Guidance for a University Principal Who Went Beyond Limits – By Imam Abdul Aziz Bin Baz

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Imam Abdul Azeez Bin Baz, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

All praise and thanks belongs to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon Allah’s Messenger, his family and companions. To proceed:

I have seen what was published by As-Siyasah newspaper- issued on 7/24/1404 AH, Number 5644 – and attributed to the Principle of Sana’a University Abdul Azeez Al-Maqalih, in which he claimed that the demand to isolate female students from male students is in opposition to the Shariah, and he utilised as proof – for the permissibility of mixing – that Muslims from the era of of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to pray in the same mosque- men and women- and he said, “Therefore, education must be in one place”.

I was surprised to hear this speech from the principle of an Islamic university in an Islamic country, and asked him to direct his people – men and women – to what will lead to happiness and salvation in this worldly life and the Hereafter. There is no doubt that there is in this speech that which is tantamount to a great crime against the Islamic Shariah, because indeed the Shariah did not call for free mixing, such that the demand to prevent it would be in opposition to it; rather it forbids it and did so in a very strong manner, as Allah, The Most High, said:

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى

And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance.  [Al-Ahzab. 33]

Allah, The Most High, said:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فلا يؤذين وكان اللهه غفورا رحيما

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Al-Ahzab. 59]

Allah, Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections, said:

وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنََ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلاا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husband’s sons, their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess…

وَلا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينََ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. [An-Nur. 31]

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ

And when you ask (the Prophet’s wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. [Al-Ahzab. 53]

In these noble verses, there is a clear demonstration that it is legislated for women to stay in their homes to guard against temptation, and that they only come out of their homes if there is a need. Then Allah warned them that they should not display themselves in a manner similar to the era of pre-Islamic ignorance, which is the display of their beauty and cause temptation among men. It has been authentically reported from Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he said:

“I have not left after me a trial more harmful to men than women”.

This hadith is agreed upon (i.e. recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) and it was narrated by Usamah Bin Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him.

Imam Muslim recorded in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Usamah and Sa’eed Bin Zayd Bin Amr Bin Nufayl, may Allah be pleased with them both, and also in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he said:

“Verily the worldly life is sweet and green, and verily Allah is going to place you as successors upon it in and will see how you act. So, be mindful of the worldly life and be mindful of women, because indeed the first trial for the Children of Israa’eel was due to women”. [Muslim. 2742]

And indeed Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, spoke the truth, because the temptation through women is great, especially in this era wherein most of them do not have the Hijab and they display themselves in a manner similar to the era of pre-Islamic ignorance. Immorality and evil has become rife due to this, and many youth (male and female)- in many countries- became reluctant to get married based on that which Allah has legislated. Indeed, Allah has made it clear that the Hijab is purer for the hearts of everyone and this shows that its removal is most likely to defile the hearts (i.e. corrupt the hearts) of everyone and deviating them from the path of truth.

It is known that the female student sitting with the male student is one of the greatest causes of temptation, one of the reasons for abandoning the Hijab (segregation) that is legislated by Allah for believing women and forbade them from showing their adornment others (i.e. non-Mahrams) (a), which Allah made known in the previous verse of Surah An-Nur. Whoever claims that the command regarding Hijab is only for the mothers of the believers is mistaken and far removed from what is correct – contradicted the many evidences demonstrating a general (command), and he has contradicted Allah’s statement: [ذَلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ – that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts]. (This is) because it is not permissible to say that the Hijab is purer for the hearts of the mothers of the believers and the male Companions and not for those after them. There is no doubt that those who came after the mothers of the believers and the male companions, may Allah be pleased with them, are more in need of Hijab, because of the great difference between them in the strength of faith and insight with regards to acquaintance with truth. This is because the Companions – men and women, including the mothers of the believers- are the best of people after the Prophets, peace be upon them, and the best of generations established by the Messenger’s, peace and blessings be upon him, statement in the hadith recorded in the Sahihayn [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].(b) Therefore, when it is the case that Hijab was purer for their hearts, then those who came after them have a far greater need of this purity.

