Q: I am a 20 year old male living in the UK. I want to go to university in this country however, there are very expensive tuition fees therefore most people have to take out a haram interest loan. However, there are a few courses that are full NHS funded so I can avoid the haram loan. One is called Dietetics BSc. I really want to do this course. However, the course is 87% female. The majority of these are young 'attractive young ladies'. There are 13% male on this course and I'd do my best to avoid the females and stick with my male friends. However, a male being on a 87% female course, it will be hard to avoid them, and I fear looking at them with desire-which is haram in the hanafi madhab. Is there any position in any of the four sunni madhabs that will allow me to look at these students potentially with desire? I understand the whole point of these Islamic gender laws is to avoid
adultery. Even If I look at them even with desire, insha'Allah, nothing will come of it and I won't commit adultery, I will avoid them these girls as much as I can and lower my gaze, but sometimes it is difficult to talk to these people without looking at them and I cannot guarantee that my looks will be free from desire.
I want to study this to earn a halal income, improve the health of my community and avoid the haram student loan, but I may have to look at these
people but I am not interested in taking it any further with these girls. They're students, like me, and potentially a fitna for me. I will treat them
that way. But I cannot guarantee my looks will be free from desire.