Hatem al-Haj – Should Muslim Women Have Careers Balancing Family & Work Life?

			Well, I you know, I am a little bit passionate about this issue, it is extremely important for our
sisters to realize that they are the anchors of the Muslim family. And if we lose the anchor edge of
the Muslim family, we lose the Muslim family it is in their hands, whether the Muslim family in our
society here will survive or not.
		

			I say that it is okay for it is I always say that I have three girls and one boy, you know.
		

			And
		

			I'm not going to say how much I love my daughters. But I always say to them that it is okay for
women to to have careers, but they have to prioritize their family when there is a conflict if they
can manage. And, you know, both. That's that's great. If there is any conflict of the family needs
to be prioritized.
		

			Though, the maternal aunt of jabber was encountered a person when she went out to take care of her
orchard her after her husband died. And she and the person said to her, like why are you going out
your waiting period has not ended.
		

			And the Prophet sallallahu sallam said to her, you may go out to take care of your palm trees, for
you may give charity with this money or do something good. So it means that women can go out to
work, as the questioner said,
		

			say that no hobbies, or the Alanna was a businesswoman. But at the same time, what did that mean?
She She used the Prophet sallallahu Salah most of the time, like, this is how she came to know the
Prophet SAW Salem, she would send him on those business trips.
		

			So and when she married the Prophet sallallahu sallam, she was there to comfort them. When he needed
her, she did not fall behind in terms of her domestic obligations or family obligations.
		

			So
		

			the idea here is Muslim women can have careers, Muslim women can work outside the home, as long as
the work environment is conducive to basically preserving our, you know, Islamic values,
particularly the value of modesty. When it comes to the Muslim woman that value is, is not limited
to Muslim women, but even but stress more when it comes to the Muslim woman the value of modesty. So
		

			a career that is conducive to that a career that would allow her time and many assessors work part
time basically to be able to manage both, they contribute a little bit to the financial stability of
the family, but at the same time they are there for their children.
		

			And in this case, we will have to have equitable redistribution of equitable redistribution of the
responsibilities and the burdens.
		

			Let's think about this family as a unit. This is extremely important to think of the family as the
unit, the husband is one half the wife is one half of the unit. Once you get into a union like this,
this is a sacred union. Once you get into a union like this, you're not you don't have the liberty
to think of yourself only or about yourself only. Now you're part of this unit, there are kids their
interests should be prioritized if each and every one of us will be looking out for their own
interest and had their own bottom line who is going on for the best interest of the children. So we
look at this as a unit and then we say so what would work for this unit like if if the wife goes out
		

			to work like with a part time to help the good so that she can contribute a little bit keep in mind
that the husband is mainly responsible for the maintenance of the family may be responsible for the
financial security of the family. We're not saying only but we're saying me in the but we can say
only if she insists if she says you are responsible, you know I am not country contributing the she
does have the right to say that from an Islamic perspective. But we are saying when there is mutual
agreement and let's do everything was mutual agreement at the time of marriage. Let us let us talk
about these things honestly and transparently. What is it that you expect of your wife
		

			What is it that you expect to be your husband? What lifestyle Would you would you are you looking
for? So if someone wants a homemaker and she you know, and he doesn't talk about this at the time of
marriage and she wants to have a career, well, that's certainly going to spell trouble afterwards.
But let's let's have this mutual agreement and then reassess and be flexible and be compassionate
and be fair and reassess in the future. So if we change things a little bit, the redistribution has
to be equitable and it has to be fair in the future. So if the wife goes out to work and contributes
a little bit to the financial security of the family and then she cannot be, you know, responsible
		

			for all of the domestic
		

			obligations,
		

			then we will have to redistribute things and figure out what is equitable so no one gets burnt out.
No one feels overwhelmed and no one gets burnt out and no one feels that they are doing
		

			too much for for this family or for this unit or and the other party is not or is not doing their
best. So that's what that's what I would say like, you can have a career but make sure that your
family because not sure seems your kids are not sure changed.