ANSWERED: Muslim Student Associations & gender interaction

[asma]

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

:insh: all of the scholars are gaining great rewards for their efforts during this blessed month. I hate to ask a question right now, but it's a bit pressing -- only answer when/if you have time insha`Allah. Allah yabarak feekum.

There was a thread about being involved in MSAs... http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1366&highlight=muslim+student
...with one major problem mentioned about involvement being that MSAs do some halal events and some doubtful ones, and we have to carefully pick and choose between them.

As it turns out, all of the sudden, I'm in the fortunate situation of being part of a group of muslim students interested in reviving a long-defunct MSA and reforming it to be as halal as possible in organization(read: gender interaction) and da`wah insha`Allah, to preserve the barakah of our efforts. So we're seeking guidance from all of the upright sources we know of in hopes of doing this right insha`Allah.

We hope to have elections around November 27 insha`Allah and become more active thereafter, so a response would be highly appreciated before then.

we have 3 overall dilemmas about:

1. Mixed meetings: We are a small-town muslim community, with about 15-20 students who have time to be active members of the MSA (alhamdulillah). For the sake of unity and planning, can males and females have occasional meetings in the same room, in which seating is segregated and hijab is observed and khalwah is entirely avoided, to discuss plans in a very businesslike manner? -- for example, can we meet to hold elections? Could you please tell us the extent to which speaking and working together in this way is allowed? Can we be somewhat friendly to one another, or should we be as businesslike and curt as possible? Is it better to do as much planning as possible through a group email list rather than in person, or is that also questionable?

2. Elections: What is a halal method of choosing or electing students for the 4 standard officer positions (nominations, choosing through shura, voting, self-nominations etc...)?
Can upright muslim women be officers and presidents of MSAs? If so, what can be said to men who think that is inappropriate? Other scholars have said that the priority of muslims in the west is organization and activity, so in this case having an active muslim student group is more important than the gender of the leaders. We would like advice on this insha`Allah soonest of all.

3. Da'wah guidelines: If we hold da`wah events ("Women in Islam," "What is Ramadan?," interfaith iftaars, fast-a-thons etc) for a largely american audience, to what extent must we plan the seating to follow islamic rules of gender interaction? Can we allow the non-muslims to mix in seating (the muslims of course will take care to self-segregate)? If segregation turns people off to our events, can we allow mixed seating to prioritize da`wah? (I''ve heard another shaykh say that this would be allowed if we consider the "fiqh al-awlawiyyat," by which making da`wah is
more important than segregation). Is there more harm in these events than there is good, as lowering the gaze is difficult in these situations? Or does making da`wah take priority?


Your guidance will be highly, highly appreciated by our MSA and we will try to follow it as well as possible insha`Allah to ensure the rewards and benefits of our activities.

Jazakum Allahu khairan,

was-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

[eat-halal guy]

:salam:

I'm sorry for leaving this question unanswered, but we haven't forgotten about it. I asked Mufti Yusuf to answer it, but he's currently in Pakistan. Hopefully, he'll answer it in the near future, Insha-Allah.

It's a bit complex, which is why I'd rather not answer it, because if I do, I'll just be offering my personal opinions...


Wassalam,
Ziad

[haqq]

Assalaamualaikum,

Here is what Mufti Nawal-ur-Rahman says on a similar situation:


Q: I am a member of an Islamic student organization. We also have girls in our group. Is it permitted to sit with namahram girls and talk to them. Can a Girl be president of any Muslim organization like the MSA (Muslim students association). (U.S.A)

Click here (http://www.shariahboard.com/fatwa/Hijab/2278.php) to listen to the answer.

[asma]

:salam:

jazakum Allahu khairan for all of the responses. I also received a very beneficial answer from Sidi Faraz: http://www2.msstate.edu/~eas97/QA%20-%20MSA%20and%20Interaction.mp3

My first two sets of questions have been answered alhamdulillah from the audio links posted here -- it looks as if:
-Brief businesslike meetings are permissible as long as hijab and hayaa are observed and genders sit separately
-It is permissible for females to be officers
(I haven't listened to Br. Haqq's audio link yet because my roommate/urdu-translator is out)

The one question remaining, perhaps for someone like Mufti Yusuf, is #3: how to organize da`wah events, i.e. how much gender segregation we can possibly require of non-muslims in the american context.
To elaborate: We're in the bible belt =) . There are sooo many misconceptions to clear up down here, and da`wah/good PR feels exceedingly necessary. We'd like to have events in which non-muslims can meet us casually on campus, without feeling proselytized or lectured to, like Faculty iftaars or other primarily social/charitable/non-lecture events like the Fast-a-Thon that MSA-National organized (in which MSAs invite non-muslims to fast for one day and join them at [mixed] iftaar to raise money for charity: http://www.fastathon.com).

