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Fatwa CenterCan a Muslim woman work as a hospital receptionist?
Question
Can a muslim women work as hospital recptionist snd if yes how should she talk with male customer
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.
First, it should be understood that, basically, a woman should abide in her house, as it is better for her, preserves her dignity, and safeguards and keeps her away from places of suspicion. Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {And abide in your houses} [Quran 33:33]. In his interpretation, Ibn Katheer 
elaborated: “This means to stay within homes and not leave them without a need.”
If a woman needs to work, whether in a hospital or elsewhere, she must adhere to the Sharee'ah guidelines, the most important of which are the following:
First: Wearing the appropriate hijab that fulfills its Sharee'ah conditions.
Second: She must avoid speaking softly when conversing with men, as Allah, the Exalted, commands (what means): {… then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech} [Quran 33:32]. Ibn Katheer commented: “As-Suddi and others explained that this refers to speaking softly when addressing men... meaning a woman must not address unrelated men with endearing language as she does with her husband.”
Third: She must avoid seclusion with men, as the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: “No man is alone with a non-Mahram woman but the devil is the third one present.” [At-Tirmidhi and others]. Jurists have explicitly stated, based on this and similar Hadeeths, that being alone with a non-Mahram woman is forbidden.
Fourth: She must refrain from using perfumes when leaving the house, as women are not allowed to wear perfume when leaving the house, as narrated in the Hadith, stating: “If a woman wears perfume and then goes out among the people so that they may smell her fragrance, she is such and such” [Ahmad in Al-Musnad].
Fifth: She should limit her conversations with men to what is necessary, without unnecessary expansion, to prevent temptation and avoid suspicion. In Majmu’ Al-Fatawa, Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says: “The principle is that anything that leads to temptation is not permissible, for the means to corruption must be blocked unless there is a predominant benefit opposing it.”
Sixth: If she is married, she must not go out to work without her husband’s permission.
If a woman works in a hospital while adhering to these guidelines, then there is no objection to her doing so.
Allah knows best.
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