Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterWomen working as medical interpreters with male doctors and patients
Question
Assalaamu alaykom. My question is about pursuing a career as a medical interpreter. Being a Muslim woman, is it halal for me to do this given that I may find myself in a situation where I am with a male doctor and a male patient in a doctor's room or office interpreting for them? If that career is not halal, can you please give me some recommendations regarding where a Muslim woman should work? May Allah reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
There is no harm for a woman to work as a medical interpreter as long as she observes the hijaab and does not speak in a soft and attractive voice and provided that her work does not lead her to be in seclusion with a non-Mahram man.
As regards being in seclusion with two or more men, then this is permissible according to the view that we adopt here in Islamweb, as the Prophet said, “After this day, no man should enter the house of a woman whose husband is absent [or who does not have anyone in her presence], unless he is accompanied by one or two men.” [Muslim]
This is of course if the two men are religious and trustworthy, as they are most unlikely to agree on evil. However, if they are known to be dissolute and transgress the limits of Allah, then it is not permissible for a woman to be in seclusion with them.
There is no doubt that it is better and safer for a woman to stay away from working in a field in which there are many men around, as it was reported that Faatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “The best thing for a woman is that she does not see men and men do not to see her.”
There are many fields of work in which women can work without mixing with men, such as teaching in girls' schools or working in women's hospitals and so on, and whoever fears Allah, He will make a way out for him and provide for him from sources he never expects.
For more benefit on the terms and conditions of women's work and the preferred areas of their work, please refer to fatwas 83607 and 82399.
Allah knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
