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Fatwa CenterSeveral women's responsibilities
Question
1) According to Shariah how much permission is afforded a woman who covers and leaves her home to study religion and worldly education?
2) Does a 40-year-old female required to wear Hijab?
3) According to Shariah what are the responsibilities of a married woman toward her mother who lives in the same city but cannot see her often because of her duties at home?
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.
Answer to first question:
There is no harm for a woman to go out for studies or any other matter if she is in need of that on the condition that she does not transgress boundaries of Shariah, like mixing (of men and women), not being properly dressed, or being a cause of Fitnah (affliction) and so on.
In relation to your question “how much permission is given for her according to Shariah in relation to Hijab?”, if you are asking whether it is permissible for her to leave the Hijab, the answer is no, because it is an obligation on her to wear Hijab as there are many texts which order women to wear it, like the Saying of Allah: {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)….}[33:59]. Allah also Says (interpretation of meaning): {…And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen …}[33:53]. Allah further Says (interpretation of meaning): {…and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance,…..}[33:33].
If she is at her home, then there is no harm in putting of the Hijab.
Answer to second question:
If a woman is at the age of 40, then what applies to a girl applies to her. If she is amongst Muslim women, her Awrah is from the navel to the knees, and if she is amongst her male Mahrams, then she should cover herself except her face, head, hands and feet, and if she is amongst non-Muslim women, she should cover all her body, except what is seen usually, while she is at work. And if she is amongst alien men, then she should cover all her body.
Therefore, she should know that she must cover her arms and legs, except if she is amongst Muslim women or with male Mahrams.
Answer to third question:
It is not obligatory upon a woman to dwell with her mother or to visit her daily. It is only obligatory on her to visit her mother from time to time and be kind to her. If her mother is poor or in need of provision or in need of a servant, then this becomes obligatory on whomever is able to do that amongst her sons or daughters.
Khalil said: ‘It is incumbent upon a rich person to provide for their insolvent parents because of the ties of kinship.’
The author of Taj al-Iklil said: ‘He should also spend on the servant of the wife of his father, because she is serving his father, and it is incumbent on the son to serve his father.’ The ruling concerning the mother is similar to that of the father.
Allah knows best.
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