Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

farimasait · September 1, 2011, 12:46am

Is it acceptable to use a crowded subway - full of na-mehrams to commute to work daily?
My family is fine with my working but want me to look for something closer to home so I can be dropped to work.

S02 · September 1, 2011, 12:52am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

Seems like you're looking for an answer from a religious perspective, so I am moving this thread.

princessjojo · September 1, 2011, 12:56am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

Isn't Hajj crowded?

FusionMiddleware · September 1, 2011, 12:58am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

u r grown up enough to understand wht is right n wrong … so decide urself

KKF · September 1, 2011, 2:21am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

Hijaab is for naa-maHrams...i don't understand what seems to be the issue...women can do anything that is legal in Islam and within the constraints of Hijaab...what's the big deal?

anya · September 1, 2011, 2:58am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

How did they allow you to work............a place full of na-mehrams??

ramesha · September 1, 2011, 3:38am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

I was going to say the same.

Southie · September 1, 2011, 4:55am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

Forgive my ignorance Khaan - what does maHram and naa-mahram mean. I assume one is muslim, and other is not? Is naa-mahram muslim (since you say Hijaab is for naa-maHram?)

Hope you will understand I ask out of curiosity, and not dis-respect.

canadiandesigirl · September 1, 2011, 5:00am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

I know you didn't ask me but I shall answer anyways :p
Mahram is anyone who a women can't get married to (nikah) such as her father, brother, fathers brother, mothers brother etc. Naa-mahram are men who a women can get married to (nikah) such as her cousin and other men. It has nothing to do with muslim or non-muslim. What KKF said is that a woman has to wear hijab in front of naa-mahrams so as long as she is wearing hijab it shouldn't matter if there are naa-mahrams around on a subway or elsewhere.

Southie · September 1, 2011, 5:08am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

Thanks! Very clear now.

Since I know Khaan from the forum, I was comfortable asking him! (did not want to be misunderstood as trolling)

canadiandesigirl · September 1, 2011, 5:12am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

Glad I was able to help you out...and not to worry I've seen you around enough.

NomiCA · September 1, 2011, 7:35am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

BTW…technically a muslim woman can’t marry a non-muslim…but that person isn’t mahram just because she can’t marry him

Naabigh · September 1, 2011, 9:19am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

But there is a clothing protocol for ladies at hajj - innit ?

lethal_kamikaze · September 1, 2011, 9:30am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

Yeah, so do 'parda-type dresses' in front of na-mehram.

psyah · September 1, 2011, 10:57am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

Extending from the permissibility of travelling in confined spaces due to Hajj, the requirement strictly requires women to be with their mahrams during the hajj. My dad had to put his arms around my mum where there were in confined spaces such as the Jamaraat during Hajj.

If a mufti were to use the Hajj as a basis to travel in confined spaces then he would be obliged to use the mahram conditions for that travel also.

What they are more likely to resort to are the conditions of harj (difficulty) not Hajj ... to justify the travelling of a woman in public confined spaces to get to work. It is best if this question is posed to a mufti. My guesses are that you will be allowed to travel to work without worry in the tube, but where other options are available then to use those. This after taking into consideration that women are not required to work, and that you familial circumstances demand you to work, for example "loan to pay off" ... etc etc etc ...

Shazia_Arif · September 1, 2011, 2:57pm

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

hijaab is the best thing to have before goin any where.

Shazia_Arif · September 1, 2011, 2:59pm

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

han na she is askin the same thing.

Mirch · September 1, 2011, 3:46pm

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

As per sharia a Muslim cannot marry a non-Muslim man. So all non Muslims men are mahram to her as per your definition , if not why not ? If yes why yes ?
I want to understand , i am not saying you are wrong or right.

NomiCA · September 1, 2011, 4:17pm

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

Uncle G...she was probably talking in the framework of a "Muslim" society...where the mahrams and the non-mahrams are all muslims........

i think.....clear way to put it would be that.......anyone who is not one of the relationships mentioned (father,brother,son etc etc) is a non-mahram (muslim or non-muslim).

farimasait · September 2, 2011, 1:25am

Re: Can women use a crowded subway to commute?

Thanks for your replies all!

No, I don’t do hijaab. In fact I’ve worn western-style clothes even back home in the des.
The reason I asked is that I suspect my father just brought up his objection out of the blue to put a spoke in the wheel.This, after I landed a job. I was wondering if there was seriously a view that this could be wrong - travelling in the subway I mean.

My family has been very liberal all along, until my father decided to ‘do religion’ a few years back. Life has since become a tug of war between my still ‘liberal’ mom who wants me to have ambitions etc. and dad. I strongly suspect he would like to get me married off but daren’t openly say so.

There are no circumstances that ‘force’ me to go to work, I just always assumed that is what I would do after I got an education. There’s a lot of things I always took for granted that are being questioned lately.