Question:
Assalamu ‘alaykum
What is the ruling about having a ‘barrier’, like a curtain or something, between men and women in the mosque?
Answer:
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. And, prayers and salutations are on the Master of the Messengers, on his people, and all his companions.
We have found an opinion according to Imam Ghazzali which states (cited verbatim),
“It is obligatory (wajib) that a barrier/partition (ha‘il) is put between the men and women that prevents peeping; for verily, that is as well a place where corruption could be expected.” (Ihya Ulum al-Din, vol. 1, pg. 793; from Dar al-Salam’s second edition, 1425/2005)
And, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami related Imam Ghazzali’s statement in his Fatawa vol. 1, pg. 201.
And Allah knows best.
Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.