Hijab During the Qur'anic Lessons

By Mufti Ebrahim Desai


Q.) We in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, have a Islamic center. There is a Dars ul Qur'an class every Friday evening but the question is the men and women sit in the same hall and there is only walking space between them. Both and men and women ask question and refer to each answer and question and even laugh together. There is no pardha and hijab during the Qur'an class, while there are separate sections for men and women in the mosque and center. On the one hand we are doing a good job of learning Qur'an and on the other  we are working against the command of Allah as said in some surahs of Qur'an Majeed. Please clarify this with details of Qur'an and Sunnah.

A.) Hijab and segregation between strange males and females (Ghayr Mahaarim) is a divine injunction explicitly mentioned in numerous places, for example, in the Qur'an, Allah says, "Oh Muhammad say to the believing males to lower their gazes and say to the believing females to lower their gazes." (Al-Ahzab 30-31).

"Oh Muhammad say to your wives and your daughters and wives of believing males to draw upon the Jilbabs (covering)."

The purpose of the Qur'anic lessons is to practice upon its injunctions. To violate the laws of the Qur'an, Hijab, etc. while having Qur'anic lessons is in contrast to the actual purpose of the lessons. The women should sit at the center which is totally separate from the males. The lessons could be communicated to them through the PA system.

And Allah Taala Knows Best