It is not permissible to specify the texts of the Qur’an and the Sunnah to anyone in the Ummah without valid evidence that shows this specification; therefore, they are generally applied to all the Ummah during the era of the Messenger and after him until the Day of Resurrection. (This is) because, Allah sent His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, to humankind and Jinn during his era and after him until the Day of Resurrection, as Allah  said:

وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَـٰكَ إِلَّا ڪَآفَّةً۬ لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرً۬ا وَنَذِيرً۬ا

And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all humankind. [Saba. 28]

The Noble Qur’an was not only revealed to the people of the Prophet’s era, rather it was also revealed to those after them, as Allah said:

 هَذَا بَلاغٌ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنْذَرُوا بِهِ وَلِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌٌ وَلِيَذَّكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

This (Qur’an) is a Message for humankind (and a clear proof against them), in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is the only One Ilah (God – Allah) – (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah), and that men of understanding may take heed. [Ibrahim 52]

Allah said:

 وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنْذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَنْ بَلَغَ

This Qur’an has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach. [Al-An’am. 19]

In the era of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, women did not intermingle with men- neither in mosques nor in the markets – (in the manner people intermingle nowadays), which the callers to rectification forbid in this era- (the type intermingling which) the Qur’an, the Sunnah and the scholars of the Ummah warn against to caution against temptation; rather, women – in the Prophet’s mosque – prayed behind the men in the last rows- away from the men. The Prophet used yo say:

“The best rows for the men are the first ones and the worst are the last ones. The best of the women’s rows are the last ones and the worst of them is the first”.

During the era of the Prophet, the men were commanded to wait until the women left the mosque so that the men would not mingle with them at the doors of the mosques, despite the Iman and piety they had; so how about those after them?! Women were forbidden from walking in the middle of the road in order to be careful of having contact with men, thus temptation occurs through touching each other when walking on the road. Allah commanded the women of the believers to draw their cloaks all over their bodies so that they cover their adornment with it, in order to prevent temptation. Allah forbade them from showing their adornment to other than those mentioned by Allah in His Mighty Book (c) in order to curtail the causes of temptation, urge towards chastity and distance from the manifestations of corruption and (the evil effects) of free mixing.

So, how can the principle of Sana’a University – may Allah guide and inspire him to His guidance – after all this call for mixing?! He claims that Islam calls to it- that the university campus is like a mosque and the hours of study are like the hours of prayer! For the one who understands Allah’s command and prohibition, knows Allah’s wisdom in what He has legislated for His servants and explained in His Great Book with regards to rulings for men and women, it is well-known that there is a great difference between these matters and the difference is vast. How is it permissible for a believer to say that a female student sitting with a male student is like sitting with her sisters in their rows behind the men (in the Masjid)?! No one with the least handhold of Iman and insight (in this matters) would say this. We might not even be safe together with the presence of the legislated Hijab, so how about if she is sitting with the male student while dressed in an un-Islamic manner, displaying her beauty and attractive looks, and with speech that will lead to temptation? Allah’s Aid is sought, and there is no power nor might except with Allah. Allah said:

فَإِنَّهَا لا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ

Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind. [Al-Hajj. 46]

As for his statement: “Indeed, since the time of the Messenger, Muslims have been performing prayer in the same mosque, men and women, and therefore education must be in one place)”, the answer to this is: this is true, but the women were at the back of the mosques with Hijab – with care and being careful of what would cause temptation, and the men were at the front of the mosque. They [i.e. the women] used to listen to admonitions and sermons, participated in prayer and learned the rulings of their religion from what they heard and witnessed. The Prophet,  peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to go to them on the day of Eid – because they were at a distance and could not hear the sermon – after delivering admonition to the men and gave them an admonition and reminder. There is no problem in all of this, but the problem is in the statements of the principle of Sana’a University -may Allah guide him, reform his heart, and give him understanding of his religion. How is it permissible for him to compare education in our time with women praying behind men in one mosque, although there is a vast difference between the reality of education that is known today and the reality of women praying behind men in the Prophet’s era?!

