Assalam Alykum Sheikh, I have a question please that I need an extensive response to. I am a young Muslim woman, 24 years old, born and raised into the religion. Alhamdlillah I know God and I fast and try to pray as often as I can. I graduated from college and I work 1.5 hrs from home. I now commute. I want to move out of my parents house. They are an amazing family and they support me and love me but I feel like I need some freedom. My question is “is it permissible for a young woman to live on her own if it is in a safe area or is it haram?”. I am not anticipating to lose all contact with my family. Please let me know. Thank you!
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Sister,
At the onset, we wish to point out that a woman should remain within the confines of her home. It is not permissible for a woman to leave the confines of her home. It is not permissible for a woman to leave her home without dire need and without adhering to the laws of hijab. This is a clear injunction from Shariah in the Quran. Allah says:
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى…
Translation: And remain in your homes and do not emerge like those of Jahiliya (Pre-Islamic era)…(Quran 33:33)
If your father is able to maintain you, then there is no need for you to work. Accordingly, the issue of wanting to stay alone is secondary and not even a consideration.
You state you wish to stay alone to get some freedom. You already have enough freedom to be able to travel to work whilst living with your parents. What are you deprived of whilst living with your parents? What freedom are you looking for? The freedom of you going to college and thereafter going to work has led you to be a completely free person. Consider the situation if you would not have gone to college and you did not go to work? You surely would have been used to the idea of being at home. You would not ask for the freedom you ask for now.
Sister, while we understand that you are an adult and independent, you should adhere to the spirit of Islam and its teachings. The issue is not of a woman only knowing Allah and performing Salah etc. living in a safe place. In Islam, a woman is well protected by her guardian. This is more important in this era of evil and immortality. In the past, it was about merely protection of women from men, etc. Now, the issue is even more than that. It is an era of technologies and social media, as well. A person can get easily caught up in that and be led to evil. When one stays with one’s guardian, that decreases the risk of fitnah. Moving out and living by yourself may expose you to fitnah and desires. We prefer you to continue staying with your parents.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Shakib Alam
Student – Darul Iftaa
Pennsylvania, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.