We held a fast-a-thon on campus 2 weeks ago, actually, and it was awesome in many ways alhamdulillah, but there was mixing -- not so much of muslims, but of non-muslims, and some muslims were uncomfortable with that. It seemed like a necessary concession: gender segregation is not exactly casual to non-muslims, and it was clear by the positive response at the end of the evening that many people walked away "knowing a muslim" and having a positive, humanized image of Islam, which might not have happened in any other way.

But should we abandon that sort of event, and stick to lectures? If so, when we have those, must seating be segregated and non-muslim women hijabed?

Elections have been pushed back to Nov 27 because of the `eid, and the questions are still not terribly pressing.. so use your last 5 days in more beneficial ways insha`Allah =]

may Allah reward all of you.
wasalam
Asma

[asma]

:salam:

I just noticed that my question thread has been closed =):
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1816&highlight=association

but we were waiting on further answers from Mufti Yusuf or Maulana Ziad inshaa`Allah, especially about:

1. Can women hold leadership positions in MSA if they are elected?

2. Can da'wah events for non-muslims have mixed seating, due to the cultural difficulty of segregating genders in America? For example, a lecture on islam and violence.

A response would be reeeeally really appreciated, elections are in 15 hours lol...

Allah yabarak feekum
Asma

[asma]

:salam:

and, uh, now in the past tense, what does a sister do if she has been nominated and elected as MSA president and has an almost all-male executive board? :( Can this in any way be permissible, if meetings are very short and businesslike? oy ve :astagh: i have _no_ idea what to do.

:jazak:

[Mossy]

It's permissable as shown below. You may wish to get in touch with MSA national - their current national head is female I believe. They should be able to give you more specific support.

You have a remit, you have your responsibilities. They have theirs too - the main issue is one of respect. Remind the brothers what the purpose of the organisation is and make sure all of these responsibilities are maintained correctly. Ideally as head you're just a figurehead anyway, so do the best you can and do istikhara for the really tough decisions ;)

Bon chance.

[Saleel]

:salam:

A pertinent point to note here would be that RasulAllah saw never appointed a female to lead a Jamaat. In fact, RasulAllah saw said: "A nation that has entrusted its affairs to a woman can never be successful." (Bukhari, Nisai, Tirmidhi). Nabi Kareem saw also said in another Hadith, "Men are destroyed when they obey women." (Saheeh)

I would highly recommend reading the following:
Female Leadership in Islam by Moulana Muhammad Karolia (http://www.islamsa.org.za/library/pamphlets/female_leadership_in_islam.htm)

I believe this is even more important in this situation as you have mentioned the excutive board of the MSA is mainly male. Inter-mingling of the sexes is haraam in Islam. I believe it would become increasingly difficult to maintain absolute strict segregation in organisations which are dogged with free-mixing. Wallahu Alam.

Even though the woman's voice is not considered part of her purdah in the Hanafi Madhhab, it possesses the ability to incite passion in man. Even if strict segregation was maintained, there is no assurance that desires will not be created in the hearts of all those involved. (When there is a need for a woman to speak, she should not adorn her voice, may not speak in soft and alluring tones, or seductively. She should speak from behind a screen with harshness in her voice. These are all stated in Surah Al Ahzab.) Ultimately, strengthening one's personal Jihad and state of Deen is more important than working on others.

Please do not be swayed by the comments of the liberalists and modernists who permit just about everything. Islam is not cruel to women; in fact, it is out of the love and respect Islam adorns women with which the rules pertaining to their Hijab (concealment) have been laid down.

Insha'allah the Ulema can elaborate.

:salam:

[Ansari]

:salam:

I just noticed that my question thread has been closed =):
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1816&highlight=association

but we were waiting on further answers from Mufti Yusuf or Maulana Ziad inshaa`Allah, especially about:
Asma
:salam:
It just depends on which scholar you ask this question. Some scholars will reply strict and some not. And some other scholars will reply totally different and have a less strict (or suitable) interpretation of 'intermingling' and the hadith mentioned by Saleel.

