Assalamu alaikum, Respected Mufti Sahab, I hope that you and your family and team are good and best in Iman and helath. Sir I do a job as an office incharge/assistant in a School. The problem is that there are all female teachers and the Principal and the Administrator is also female. I being in charge of all the work from cashier, accountant to looking after other office work. So I have to talk to teachers, and the principal and other gair-mahran relating to office work. Is my job ok or should I quit. Though I get time for namaz but I feel un easy. Though some of the female collegues are in purdah with face open and some teachers are in full dress but with scarf and not the burqa. What do I do?
Moreover as I do my work with honesty and I also know how to do my work as I am Alhamdullah a B.Com Graduate, but the Administrator is elder than me but does not know how to do her work and is always slyly and with sweet talk try to curb me and want me to be under her in all the work though she is not capable of it. She fears that if my work is good and seen by the members her status will be at stake and she might lose her job. She cunningly manupulates work and then try to put blame on me to show the principal and other committee members that she is doing lot of work and I am doing all wrong, and they scold me and tells me to rectify things which I have not in reality done. I am like fed up of being patient.I do not say these things to the members as I do not want to do Gibat (back bite) and I try to be polite, but for how long. Though I read Manzil every morning and leave for job but still these things are happening. I am not able to concentrate in namaz for this. What should be done. Please help and give your valuable suggestion.
Please pray for me.
Jallak Allah!
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
You work in an environment of females. It is natural for you as a male to get affected by the female environment, thus also affecting your roohaniyyat [spirituality]. If you have an adequate alternate employment, you should consider that. If you do not have an adequate employment, for now exercise precaution by limiting your talk and lowering your gaze when intermingling with the females. Also make istigfaar for the shortcomings of your nafs in such an environment.
You should adopt a principled attitude with the administrator. If she accuses you of something you did not do, you should clarify that with respect and dignity in the presence of the principal. When you do that once, the administrator will behave in future.
We hope their attitude will also bring relief to you and you will also be able to concentrate in your salaah. When issues are not addressed, shaitan takes advantage of that and attacks one’s concentration in salaah.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ridwaan Ibn Khalid Esmail {Kasak}
Student Darul Iftaa
Katete, Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.