Answered by Shaykh Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
What is the ruling on working as a female optometrist? I assess health of patient’s eyes as well as need for glasses but I am in a room alone with a patient (sometimes male). Sometimes, the need may arise where I must touch the patient to remove something from the eye or assess it better.
I only ask necessary questions and touch only if required, and though the door is shut, the store is busy and the door is not locked as well as the room being accessible for anyone to come in to take something from the room.
I am also wondering that due to the above, will my income be impermissible?
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathābah Institute.
There is no Islamic objection for a female optometrist to deal with female patients. As you have pointed out, when your work involves male patients and related unislamic activities, such as being in seclusion with non-maḥram males or physically touching them, a practicing muslimah will be concerned.
Here are some suggestions to ensure you do not violate any Islamic laws in your profession:
- Keep the door open when treating or assessing male patients.
- Have a muslim maḥram male as your assistant who can particularly help you when there are male patients. This way the physical contact and gender rules of Islam can be easily practiced.
- Have both female and male optometrists in your workplace. Male patients can be taken care of by the male optometrists, and the female optometrists only see female patients.
If you upkeep all Islamic laws, your income is permissible. Where Islamic laws are violated, your income becomes unlawful or in the least doubtful and or prohibitively disliked.
Under the well-known fiqh principle, “Repelling evils is more important than extracting benefits” it is written, “It is prohibited to earn money wherein there are islamicaly forbidden commodities [or activities] even though the transactions may draw profits.” – (See: Al-Qawāid Al-Fiqhīyyah, Page 34, Dār Al-Tirmidhī[1], Rad Al-Muḥtār, Vol 1, Page 406[2], Dār Al-Fikr)
It should also be noted that the believer should never be the means or source for unlawful activities such as forbidden seclusion and impermissible gender transactions. – (See: Al-Qawāid Al-Fiqhīyyah, Page 79, Dār Al-Tirmidhī)[3]
“And tell the believing women that they must lower their gazes and guard their private parts, and must not expose their adornment, except that which appears thereof, and must wrap their bosoms with their shawls, and must not expose their adornment, except to their husbands or their fathers or the fathers of their husbands, or to their sons or the sons of their husbands, or to their brothers or the sons of their brothers or the sons of their sisters, or to their women, or to those owned by their right hands, or male attendants having no (sexual) urge, or to the children who are not yet conscious of the nudity of women. And let them not stamp their feet in a way that the adornment they conceal is known. And repent to God, O believers, all of you, so that you may achieve success.” – (Qurʾān: 24:31)[4]
“It is better for an iron rod to be driven into the head of a man, than for him to touch a woman who is not permissible for him.” – (Ṭabrānī 487)[5]
‘Ayesha (may Allāh be pleased with her) said, “By Allāh the Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him) never touched the hand of any woman.” – (Bukhārī 2713)[6]
Only Allāh knows best
[1] درء المفاسد أولى من جلب المنافع ويمنع الاتجار بالمحرمات ولو أدت الى ربح ـ القواعد الفقهيه ص ٣٤ دار الترمذي
[2] نُجِيزُ الْكَلَامَ مَعَ النِّسَاءِ لِلْأَجَانِبِ وَمُحَاوَرَتِهِنَّ عِنْدَ الْحَاجَةِ إلَى ذَلِكَ وَلَا نُجِيزُ لَهُنَّ رَفْعَ أَصْوَاتِهِنَّ وَلَا تَمْطِيطَهَا وَلَا تَلْيِينَهَا وَتَقْطِيعَهَا لِمَا فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ اسْتِمَالَةِ الرِّجَالِ إلَيْهِنَّ وَتَحْرِيكِ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنْهُمْ – كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج ١/ ص ٤٠٦ دار الفكر
[3] ما حرم فعله حرم طلبه ويحرم الاخذ والتوسط والطلب – ـ القواعد الفقهيه ص ٧٩ دار الترمذي
[4] وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ – سورة النور ٣٠
[5] لإن يُطعن في رأس رجل بمخيط من حديد خير من أن يمسّ امرأة لا تحلّ له – رواه الطبراني ٤٨٧
[6] قَالَ عُرْوَةُ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَمَنْ أَقَرَّ بِهَذَا الشَّرْطِ مِنْهُنَّ قَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ بَايَعْتُكِ كَلاَمًا يُكَلِّمُهَا بِهِ وَاللَّهِ مَا مَسَّتْ يَدُهُ يَدَ امْرَأَةٍ قَطُّ فِي الْمُبَايَعَةِ وَمَا بَايَعَهُنَّ إِلاَّ بِقَوْلِ – رواه البخاري ٢٧١٣