If you want a 'positive' answer. You can read these books by aisha bewley (abu jafar recommended here books on his forum)

Islam: The Empowering of Women

Muslim Women : A Biographical Dictionary (Aisha Bewley) (the introduction only)

[Mossy]

Please do not be swayed by the comments of the liberalists and modernists who permit just about everything. Islam is not cruel to women; in fact, it is out of the love and respect Islam adorns women with which the rules pertaining to their Hijab (concealment) have been laid down.

Bro, there really are variant valid positions on these issues within the boundaries of the madhabs. In the end it boils down to which madhab you have chosen (as each interprets the base texts with a different twist) and which strain within that madhab (for example Turkish hanafis seem to be less literal than South African ones).

It really does depend on who you ask as a result given the ikhtilaf on female societal function.. All have their daleels and all have their balances - for example, the one delineated below heavily relies on sadd al dhara'i.. I personally disagree with that type of position as it seems to project male promiscuities onto the female (women are a fitnah, fitnah must be stopped etc) and it doesn't seem to match up with accounts such as those in the books referenced by br Pako on women in Islam. But I respect their right to hold such positions.

With reference to sr Aisha Bewley's (http://store.yahoo.com/islamicbookstore-com/b7909.html) book, here is an excerpt from the forums at jannah.org:


This book originally came about as a response to frequent requests to provide some sources about women scholars. When I went through my biographical references, I was surprised by the number of references to women, and the great number of women represented in all areas of life, from scholars to rules, whether regents or women who ruled in their own right, or women who wielded substantial political influence. This led to the decision to compile a larger source of reference of Muslim women. Given modern views of women in Islam, it gives us a surprising picture of just how active women have been in the history of Islam from the very beginning up until the present time.

……

It is noticeable that the number of entries does go down in recent times. There is, as I have noted elsewhere, a field of study yet to be explored concerning how much the current status of women among Muslims is due to the influence of Western attitudes towards women -- and in particular, towards Muslim women - which the Muslims have unwittingly assimilated, amounting to an adoption of the Western preconception of how Muslims viewed women.

….

Historically, with the exception of earlier accounts of journeys, westerners really started to write about Islam in the colonial period, a period in which the Western attitude towards women was that they were the weaker, inferior sex. We find French colonial authorities excluding women from teaching in the mosques - and I have spoken to older women who remember this happening - and objecting to women holding positions of authority. Hence the lens through which the West viewed Muslim women was already a distorted one - and once imposed or implanted among the Muslims, this viewpoint gradually became an established norm.

As we can see from a perusal of the entries, the role of Muslim women during the last fourteen centuries has by no means been confined to house and home. They have been active in many fields. Nor has it been a question of either/or. It has been a matter of undertaking many roles simultaneously, all intermeshed and interlocking, rather than having to make a limited selection from separate categories. A business woman is still a mother and a scholar is still a wife. Women simply learn to juggle things more, but that is something at which women have been very good at doing, as can be seen from the entries.
…


As regards the present, it is clear that there is a need to re-assess all our preconceptions and misconceptions about women's role and realise that women are a vast resource for the Muslim community -- in all spheres of action. After all, women comprise more than half of the community. If half the community is neglected, what will be the state of the community as a whole?

There is too great a tendency among many Muslims to relegate and restrict women's roles to that of a mother and housewife, but as we can see from the historical record, this is a fairly modern convention. Indeed, housework is not part of the duties included in the marriage contract unless specified - at least in Maliki fiqh. A husband should appreciate the fact that the woman does the housework because it is the equivalent of a gift on her part. This is not to say that there have not been women who were only housewives, but certainly up until modern times there has been far more diversity among Muslim women than in other cultures, this being ensured by the fact that in Islam a woman is recognised and accepted as a distinct spiritual and legal entity. A woman controls her own wealth and does not automatically share it with her husband. Ultimately she - like her husband - is only answerable to Allah. Only ignorance limits the realisation of a person's full potential, man or woman.

