Intermingling in weddings
| Fatwa #885 | Category: Miscellaneous | Country: Zambia | Date: 8th March 2024 |
| Fatwa #885 | Date: 8th March 2024 |
| Category: Miscellaneous | |
| Country: Zambia | |
Question
Assamualaykum
Could the respected mufti shed light on the boundaries of intermingling between males and females (non mahram).
And Is it permissible to attend weddings and other such functions where there is a mixed set up.
A well respected ulama body of cape town appears to have given the permission for the same.
i wish to know your stand point as i generally follow you.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
As Muslims, it is our fundamental belief that Islam caters for each and every aspect of our life. Islam has come to bring about order from chaos. Islam aims to rectify society in such a way that ultimate unity and peace is achieved amongst a community/city/state.
It is no secret that one of our greatest weaknesses as humans is our sexual desire. Sexual desire drives us to marry, have children and raise families of our own, thereby building our future generations. However, if this sexual desire is left uncurbed, societal structures can fall and be wiped out. The story of the people of Lut Alayhis Salaam is a stark reminder of this.
Another case in point is the current trend of western civilisation. Marriage is on the decline, divorce is sky high, children born out of wedlock is now the norm, absent fathers are a norm, struggling single parent homes are a norm, all of which when put together contribute towards a rise in crime, disease, death, gangs and the like in society. If traditional family structures were to be preserved, a lot of the crises the west is currently facing would be alleviated.
One of the ways of curbing sexual desires between males and females is to prevent unnecessary interaction between them especially in close proximity. There is no better example than the fact that even in the most pristine of locations, in the most devout of times, this interaction was mitigated. We refer to the Masjid-un-Nabawi in the time of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam ensured that the womenfolk would be standing behind the men, with quite a gap between them. Furthermore, he would ensure that it is the women who first exited the masjid whilst the men remained seated, not turning their heads to look behind. It is also reported that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasllam wished for a specific door to be allocated solely for the women, further trying to separate between men and women.
Now if that is the attitude of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam inside the second holiest masjid in the world, then what is to be said of our modern wedding halls?
We understand that weddings are a time of happiness, but that is not a reason to discard the ethics taught to us by Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
We do not understand why it is not possible to erect a temporary partition between the male and females to avoid the unnecessary intermingling. To do so would be upholding the prophetic ethic as well as enjoying that which is permissible.
Therefore, in the event one is invited to a mixed gathering, where it is not possible to avoid intermingling with the opposite sex, then one should excuse him/herself from attending that function. It is not permissible to attend such a gathering.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Concurred by
Mufti Nabeel Valli
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia