Does Islam allow women to work outside home?
What Islam says about women employment?
In Islam, women are permitted to work under specific regulations. An appropriate scenario, for instance, is when a woman has a need for money and her job does not make her overlook her significant position as a wife and mother. There has been asserted that it is duty of the Muslim community to organise work for women, enabling women to accomplish this in an environment that respects their rights (as outlined in the Quran).
Islamic law, on the other hand, allows women to work under certain conditions, including that the employment not require the woman to break Islamic law (like serving, consuming or selling alcohol) and that she dresses modestly while working outside of the house.
Statistics about Muslim Women Employment across the Globe
Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim nation by demographic, has more women in senior company managerial roles than the United States (22%) or Denmark (14%), based on the International Business Report (2014) released by the international accounting platform Grant Thornton.
Leading female corporate leaders in the Islamic world are including in Bernadette Ruth Irawati Setiady, CEO of PT Kalbe Farma Tbk, the biggest pharmaceutical company in the ASEAN trade bloc; Güler Sabanc, the CEO of the commercial and financial conglomerate Sabanc Holding; Ümit Boyner, a non-executive head at Boyner Holding who served as former chairman of TÜSAD, the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association.
Conditions given in Islam for working women
The following conditions that must be fulfilled regarding Muslim woman to be allowed to work outside the home under the noble Shari'a [Islamic law]:
• There are no elements of the job that go against the law and are therefore considered legitimate in accordance with Shari'a.
• She should promise to protect herself, her modesty, and her faith [against temptation].
• The nature and physical character of women must be suited to the profession.
As a result, a woman's job must not conflict with morality or challenge her guardian's authority over her.
Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with them) reported:
My maternal aunt was divorced, and she intended to pluck her dates [from palm trees]. A person scolded her for having come out (during her waiting period). She came to the Prophet (peace and blessins be upon him) and he told her:
"Certainly you can pluck (dates) from your palm trees, for perhaps you may give out charity or do an act of kindness." [Muslim, Sahih].
Examples of working women in Islamic History
Islam does not prohibit women from working at home or outside it. Using the wives of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as an example, home working used to be common.
• For instance, they used to tan hides and color their own garments in alongside carrying out other household chores like cooking, cleaning, and caring for Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).
• Aishah, the Prophet's wife, is yet another case of a woman working; she used to produce the herbal medicines which his physicians had advised.
• A further instance is Asma bint Abi Bakr, who is the wife of Az-Zubayr ibn Awwam's who put in a lot of effort both inside and outside of the home. In addition to caring for her husband and family, she used to maintain the horses and camels.
• Three kilometres from Madinah, Asma would also travel on foot to her husband's farm to collect fodder. The Prophet sometimes passed her on the path without expressing any objection.
• Islam does not restrict women from working outside the home because throughout the Prophet's lifetime, several women did so and Muhammad did not object.
• One of those ladies was Umm Attiyah, who used to conduct female circumcisions, wash and enshroud Madinah women who had died, and nurse and treat Muslim soldiers who had been hurt on the battlefield in besides preparing foodstuff for the other soldiers.
• Rufaydah Al-Aslamiyyah, the first female doctor in Islam, is another case of such a working woman. The Prophet asked for a tent to be set up in his Madinah Mosque so that she could treat and cater the wounded Muslim soldiers from the Battle of Al-Khandaq (the Trench).
• During the Prophet's different wars, Ar-Rabaiyyi bint Mu'awwidh and Umm Sulaim would accompany him and provide water, weapons, meals, care for the wounded, and convey the martyrs to their final resting places for the Muslim soldiers.
• Additionally, during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger, Ash-Shifa bint Abdullah travelled to instruct Muslim women how to read, write, and practise medicine.
• Whenever Umm Mihjan stopped cleaning the Prophet's mosque, the Prophet noticed. Whenever his Followers informed him that she had passed away and been buried (since they did not desire to wake the Prophet when she passed away), the Prophet visited to her grave and recited the Prayer.
Therefore, all of the examples mentioned above and the Islamic history clearly states that women are absolutely allowed to work; however, they should better take care of their modesty. They should also take care of the balance between their personal and professional life.