The problem with the modern stereotype is that it seems to force a necessary choice: either be a wife/mother or pursue a career. Doing both has always been an option, especially where there is an extended family including servants both male and female, in marked contrast to the single parent/nuclear family - limited, confined and enslaved by its own situation. Quite clearly Islam has always allowed women to expand their scope according to their needs, aspirations and ability. A Muslim woman may have a career or a wider social role, but is not forced to do so.

The education of women is crucial to the well-being of society. We know the oft-quoted saying, "Al-umm madrasa." "The mother is a school." If the mother is lacking in knowledge, what is the school going to be like? What are the children going to learn? If she is lacking in knowledge, then they will be lacking in knowledge. The importance of women's education is self-evident.

Men are women are a mutual help and support. They should both appreciate and inspire one another. There has always been the possibility in the human situation of the truly collaborative couple - in contrast to the imprisoning daily drama of alternate chapters of war and peace.

We see, for instance, the example of the relationship of Fatima of Nishapur with Dhu'n-Nun al-Misri and Yazid al-Bistami, of Rab'a al-'Adiawiyya and al-Hasan al-Basri, and numerous other examples. They inspired one another to greater achievement and greater devotion to Allah. We find women learning from men and men learning from women throughout Muslim history.

A political role is, of course, more tricky, and it has proved to be particularly difficult role for women. There are exceptions which are famous. There are also, more commonly, a large number of women who acted as regents and were very effective in doing so. On the other hand we have the case of Sultan Radiyya of Delhi whose father chose her over her brothers. When she was displaced by a brother, the people demanded her re-instatement. There is, of course, a cultural element in this.

Looking at the past, it is evident that we need to re-assess our view of women in general and Muslim women in particular. In fact Islam has always provided an incredibly flexible environment in which women may flourish and achieve their true potential, spiritually, economically, and, when necessary, politically. This is clearly an area which Western orientalists have either ignored or avoided and dismissed and which urgently requires re-examination, especially since it appears that many Muslims have accepted the Western assessment of women's roles in Islam and then have defended and perpetuated it.

Certainly the level of activity amongst Muslim women has varied from one Muslim culture to another, since the practice of Islam in any particular region has usually tended to reflect and embrace local custom where this does not conflict with the teachings of Islam. For example, the conquest of Byzantine and Persian territory resulted not only in many people embracing Islam but also in Muslim women taking on the veiling customs of the Christians, Jews and Magians who lived there.

The influx of Mongols and Turks brought another, more expansive view. The conquest of Constantinople then resulted in the adoption of some of their customs and the relinquishment or adaptation of others - as well as its becoming the centre and capital of the Muslim Ottoman empire. Now Islam is taking root in Europe and America and the process of change continues - society is being transformed both by and among the Muslims.

The history of the spread of Islam has always been like this: dynamic and positive. Although subject to decay and deterioration - as is everything and everyone in creation - Muslim communities have always repeatedly experienced new growth and re-vitalisation. This has always been the proof of the din of Islam. It inevitably transforms the lives of those who embody it and by this means knowledge and civlisation are established.

The negative stereotype of the role of Muslim women which is often trumpeted in the media stems from ignorance of the reality of the position of women in Islam and is coloured by cultural imperialism. How, for example, can a system of law which purports to guarantee freedom of belief and religion - and yet bans the wearing of hijab as an expression of that freedom - be regarded as enlightened or just?

Looking back to the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, women were extremely active in all areas of life and the Prophet did not discourage them. It is this quality and taste of Islam which permeated the lives of most of the women described in this book, in a manner which is far beyond mere verbal descriptoin - and it is this quality of Islam, sustained as it has been by direct transmission of the prophetic wisdom from its source, which sincere Muslims seek to establish and taste now - in their own life times.

Since Islam is a filter of culture, let us hope that some of this dynamism translates into our lives today - and that while the haram aspects of modern culture are dispensed with as the practice of Islam is established, so also its best aspects will be retained and enhanced, including a clear recognition of the true worth, potential and capacity of women - to be truly liberated worshippers of Allah.

Sidi Faraz linked to this article a while back on his Seeker's Digest by Imam Zaid Shakir: here (http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cache:GPEU5QndWGYJ:www.zaytuna.org/womensmonth.html+&hl=en&client=firefox-a) (pardon for the google cache, zaytuna seems to be down at the mo - it's interesting to contrast this to br Saleel's reference in the other thread on females delivering speeches wrt female leadership).

