{"id":4631,"date":"2021-05-15T07:47:03","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T06:47:03","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2021-05-15T07:47:03","modified_gmt":"2021-05-15T06:47:03","slug":"respectable-interaction-or-mixed-gathering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/4631\/respectable-interaction-or-mixed-gathering\/","title":{"rendered":"Respectable Interaction or Mixed Gathering"},"content":{"rendered":"

Respectable Interaction or Mixed Gathering<\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/strong>
\nThe topic of \u201cmixed gathering\u201d has been a very controversial issue among the South Asian Shi\u2018as. Almost all Shi\u2019a organizations and centers in the West, at one time or another, have gone through debates and discussions on \u201cmixed gatherings\u201d.<\/p>\n

1. What is \u201cMixed Gathering\u201d?<\/strong>
\nIt is important to identify what is meant by \u201cmixed gathering\u201d. For the purpose of our paper, it means gathering of Muslim men and women with hijab without partition and\/or without a designated area for either gender.
\nThis paper does not deal with the Muslim gatherings where hijab is not practiced or enforced. It goes without saying that such \u201cmixed gathering\u201d where hijab is not observed or enforced is not acceptable from the Islamic point of view. Free and unrestricted interaction between those who are not mahram to one another is not permissible.<\/p>\n

2. What is the Norm in Islam?<\/strong>
\nAnd so let us raise the question: When members of opposite gender step outside of their mahram circle, what should be their mode of behaviour?
\nThe norm has been in Muslim societies that whenever there is a gathering of Muslims, especially of a religious nature, men and women are segregated either by designated separate space or by a barrier (i.e., curtain or partition). This norm can be traced back through the centuries to the lifestyles of the Imams and the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.) themselves. For example, even though women came in hijab to the masjid for prayers, the Prophet preferred that at the time of leaving the mosque, the men stay behind so that the women can exit the mosque before the men. It was later on that a separate entrance was made for ladies1.
\n\u201cIslam says neither imprisonment nor mixing, instead the sanctity [of hijab and decent interaction] is to be observed. This is the tradition of Muslims right from the days of the Messenger of All\u00e3h (s.a.w.) when women were not prevented from participation in the gatherings\u2014of course, always preserving the climate of sanctity between the two sexes.
\n\u201cWomen did not mix with men in the mas\u00e3jid or the gatherings, or even in the streets and alleys. Mixing of women with men in some gatherings, like the crowd observed in some of our holy shrines, is indeed against the wishes of the Divine Law-Maker2.\u201d
\nIslam does not allow free mixing between members of opposite gender but it allows decent and sanctified interaction.<\/p>\n

