FatwaFederal TerritoriesDress, Awrah & Adornment
AL-KAFI #695 : HUKUM TINGGAL SEBILIK DENGAN RAKAN BUKAN ISLAM
Can a Muslim woman share a room with a non-Muslim woman, and what are the limits of awrah and the ruling on khalwah between them?
Short answer
In principle, a Muslim woman should cover her awrah before non-Muslim women, except the parts that are usually exposed while working, such as the head, neck, hands to the upper arm and feet to the knees, according to the scholars cited.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Dress, Awrah & Adornment
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
In principle, a Muslim woman should cover her awrah before non-Muslim women, except the parts that are usually exposed while working, such as the head, neck, hands to the upper arm and feet to the knees, according to the scholars cited. Sharing a room or hostel with them is not the prohibited kind of seclusion, since the prohibition concerns a man and a woman, so it is permissible. In present circumstances, mixing among women including non-Muslims is allowed on condition that it causes no fitnah and does not lower the dignity of the Muslim woman. Muslim women are advised to dress carefully and use the situation to invite to Islam through good conduct.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Justeru, pada asalnya wanita Muslimah itu perlu menutup auratnya di hadapan wanita bukan Islam melainkan bahagian-bahagian badan yang terdedah ketika bekerja.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #695 : HUKUM TINGGAL SEBILIK DENGAN RAKAN BUKAN ISLAM”, 22 January 2018. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/2256-al-kafi-695-hukum-tinggal-sebilik-dengan-rakan-bukan-islam. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-sharing-room-with-non-muslim-woman/