[asma]

:salam:

This is a persistent dilemma for me. I like being careful, but how does the strictest view allow for our lives in the west in any way? Presumably we are mostly students. A brother is likely to have a female [secular] school teacher at some point after becoming baligh. Or a female saleswoman. If we should interact with non-muslim non-mahrams in precisely the same way as muslim non-mahrams, our lives in the west must be entirely unacceptable.

Is it more acceptablefor a brother to work with a non-muslim female classmate in a distant way on an assigned project, or to attend a mandatory medical conference in which there will be non-muslim female speakers, than it is to have a businesslike islamic organisation in which men and women work towards the same goal with limited contact? (e.g. most planning done by email). if so, how? How can we go about with different standards for our interaction with nonmuslim and muslim nonmahrams? As an analogy, there is this principle that a muslim can't serve haram meat to even a non-muslim, because what is haram for him to use is haram to give to the other. So wouldn't a brother's extreme aversion to being in the presence of a muslim woman speaker have to apply to non-muslim female speakers also? -- and how practicable is that here.

The challenge for all of us is trying to reconcile our segregation with an entirely unsegregated society in which we study, work, grocery shop, walk... and attempt to make da`wah. I'm not looking for excuses, I'm looking for options. Personally, any religiosity I have is due to of course hidaya but also the MSA of my first college, in which sisters and brothers mostly stayed apart but worked together on issues of mutual concern, like organizing lectures. There weren't many knowledgeable sisters, and the muslim community was very small. so I learned quite a bit from brothers in conversation early on. And I don't see how that could have happened differently in the circumstances (though in hindsight I can't imagine having spoken on such a level with some namahram).

quel drame n'est ce pas. I can't conscience dealing with nonmuslims differently than muslims. And as a student, I cannot avoid occasionally working on a class project in a group including a man or two, or giving a presentation in front of a mixed class, or answering a teacher's question. That doesn't mean chatting, eye contact, getting close to anyone, or speaking on a personal level. But it does mean communicating anything I've learned that may be of benefit to others. So where does this leave me and every muslim woman in the west who wants to do work for the sake of islam. Especially those who have a good command of the language and the time/energy to do so. Honestly I would leave all of this upon the conclusive statement of its impermissibility, and I sincerely pray that I'm not following my hawaa over proofs in any matter. Rabbi ghfirli warhamni wa toub 'alayya innaka anta al tawwab ul ghafoor.

:salam:

[Mossy]

The thing is sister, a proof is reliant on the axiomatic basis from which you work. For example, you are Shafi'i. What constitutes a proof in the Shafi'i madhab with it's balancing of the various evidence types does not necessarily constitute a proof in the Hanafi madhab (hence the spectre of talfiq).

I believe the relied upon position in your school (iamnotashafi) is that the females voice is not an awrah. Seclusion is definately a nono. Your best bet, as always, is to consult a Shafi shaykh.. Sunniforum probably has someething in the social interaction section on Shafi fiqh (hit browse), Reliance of the Traveller has some discussions on this too I think (I losted my copy, doh).

I haven't had a chance to listen to the audios on this thread as my sound card is being weird, were there any particular problems you had with them (I'm assuming they didn't say it was strictly impermissable to have mixed professional interaction)?

[asma]

:salam:

I'll answer later, must run off to take a final.

but erm wassup with closing the woman lecture thread... that is a really important issue and I didn't see any closure. (except the red X.)

jazakum Allah ahsan jazaa
:salam:

[eat-halal guy]

:salam:

I'm really sorry Mufti Yusuf couldn't answer this question by your requested date. It is a complicated issue and since I am not a Mufti, I'm not going to offer any verdicts.

As a university student myself, I do understand your situation and it is a very tough one indeed, as we are put in very difficult situations sometimes, and I think it very often leads towards the double-standard you mentioned.

I don't know the answer to it. But as Br. Mossy said, I think it would be ideal if you contacted a Shafi`i scholar.

Actually, just thinking about it now....perhaps sunniforum could be taken as a model of sorts. I'm not sure if most members are aware of this, but we do have a shura and an amir, and both brothers and sisters are part of this shura. We have a shura section where matters are discussed by all shura members in a business-like fashion. Perhaps MSAs can take the same route and create forums where the shura can discuss issues in a formal enivronment.

