Separating the sexes during Islamic lectures

2-5-2004 | IslamWeb

Question:

We provide Islamic lectures at university for students and partition the room with a curtain to make the brothers and sisters feel comfortable, as some sisters are not dressed appropriately. Please give examples from the Qur’an and Sunnah about segregation. Some brothers and sisters say its Bid’ah.

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

 

Making separation between males and females with a curtain is a good practice since it protects them from any seduction that could happen especially if there are females that do not observe the full Islamic Hijab.

Even though the females are fully covered it is desirable to separate them from males with a curtain or something to provide better covering since it is very possible that some parts of the body of some females may come into view unintentionally while they are busy in their studies.

It is a fact that generally males feel seduction by seeing women and probably that might lead to further steps of unlawful matters as it is known in many co-educational institutions. To avoid such bad consequences it is better to maintain complete separation between the sexes.

However, if the females are totally in Islamic Hijab and if the males lower their gaze and do not look at women, and if their places are separated from each other in this case having a curtain is not compulsory.

 

Allah knows best.