Waleed Basyouni – Ask The Imam- Balancing Faith & Ambitions
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of women working in the workforce and meeting job requirements. They stress the need for women to avoid workplace discrimination and avoid dressing up outside the home. The responsibility of the husband for all household expenses is discussed, as it is difficult for women to work in divorce and the risk of a resolution in divorce is highlighted. The responsibility of the husband for all household expenses is emphasized, along with the importance of protecting household financially and protecting contributions.
AI: Summary ©
As-salamu alaykum, Shaykh.
Wa alaykum as-salam.
So, how are you this morning?
Alhamdulillah.
I'm doing great.
So, we have a question about women in
the workforce.
What conditions do they need to meet, Muslim
women that is, and, you know, are there
any restrictions?
What are these things that need to be
known for women to be able to work
outside the home?
Okay.
Bismillah, alhamdulillah, salatu was-salamu alayhi wa sahbihi
wa man walahu ba'ad.
I think it is important to recognize that
women being in the workforce, being part of
building the society and working, is not something
foreign to our history.
It is not something strange or not something
just in the modern days happened.
But it is something you will find from
the time of the Prophet, salallahu alayhi wa
sallam.
You'll find in his time women worked, had
business, and started with Khadija, she had her
own business, and the Prophet worked for her,
traded on her behalf, and that continued after
Islam as well.
For example, Jabir, he said about Khalita, that
she used to own a farm, and she
used to go and watch the collections of
the harvest, the dates, and things of that
nature.
So you'll find Umm Atiyah said, I was
with the Prophet in seven wars, and I
used to work taking care of the wounded,
and bringing water.
Or women worked with their husband, like Zubair
and Asma, they worked together in the field.
You will find Umm Shifa used to sell
perfumes.
You know one of the Sahabiyat used to
make food after Jumu'ah, people after Salah
they come and eat, even one of the
Sahabi said, one of my favorite things about
Friday is that I go eat at her
place.
It's like what we call today like a
restaurant type of thing.
Mu'adh actually, the one who sells perfumes.
Umm Shifa is one, Umar appointed, as Ibn
Hazm mentioned, to look after the market and
see what people doing in the market, correct,
cheating.
We know the story of the one who
used to sell milk, and she was, and
then I tried to mix the milk with
water, and Umar heard her.
So what I'm saying is, from the early
time you'll find women played a role in
contributing to the workforce.
The general rule, the rules that apply to
men and women are the same when it
comes to work.
The nature of work has to be halal,
it has to be a safe environment.
Also here there is one extra thing that
has to be taken into consideration, which is
that when women work, that also has to
be with an agreement with her wali, her
husband.
She just don't ignore, because she's a wife,
and she's a mother, you know.
She just say, you know what, I'm not
going to be, I don't care about the
house, I don't care about children, I'm going
to go work.
That something has to be approved and agreed
upon between her and her husband before she
go to work.
Also, as we know, there are certain restrictions
when it comes to certain rules for women
and men.
For instance, the issue of khalwa, and you
know, I know it's applied to men, but
also a man is not allowed to be
alone with a woman, and these things, a
lot of time I get questions about them.
Also, for example, if this job were required
from her not to have her hijab, or
cannot maintain her hijab in this case, this
would not be allowed.
The dress code is different from men and
women, but in the vast majority of works,
I believe it's possible to accommodate the Islamic
ruling, in my opinion, except maybe in certain
element or certain areas.
So these are judged by itself, like individually,
case by case.
But also, one of the thing is the
issue of traveling, because the majority of the
buqa, rahimahullah, said women are not allowed to
travel without mahram.
So if this job required from her to
travel without mahram, this will not be allowed.
Another thing that I will add to this,
as long as the job will not affect
negatively her role as a mother and as
a wife, because you know what, your children
have nobody else, but that job that you
do, there is someone else will do this
job.
But your children, nobody else will raise them
better than you.
And life is not just about money, it's
just not about making money.
For me, I always would love to see
my sister working, but not because of career
or making money, as much as it is
about, first, it builds high self-esteem, contribute
to side in general, but if this is
in the expense of losing your children and
not taking care of your children or your
husband or your marriage fall apart, that's not
a good trait.
And that's not Islamically correct.
If it's about working, so I became like
nidd, I became like, you know, a rival
to your husband.
You know what, I make money like you
and no different between us.
