Assalamu Alaikum Brother,
Want to ask a question on whether it is permissible for a Muslim girl to study a degree in a mixed university if the degree is something which can be given back to the community like science?
Best Regards,
[Name Withheld for Privacy]
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Al-salamu ‘alaykum,
I pray that Allah grants you peace, mercy, and repose.
There is no evidence that ikhtilat (the mixing of sexes) in educational contexts is haram, as long as you lower your gaze and exercise modesty in your appearance and behavior. In seeking an education, you should be properly focused on your studies and in the pursuit of knowledge, which is the most holy jihad and most esteemed of purposes and goals in God’s eyes. Steer away from anything that would cause sexual distractions, such as intimate mingling with women foreign to you.
In my opinion, and God knows best, as long as you lower your gaze, maintain your prayers, and purify your heart and mind with taqwa, there is no problem in seeking an education in an institution that has both genders mixing. I pray to Allah to grant you and us insight, probity, and tranquility. I will keep you in my prayers.
Wa al-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatu Allah,
Shaykh Abou El Fadl