Are Muslim women allowed to work? If so, under what conditions?

Question:

Are Muslim women allowed to work? If so, under what conditions?


Answer:

Muslim women are allowed to work as long as it does not bring about the violation of the laws of the Shariah. They must continue to fulfill the laws of Hijaab without having to compromise this law due to their work.

They are also not allowed to intermingle or have free mixing with the opposite sex. Working in such an environment is not permissible.

In general, a woman must first look at the nature of the work she is being asked to perform. If it entails doing such things which are against the Shariah OR she has to work in an environment which the Shariah has prohibited for her OR her work makes her compromise the teachings of Islam, then in all these cases she would not be allowed to work. If these things are absent, then she may be allowed to work after getting the consent from her husband (if she is married) or from her father (if she is unmarried).

And Allah knows best.
Mufti Waseem Khan