Muslim women becoming bureaucrats

Q: Can Muslim women become bureaucrats? If they observe hijab, have a separate office, and talk to men only when needed?

A: The hadeeth says that a woman is to be concealed, and when she leaves the home then shaytaan looks for ways to mislead people. The best thing for a woman is that she must not look at a male and a male must not look at her. Hadhrat Faatimah (radhiyallahu anha), the leader of the women of Jannah was asked to remain within the home whilst her husband, Hadhrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu) was made in charge of all the affairs that related to the outside. Hence, in view of the above, if a woman has to go out of her house at some point or the other she will not be conforming with the standard of the hadith. Hence we discourage this.

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

عن ضمرة بن حبيب قال: قضى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على ابنته فاطمة بخدمة البيت وقضى على علي بما كان خارجا من البيت من الخدمة (مصنف ابن أبي شيبة، الرقم: 29069، و الحديث مرسل ضعيف كما في حاشية الشيخ محمد عوّامة على المصنف لابن ابي شيبة)

وَقَرْنَ ​فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ (الأحزاب: ٣٣)

عن عبد الله عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم  قال إن المرأة عورة فإذا خرجت استشرفها الشيطان وأقرب ما تكون من وجه ربها وهي في قعر بيتها (مسند البزار، الرقم: 1820)

Answered by:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)