That's also wrong, Islamically not correct.
Final point I want to say in regard
to woman who is working.
If she works, there has to be a
clarity and agreement.
This is my advice to anyone about to
get married to make sure that you discuss
this before marriage.
So not like surprise, surprise.
Hey, I work.
I want to work.
So we agree on this.
What's going to happen with our children?
Have this conversation with your husband.
So we'll not have a conflict later.
Number one.
Number two, if you're going to work, are
you going to contribute?
What kind of contribution financially you're going to
be doing to the house?
That's a very good point here.
Yeah.
So we know that the husband is responsible
for all the necessary.
I mean, the main major expenses of the
household, right?
Yeah.
So if she works, he's still responsible.
You're right.
But he's not responsible for the expenses associated
with your work.
So, for example, if you're going to be
traveling or guys, a car, you know, you
need a phone, you need a laptop for
your work.
This became on you.
And also, it will be something that it
may be agreed upon.
If you're going to work, you contribute a
certain amount of money to the expenses of
the house since you earn it or to
the children or whatever.
That's something that should be discussed as well.
So there is no dispute.
Allah forbid, in the case of divorce, if
she'd been working and contributing to, for example,
paying the mortgage or paying the car payments,
you know what I'm saying?
That should be sorted out.
Because in divorce, you cannot say, you know
what?
You have nothing.
Or after death, this is her own money
and so forth.
So everybody has his own earning.
And that's their own money.
You know, I know we say, you know,
your money is your money and my money
is my money.
Then she would say, and my money is
my money and your money is my money.
You know, but I'm happy to
say that to my wife anyway.
Yes, that's wonderful.
Now, the ayah that you mentioned is really
interesting in this context, because Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala says to men is that which
they have earned and to women is that
which they have earned.
That means there is, you know, a subtle
indication that there may be a time where
women will work from the context of the
ayah.
I don't mean it's really the direct connotation
of the ayah, because it could be that
she earned it from inheritance or something else,
right?
Absolutely.
I think it's worth mentioning this as well,
Shah.
I don't know if you come across those,
but there is this notion that says, since
I'm earning and I'm contributing money like him,
the husband has no any more qawamah in
the house.
Because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, it means
he's in charge, right?
And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala put him
in charge because the money that he takes.
When Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mention in
the Quran, because of what they spend is
not to limit the qawamah to this reason.
Yeah, not restricted to this.
Yeah, it is one of the reasons.
Right.
And generally speaking, in my experience, when you
ask a man, why would you want to
work and make money?
He said, immediately, so I can take care
of my family.
Right.
When you ask most of women, actually, who
are in the workforce, why you work?
She said, so I can take care of
my stuff.
I don't need to ask my husband anymore
about my stuff.
That's a good point, but also.
So it's about my stuff, while the man
is about the family.
Still, even when she works, in my opinion,
he is responsible.
He is the one who should spend on
the house.
Let's assume he doesn't.
He does not lose the qawamah because the
qawamah, it happened inherently because he is the
husband.
And it's exactly like if I hire someone
to take care of the children, like a
babysitter, and I have someone to get a
formula milk.
Does not take away your status as a
mother.
That's right.
Very true.
Because inherently, the status of you is preserved.
Right.
And nobody questions that, but yeah.
So I think it's important for us to
keep that.
Sorry to make the answer long, but I
think it's worth it.
Yeah, but again, I don't want to prolong
it, but there's this, because you mentioned that
when you ask a woman, why would you
work?
She would say, so I can take care
of my own stuff.
Which is true, but I have asked many
women that why do they work?
And they say it's for their security.
Because sometimes with what they see sometimes in
broken marriages and being in a state where
she's divorced and has nobody to, has no
other recourse but work.
So she finds herself equipped with the ability
to work.
So she can really protect her family and
protect the household when it has already crumbled
because of the divorce.
So I think that's another answer that-
And definitely there is a lot of woman
work to contribute to the house.
Right.
100%.
No, I have no doubt about that.
To help with the expenses.
Life is very hard these days, expensive.
So I'm not excluding that, but I'm saying
it is a common thing that you find
as well.
I mean, and there are a lot of
single mothers who really find themselves- Obligated
to work.
So that's another, that's for another conversation.
Jazakallah Khair.
It was really very insightful.
Thank you.
As-salamu alaykum.