3. An Example from the Qur\u2019an<\/strong>
\nThe story of Prophet Musa and the daughters of Prophet Shu\u2018ayb is a good guideline for us. After Musa fled Egypt and reached Madyan, the Qur\u2019an (28:23-28) says:
\nAnd when he came to the watering well of Madyan, he found on it a group of men who were drawing water, and he saw besides them two women holding back their flocks.
\nHe went to the two ladies and asked: \u201cWhat is the matter with you that you are holding back your flock?\u201d
\nThey said, \u201cWe cannot draw water until the shepherds move away with their sheep from the water well.\u201d Then as if to answer an unspoken question that \u2018why you, as ladies, are doing this job which should be done by the men in your family,\u2019 they continued: \u201cand our father is a very old man so he cannot do this himself.\u201d
\nOn realizing the modesty of the ladies who did not like to mingle with strange men, Musa offered to help them and he watered their sheep for them, and then went back to the shade for resting. Since he was hungry and tired, he prayed: \u201cMy Lord! Surely I stand in need of whatever good You may sent down to me.\u201d
\nWhen the two daughters of Shu\u2018ayb went back home and narrated the incident, he asked one of them to call Musa so that he may thank him and pay him for the help.
\nThen, one of the two women came to him walking modestly. She said, \u201cMy father invites you so that he may recompense you with the wage of drawing water for us.\u201d
\nShe led the way. Musa said to her that let me go forward and you walk behind me and guide me from the back \u201cbecause we of the household of prophets do not look at the back of women.\u201d
\nOnce they reached to Shu\u2019ayb\u2019s house, Musa narrated his problem of how he fled from Fir\u2019awn. Shu\u2019ayb said, \u201cDo not be afraid, now you are safe from the unjust people.\u201d
\nOne of the girls said, \u201cO my father, since we do not have a young man in the family, employ him to work for you; surely the best person that you can employ is the one who is strong and trustworthy. This man has both qualities.\u201d
\nShu\u2019ayb asked his daughter that \u201cyou know about his strength because he helped in watering the sheep but how do you know that he is also trustworthy?\u201d She described how Musa asked to walk ahead of her; that reflected his modesty and chastity.
\nAnd so Prophet Shu\u2019ayb then offered the hand of one of his daughters to Musa and they got married3.
\nWe can easily deduce the following principles from this story:
\n\u2022 No free mixing and mingling of men and women who are not mahram to one another. According to the great jurist of the last century, Sayyid K\u00e3zim al-Yazdi, \u201cMingling of men and women is makruh\u201d4
\n\u2022 Ladies may, whenever necessary, step outside of their homes and participate in the socio-political-economic spheres of society but it must be done with modesty (haya\u2019).
\n\u2022 Even in permissible interaction, haya\u2019 must be observed in talking to and inter-acting with a non-mahram person, as well as in controlling their glances towards non-mahram men or women5.
\n_____Mutahhari, Mas\u2019alatu \u2019l-Hijab, Arabic translation by al-Khalili (Tehran: al-Bi\u2018tha, 1407) p. 246.
\n2Mutahhari, Mas\u2019alatu \u2019l-Hijab, p. 243. The statement \u201cthe crowd observed in some of our holy shrines\u201d refers to the pre-revolutionary era of Iran when the area around the actual shrines was not segregated but now there is screen separating the men from the women.
\n3An Explanatory Translation of the Qur\u2019an, vol. 4. Please note that the words in italics are explanatory remarks added to clarify the meaning.
\n4Al-Yazdi, S. K\u00e3zim, al-\u2018Urwatu \u2019l-Wuthqa, vol. 2 (Beirut: Mu\u2019assasa al-A\u2018lami, 1988\/1409) p. 805 with annotations from all the contemporary mujtahideen and none of them have written any dissenting remarks on this view. The fatwa of Sayyid al-Yazdi is based on the reliable hadith narrated by Ghiy\u00e3th bin Ibr\u00e3him from Imam as-S\u00e3diq (a.s.) who said, \u201cAmiru \u2019l-Mu\u2019mineen (a.s.) said, \u2018O People of Iraq! I have been informed that your women rub shoulders with men on the streets \u2013 do not you feel ashamed?\u2019 (al-Hurr al-\u2018\u00c3mili, Was\u00e3\u2019ilu \u2019sh-Shi\u2018ah, vol. 14, p. 174.)
\nAlso see the transcript of the late Ayatullah al-Khu\u2019i\u2019s lectures by Muhammad Taqi al-Khu\u2019I, Mab\u00e3ni \u2019l-\u2018Urwati \u2019l-Wuthqa, vol. 1, p. 115; Sayyid Muhsin al-Hak\u00a2m, Mustamsaku \u2019l-\u2018Urwah, vol. 14 (Qum: Makbatu \u2019l-Mar\u2018ashi, 1404) p. 54-55.
\n5Also see verse 24:30-31.<\/p>\n

4. Acceptable Form of Mixed Gathering<\/strong>
\nIn view of the above, let us see when is mixed gathering allowed? Or when is the removal of partition\/barrier permissible?
\nWhether a mixed gathering is proper or not depends on the purpose of the gathering:
\n\u2022 If the gathering is of a nature where segregation and\/or partition do not defeat its purpose, then mixed gathering should not be encouraged.
\n\u2022 If the gathering is of a nature where segregation and\/or partition will defeat its purpose, then mixed gathering is permissible with the condition of hij\u00e3b and decent behavior.
\nLet us look at some examples: majlis\/milad, lecture; madrasa\/class, workshop, meeting, conference and seminar, marriage ceremonies and receptions.<\/p>\n

Majlis & Milad:<\/strong>
\nNormally, the maj\u00e3lis are of monologue nature where the z\u00e3kir speaks and the audience listens. The purpose can be achieved with segregation and\/or partitions between the two genders, and so I don\u2019t see any reason to remove the partition\/barrier in majlis \u2013 more so in mil\u00e3d (celebrations) where men and women come dressed up with make up and cosmetics. (It is needless to remind that if a lady applies visible make up on her face, then she cannot show her face to the non-mahram, she will have to put a veil on her face.) In a segregated area, the women do not have to worry about hij\u00e3b, and can be relaxed and free in meeting one another.<\/p>\n

Lecture:<\/strong>
\nNormally, at the end of the lecture, the audience is allowed the opportunity for interaction with the speaker in the question-answer session. In this kind of program, both genders should have equal visual access to the speaker for them to participate in the question-answer session. Having a partition between men and women in the audience will not defeat the purpose and therefore I don\u2019t see any reason to remove the partition between the genders in the audience.<\/p>\n

Madrasa & Classroom:<\/strong>
\nTeaching involves a lot of interaction between the teacher and the students, and also, sometimes, between the students themselves; and so having partition will hinder the purpose of such program. But then the teacher has to ensure that the boys are seated separately from the girls, and there should not be any indecent interaction between the two genders \u2013 neither in the classroom nor in the hallways. It is obvious that full hijab must be observed in such a setting; and the teachers\/organizers are responsible to maintain the Islamic environment in such events.
\nIt is worth mentioning that, according to a report presented in November 2004, a Richmond Hill public school (in Ontario, Canada) started a pilot-project of offering gender-separated classes. After three years\u2019 experiment, the teachers reported \u201cmore productive classes, greater student participation and higher grades in both genders.\u201d (Instead of blindly following others in name of \u2018progress\u2019 and \u2018modernization,\u2019 we should uphold our values and let the rest of the world catch up with us<\/p>\n

