary aspects e.g. can she say to her colleague, hello Mr. X, how are you and your family? This is not directly related to her profession but she has to do this. Please note that she wears the purdah but she is very keen to do that job. I am not interested in her doing the job due to the reason I mentioned above, but she forces me again and again. If it is permissible then I will permit her and save my mental peace.

A: When you have the means to run the home and bear the expenses then it is not permissible for her to leave the home.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

 

Answered by:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)