The basic ruling concerning the Muslim woman is that she remains in her home and carries out whatever she wishes to do there, in a manner pleasing to Allah.
The best of what she can do at home is to engage in acts that increase her knowledge of her Lord and draw her closer to Him in piety.
Allah says:
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ ٱلْجَاهِلِيَّةِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ ٱلصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ ٱلزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ ٱلرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
“And remain in your homes, and do not display yourselves as in the former times of ignorance. And establish prayer, give zakāh, and obey Allah and His Messenger…”
(Al-Ahzāb: 33)
He also says:
وَٱذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَىٰ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْحِكْمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا
(Al-Ahzāb: 34)
Al-Imām al-Sa‘dī said in his Tafsīr:
أي: اقررن فيها، لأنه أسلم وأحفظ لَكُنَّ
“Meaning: remain in your homes, for that is safer and more protective for you.”
So, this is not a matter of importing fatāwā from Saudi Arabia or anywhere else. Rather, it is what Allah Himself has commanded the Muslim woman.
It is also not a matter of “misapplying the teachings of ʿAqīdah.” Instead, it is a basic and well-established ruling in Islam.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
«الْمَرْأَةُ عَوْرَةٌ، فَإِذَا خَرَجَتِ اسْتَشْرَفَهَا الشَّيْطَانُ»
“The woman is ʿawrah, so when she goes out, the Shayṭān beautifies her (in the eyes of men).” (Reported by al-Tirmidhī, and graded authentic)
If a Muslim woman needs to go out to work, then there must be a genuine necessity—such as when there is no responsible man such as a husband or her father etc, to provide for her, or when the Muslim community is weak. Otherwise, her primary place is the home.
However, this is very different from the type of exaggerated fear and imagined harm some people have begun to promote, trying to push Muslim women out of their homes as though staying home is itself a failure.
Her task in the home, raising her children, is a noble and dignified occupation. She becomes the first school of her children: teaching them the Qur’ān, their manners, their identity, and their Deen. Her husband should appreciate, honour, and support her in this, financially or other ways. In any case, she will be earning immense reward from Allah.
If she carries out this mission of being the first Madrasah for her children with sincerity and devotion, she will eventually see its fruits, even if society looks down on her for not being a so-called “modern career woman.”
Caring for children at home is itself a great profession.
If she finds work she can do from home, such as online teaching, tailoring, writing, or handicrafts, just as our mother Zaynab bint Jahsh (رضي الله عنها) used to Do, there is no harm in it, provided it does not interfere with her primary responsibility of caring for her home and children.
Unless she studied a field that necessarily requires her to go out, such as medicine or nursing, etc, the best use of her knowledge is to enrich her children, her household, and her community from within the home.
A female muslim doctor or otherwise failing in her primary duty at home is already a failure irrespective of how useful is she to the so-called humanity.
A Muslim woman well-grounded in Qur’ān, Ḥadīth, and the sciences of the religion is an irreplaceable treasure for the Ummah.
Therefore, portraying the stay-at-home Muslim mother as a burden or liability to the Muslim community is a satanic call. Those who spread such ideas should fear Allah before a Day when deeds will be exposed.
One must remember that Allah alone is the Provider.
Allah says:
اللَّهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۖ وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ
(Ash-Shūrā: 19)
People may work day and night and still complain of poverty. Poverty is not solved by rushing women out of their homes, but by returning to Allah.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
«مَا الْفَقْرَ أَخْشَى عَلَيْكُمْ، وَلَكِنِّي أَخْشَى أَنْ تُبْسَطَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَيْكُمْ…»
“It is not poverty that I fear for you, but I fear that the world will be expanded for you…”
(al-Bukhārī and Muslim)
Let us place our trust in Allah, after taking lawful means, not this fear mongering.
وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا (2) وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا
“And whoever fears Allah. He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah, then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will [eventually] accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set a measure for everything.” (Surah At‑Talaq 65:2-3)
How beautiful that these verses come in the context of women after divorce, as if Allah is saying to women: Do not fear.
He also says:
وَإِن يَتَفَرَّقَا يُغْنِ ٱللَّهُ كُلًّا مِّن سَعَتِهِ
“And if the two separate, Allah will enrich each of them from His abundance.”
(Surah An-Nisā’ 4:130)
So, let these fear-mongers leave us in peace. We wonder what they would have said in the time of legitimate Jihād, Shaytaan would have made them to say: “Do not go, lest your family suffer after your death.”
And Allah is the One whose help we seek.
Aboo Aamir from Ibadan
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