Due to this reason, the callers to rectification call for the separation of women and men in the arena of education:

Women in a separate place and the young men in another, so that a female can acquire knowledge from female teachers with comfort without Hijab or hardship, because the time period for education is longer than the time period of prayer.

Due to the fact that learning from female teachers in a specific place (i.e. away from men) protects everyone and keeps them away from the causes of temptation, and it is the safest thing for young men not to get tempted through women.

And because young men being alone and separated from girls, together with the fact that it is the safest thing for them against temptation, is most likely to make them pay attention to their lessons and occupy themselves with it- listening well to teachers and receiving knowledge from the teachers while distanced from paying attention to girls, being preoccupied with them, exchanging glances that will intoxicate the hearts and mind with evil desires and statements that leads to immorality.

As for his claim, may Allah rectify him, that the call to isolate female students from male students is tantamount to rigidity and an opposition to the Shariah, this is an untrue claim; rather separating male students from female students is an act of sincere devotion to Allah, sincere advice to Allah’s servants, taking good care of the religion ordained by Allah and adherence to what has already been transmitted from noble verses of the Qur’an and the two Prophetic reports. My advice to the principle of Sana’a University is to fear Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, repent to Allah for what he has done, return to the truth and what is correct, because indeed returning to (truth and what is correct) is virtue itself, a proof regarding the search for truth and equity by the student of knowledge.

And Allah is the One asked to guide all of us to the path of righteousness, protect us and other Muslims from speaking about Him without knowledge, (protect us) from the misleading trials and Shaytan’s enmity, just as we ask Allah to grant success to the scholars of the Muslims and their leaders – in every place – to that which contains rectification (uprightness, wellbeing) for the country and the servants, in this life and the next; and to guide everyone to the straight path, for Allah is Jawwaadun Kareem [Al-Jawwaad – “The Munificent. The One Whose generosity covers everything in existence. The One Who gives liberally and generously to those in need – even when they reject and disbelieve in Him. The One Who – from His generosity – has prepared in Paradise for His believing servants that which no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard of, and which has never been imagined by anyone”, Al-Kareem “The Bountiful, The Generous One. Abundant in good. The One Who causes and makes easy every good. And Who bestows generously. The One so generous that He even bestows favors upon those who reject His favors, and use them as a means to disobey Him”]. (d) And may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and all those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of judgement.

https://binbaz.org.sa/articles/113/%D8%AD%D9%83%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85.

Footnote a: The Mahaarim by Shaikh Abu Khadeejah, may Allah preserve him.

The Mahrams of a Woman (Male Chaperones) for Travel and Sittings – Mindmap

Footnote b: Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “The best people are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then, there will come people after them whose testimony precedes their oaths and their oaths precede their testimony”. [Al-Bukhari 6065 and Muslim 2533]

Footnote c: Allah said:

وَقُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ يَغۡضُضۡنَ مِنۡ أَبۡصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحۡفَظۡنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَا‌ۖ وَلۡيَضۡرِبۡنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِہِنَّ‌ۖ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآٮِٕهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآٮِٕهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ إِخۡوَٲنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِىٓ إِخۡوَٲنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٲتِهِنَّ أَوۡ نِسَآٮِٕهِنَّ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَـٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَ غَيۡرِ أُوْلِى ٱلۡإِرۡبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفۡلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَظۡهَرُواْ عَلَىٰ عَوۡرَٲتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ‌ۖ وَلَا يَضۡرِبۡنَ بِأَرۡجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعۡلَمَ مَا يُخۡفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ‌ۚ وَتُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husband’s sons, their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. [Surah An-Nur. Verse 31]

Footnote d: Names and Attributes of Allah by Shaikh Abu Talhah, may Allah have mercy upon him and his wife]: https://www.salafisounds.com/the-names-attributes-of-allaah-by-abu-talhah-dawood-burbank/