Gender Segregation and Islam - Sources

Sources

The Qur'anic verses which address the interaction of men and women in the social context include:

"Tell the believing women to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity: this will be most conducive to their purity - (and,) verily, Allah is aware of all that they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity, and not to display their charms beyond what may be apparent thereof; hence let them draw their head-coverings over their bosoms." —Qur'an, Sura 24 (An-Nur), ayat 30-31 "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful." —Qur'an, Sura 33 (Al-Ahzab), ayat 59 "(32) O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any of the women, provided that you remain conscious. of God. Hence, be not over-soft in your speech, lest any whose heart is diseased should be moved to desire : but, withal, speak in a kindly way. (33) And abide quietly in your homes, and do not flaunt your charms as they used to flaunt them in the old days of pagan ignorance; and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and pay heed unto God and His Apostle: for God only wants to remove from you all that might be loathsome, O you members of the household, and to purify you to utmost purity. " —Qur'an, Sura 33 (Al-Ahzab), ayat 32-33

Although women are discouraged from going to the mosque, they should be allowed to do so if they wish. Muhammad specifically admonished the men not to keep their wives from going to the mosques:

Ibn Omar reported,

The Messenger of God said, "Do not prevent the maid-servants of God from going to the mosque."(Muslim, No.888) (See also Nos. 884-891 and Bukhari Vol.1, Nos. 824, 832)

It is clear from the following hadith that in some mosques, the women prayed behind the men and were not separated in a separate room or even concealed by a curtain or partition where there wasn't one available (where the screen is practiced in many mosques today, and in the past, it is as a precaution to prevent unnecessary socializing and distraction during prayers):

Asma' daughter of Abu Bakr said,

I heard the Apostle of God say, "One of you who believes in God and in the Last Day should not raise her head until the men raise their heads lest she should see the private parts of men."(Sunan Abu Dawud, No. 850).

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