Women (in Hijab & Niqab) on Youtube, Videos & TV

W-Salam,

There are several issues which you need to intelligently disentangle and understand separately.

Firstly, as we all understand that there are no issues with women learning or becoming Scholars.

Secondly, there is no problem with women imparting knowledge to women unimpeded.

Thirdly, there is a commandment (and obligation) for men and women to lower their gaze when it comes to face to face interaction.

Fourthly, all interactions between men and women (face to face) are subject to condition (above) and no Scholar in Islam has disagreed with it. There is no open ended, unrestricted interaction between men and women at all in Islam.

Fifthly, you have rightly pointed out that women have taught men (and still do) in various Islamic institutes of traditional learning and knowledge.

However throughout this entire discussion your assertion that this interaction historically occured unimpeded needs evidence. History tells us the opposite (read this).

Instructing men on youtube (or openly) is a direct contradiction of the following command:

WIVES OF THE PROPHET (SAW), therefoe here is another verse to refute that argument.

And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.

Asslamo Allaikum Respected Sister,

I don't think that you understood what I am trying to so and I think that I was in a hurry so let me try again.

Lowering the gaze (obligation):

I don't know of any Madhab, any Imam anyone who disagrees with this.

And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.

"Necessary" communication between men and women are permissable:

I am a man and you are a woman and we are discussing an issue without violating the verse of the Qur'aan at all.

"Necessary" communication between men and women are permissable with boundaries:

Once again the Qur'aan is pretty clear:

[33:53] O you who believe, do not enter the houses of the Prophet, unless you are permitted for a meal, not (so early as) to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, go inside. Then, once you have had the meal, just disperse, and (do) not (sit for long) being keen for a chat. This (conduct of yours) hurts the Prophet, but he feels shy of (telling) you (about it), but Allah is not shy of the truth. And when you ask any thing from them (the blessed wives of the Prophet), ask them from behind a curtain. That is better for the purity of your hearts and their hearts. It is not allowed for you that you hurt Allah‘s Messenger, nor that you ever marry his wives after him. Indeed, it would be an enormity in the sight of Allah.

The appointment of Sayyida Shifa (RA) to the markets?

This is mentioned in various books without a chain (so automatically discarded) except by Ibn Abi Asim (RA) in الآحاد والمثاني as follows:

قال: حدثنا دحيم , عن رجل , سماه عن ابن لهيعة , عن يزيد بن أبي حبيب , أن عمر , رضي الله عنه "استعمل الشفاء على السوق، قال: ولا نعلم امرأة استعملها غير هذه

Daheem narrates from a man who narrates from Samah who narrates from Ibn Lahia'a who narrates from Yazeed Ibn Abi Habeeb (RA) who narrates that Sayydina Umar (RA) appointed Shifa Bint Abdullah (RA) to the markets and he added, "No other women were employed (or appointed) other then this"

Response 1:

If you want to present this Athar then you have no choice but to accept the whole statement which is saying that NO OTHER WOMAN was appointed for anything else so the statement is clearly telling you about an exception (i.e. it wasn't the norm).

Response 2:

There is a versy serious problem with the chain of this narration and it is extremely weak as follows:

1. Who is "this man" in the chain?
2. Ibn Lahia is weak
3. Yazeed Ibn Abi Habeeb (RA)did not hear anything from Sayyidina Umar (RA)

Response 3:

Sister Aisha Bewley is a Maliki and here is the conclusive Fatwa of Ibn Arabi Al-Maliki (RA) that this whole mention is a fabrication and concoction and should be disregarded! Why has Aisha Bewley forgot to mention this from one of the foremost Tafseers of her Madhab which she happens to be translating?

وقال ابن العربي المالكي في "أحكام القرآن" 3/482: "وقد روي أن عمر قدم امرأة على حسبة السوق، ولم يصح، فلا تلتفتوا إليه؛ فإنما هو من دسائس المبتدعة في الأحاديث". 

Summary:

I am Sorry but we cannot override the Qur'aan by figments of people's imaginations and historical fabircations. This is an agreed upon principle of Islam i.e. established verses of the Qur'aan can only be asnwered by solid (unrefutable) evidence.

Jazakallahu Khayran