Thinking of live situations where matters need to be coordinated, the Shariah Program UK and NY intensives come to mind. Of course, sisters are involved in such situations. I think perhaps the best way can be to coordinate on matters in an online forum (or Yahoo group) as much as possible, and for live situations, depute a trusted brother and a trusted sister to liase the brothers and sisters side whenever needed, but while observing all guidelines of gender interaction.

I don't know...it might not work out so smoothly in reality as it sounds here...but there hasta be some way of dealing with it. Another way around it could be to hold meetings with dividers and perhaps have elders or a scholar present....

Allah knows best. A mufti should seriously be asked to rule on this. Perhaps Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam should be contacted.

(Please note: the above ideas are simply my personal ideas I'm bouncing around and are not verdicts based on any sort of proof or evidence)

[asma]

:salam:

Mufti Yusuf is so overworked tho.. until we have a pay-per-fatwa agreement, I'll never hold him to a deadline lol.
I did submit the questions to Mufti Muhammad and a few others, but I get the feeling that _all_ scholars are currently slogging through a Ramadan-induced backlog of questions. barak Allahu fikum :]

Anyways... acknowledging these dilemmas is halfway to finding a solution :insh:. Really a lot of sisters are stuck in this limbo between being too conservative for the liberals and too liberal for the conservatives. I do wish more scholars familiar with the western context will address our situation in detail in the future :insh:.

Thanks to everyone for all of the references and bithnillah after exams I will transcribe the pertinent parts of Sh. Faraz's 2 audio files.

As an aside, you know what is mossy? Louisiana. http://www.martin.j.benoit.net/w-tmp.jpg

:salam:

[Mossy]

Yeah. Apparently a rolly stone gathers no mossy too. Nyuck.

Just out of curiousity, why are you asking Hanafi ulema if you are Shafi?

[eat-halal guy]

You ask about joining the MSA and interaction with women whilst you are involved in the work of this association. Alhamdoelillah, you have been endowed with a concern for Haya (modesty) and insha'allah you will continue to be aware of this great trait which should exist in every Muslim's character.

I am aware of the dedication of the students who get involved in the work of the MSA and also understand the difficulties one experiences due to the lack of separation of the sexes during the functioning of these associations. Since you are living in a predominantly kuffar country, it is important for students who have the knowledge and concern for Deen to become involved at Universities and school to create a greater awareness of how Muslims are expected to conduct themselves. Alhamdoelillah, many Muslim students who paid little attention to their imaan found their way back to the correct practice of deen through the work of the MSA. There is also the need for the work of dawwah and alhamdoelillah, many reverts have found deen through the effort of students like you.

You are obviously going to interact with other students, both male and female. Allow me to suggest that when you have to interact with females, do so in a group, avoid being alone with a female student, stick to the topics in discussion and avoid petty chit chat and silly jokes. Adopt a tone of voice which is business like but not rude nor haughty. Accept and give instructions or communicate with gentle manners. I guess others will respond to you in terms of how you present yourself and your need to maintain the Islamic injunctions of modesty between men and women. An idea could be also to let it be known through talks you give ( the importance of haya) and the way you conduct yourself (that you appreciate it if female students approach you only when necessary, in groups and at appropriate times). Telephonic conversations could also be limited to "musts" and to the workings of the association. These are only my suggestions. As you fit into the work and day to day running of the association, you will develop your own way of dealing with issues that come up. Keep yourself engaged in zikr constantly as you go about your life at the varsity as this is one sure way of keeping shaitaan and his evil influence away from you.

You also ask if it is permissible to assist non-Muslims. Yes, by all means, do show kindness to them. After all they too are Allah Ta'ala's creations. This is also an opportunity to make dawaah. The kindness, humility and good character which they see on the part of the Muslims is dawaah itself. (Do remember it is not permissible to give zakaat and fitra money to non-Muslims).

May Allah Ta'ala guide and assist you in your endeavor to serve HIS deen and may HE protect your imaan. Ameen.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

1SOCIAL DEPT.

CHECKED AND APPROVED: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

(http://www.islam.tc/ask-imam/view.php?q=8837)



I'm moving this thread to "answered" for the time being. If anyone comes across any new answers regarding MSAs and cross-gender interaction, please feel free to start a new thread.

Wassalam,
Ziad

[eat-halal guy]

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3323