Seminar & Workshop:<\/strong>
\nThe nature of workshop involves interaction between the moderator and the participants as well as among the participants themselves. In such a gathering participants may interact with one another in a formal\/professional manner with adherence to full hijab.<\/p>\n

Conference & Committee Meeting:<\/strong>
\nThe same format as the workshop will apply here also.<\/p>\n

Marriage Ceremony & Reception:<\/strong>
\nIn marriage ceremonies and receptions, people normally come dressed up, especially the women who use cosmetics and make up, and so any kind of mixing and mingling between members of opposite is not proper at all. Asking non-mahram men and women to sit at the same table in a wedding reception surely puts one into a situation of unlawful glance and the chances of improper mingling increases. Keeping the Islamic values in mind, the only decent format, in a wedding reception, would be for the men and the women to be seated in segregated areas. (It has been observed that even when the card says \u2018Islamic dress code is mandatory,\u2019 there is no guarantee of enforcing it or ensuring that it is a proper hij\u00e3b. In such gatherings, the problem is not only bi-hij\u00e3bi, it is also bad-hij\u00e3bi.)
\nWherever we have suggested that partition may be removed, it is absolutely necessary to observe the rules of hijab and decency: the ladies must observe full hijab covering the entire body (even the hair) with the exception of the face and hands.<\/p>\n

Answered by the Grand Ayatullah Sistani in 1996\/1416<\/strong>
\nabout \u201csupervised mixed gathering\u201d of youths
\nThe first three questions are about religious gatherings, debates, giving speeches, and presenting papers in \u201csupervised mixed gatherings\u201d. Such activities are to some extent already taking place in most madrasas, debate and quiz programs, seminars and summer camp programs. To all these three questions, Ayatollah Sistani has given approval with certain very important conditions that should be carefully studied by the community leaders, youth groups, and madrasa organizers. (One of the conditions include the \u201ccomplete hijab\u201d and not just the \u201cminimum hijab\u201d as posed by the questioner in the preamble of the questions.)
\nThe last question is about organizing supervised events or gatherings so that young men and women can \u201cknow each other through conversation and discussion\u201d in order to encourage marriage among themselves. This the Grand Ayatollah Sistani has not permitted. In order to make sure this difference is seen clearly, the questions and answers are presented side-by-side:
\nQ.1 Is it permissible to organise religious and educational gatherings in which young men and women will participate with observance or Islamic rules of interaction [that is, without ant intention of lust and without any threat of corrupting morality? Let it be clear that such a program will be organized under supervision of parents and sympathetic persons.
\nAnswer:<\/strong>
\nNo objections, provided:
\n[a] girls observe the Islamic hijab completely;
\n[b] girls sit separately from boys;
\n[c] both sexes should observe the respect and dignity in character, conversation and dress in such a way that they never put themselves in any sinful or corrupt situation.
\nIt is highly recommended that in the beginning of such gatherings a religious scholar, with sound reputation and Islamic behaviour should exhort the audience explaining to them the harms of abandoning the Islamic laws.
\nQ.2 Can young men and women in such gatherings exchange views and discuss issues in the form of debate and argument?
\nAnswer: If the topic is from religious point of view, an appropriate subject for discussion and exchange of views between the boys and girls and if what has been mentioned in the previous answer is observed, then there is no objection.
\nQ.3 Can young men and women in such gatherings which has been organized specifically for them give speech and present papers on religious and educational topics for each other?
\nAnswer: With the observation of the conditions already stated, there is no objection.
\nQ.4 In order to encourage these youths to get married among themselves so that their religious interests will be preserved, is it permissible to organize activities under the supervision of the parents and sympathetic religious persons to allow them to know each other through conversation and discussion?
\nAnswer: No objection, provided:
\nTheir knowing each other is attainable through the activities mentioned in other questions.
\nIn answer to the last question, Ayatullah Sistani has clearly not allowed activities specifically organized to facilitate the youths to know one another for the purpose of marriage. Unlike the first three answers, he does not say \u201cit is permissible or there is no objection\u201d in this answer. By saying that \u201ctheir knowing one another is attainable through the activities mentioned in other questions,\u201d the Ayatullah has indicated that if \u201cknowing one another\u201d takes place incidentally through other activities, then it is okay. But to organize a gathering with that specific purpose in mind has not been approved by Ayatullah Sistani.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Respectable Interaction or Mixed Gathering Introduction The topic of \u201cmixed gathering\u201d has been a very controversial issue among the South Asian Shi\u2018as. Almost all Shi\u2019a organizations and centers in the West, at one time or another, have gone through debates and discussions on \u201cmixed gatherings\u201d. 1. What is \u201cMixed Gathering\u201d? It is important to identify […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7770],"tags":[20210,20211,20209,20212,19948,19650,19669],"class_list":["post-4631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture-and-art","tag-culture","tag-interaction","tag-majalis","tag-men-women","tag-mosque","tag-shia","tag-shia-studies-world-assembly"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4631\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}