Putting LCD screens in ladies rooms in an Islamic center

8-2-2010 | IslamWeb

Question:

I have someone opening a new center where they will teach Islam related studies. They plan to put LCD & speaker in the rooms of women so that both men & women can see & hear the sheikh who is teaching. One of the staff objected about the LCD in the rooms for ladies saying that ladies are not allowed to see ghair-mahram men citing the hadith as proof which is that "the two wives of the Prophet SAW were present with the prophet & a blind man came to visit the Prophet SAW & he SAW told his wives to observe the veil & they responded that the man is blind, he can neither see us or recognized us & the Prophet SAW responded that you are not blind & you see them." As per my limited knowledge I know that this was special for the Prophets SAW wives but it would be very helpful if you can support or refute his argument with evidences. JazakAllah Khair.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

 

This Hadeeth is reported by a group of scholars among whom is Imaam Ahmad, Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi may Allaah have mercy upon them. However, some scholars classified it as Dha’eef [unauthentic] while others classified it as Saheeh [authentic] because it was narrated with many routes (chains of narrators). The Hadeeth is evidence that it is not permissible for women to look at men.

Nonetheless, there are other Ahaadeeth that contradict this Hadeeth, saying that this matter is permissible, among which is the Hadeeth by Faatimah bint Qays may Allaah be pleased with her as the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) ordered her to observe her waiting period in the house of Ibn Umm Maktoom as he was blind. Also, the Hadeeth by ‘Aa’ishah may Allaah be pleased with her when she was looking to the Ethiopians while they were playing in the mosque. Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him quoted Ibn ‘Abdul Barr may Allaah have mercy upon him as saying: “The Hadeeth of Faatimah bint Qays is evidence that it is permissible for a woman to look at a blind man and it is more authentic than this one (i.e. the aforementioned Hadeeth).”

Moreover, Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him also quoted the statement of Abu Daawood which reads: “This is peculiar for the wives of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) with the evidence of the Hadeeth of Faatimah (bint Qays).” Then Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him said: “This is a good reconciliation between the Ahaadeeth, and Al-Munthiri may Allaah have mercy upon him came to the same conclusion in his comments and our Shaykh (i.e. Ibn Al-Mulaqqin may Allaah have mercy upon him) is of the same opinion and this is a good reconciliation (between the two Ahaadeeth).”

Therefore, it becomes clear that it is permissible for a woman to look at a non-Mahram man; this is of course if this looking is without lust, otherwise it is not permissible for her to look at him with lust according to the agreement of the scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them. However, a woman should lower her gaze from looking at men even without lust as a way of protecting her religion.

To conclude, it is permissible for you to put this screen in the ladies room.

Allaah Knows best.

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