Mixing.

All praise is due to Allaah (God).

Unnecessary mixing between the sexes is haraam (prohibited) in Islam, as Allaah has forbidden
men to intermingle with women who are not his maharem (unmarriageable kin). The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No man is alone with a woman but the
third one present is the shaytaan (satan).” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2165); classed as saheeh
by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

It was narrated from Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I am not leaving behind me any fitnah
(trial) more harmful to men than women.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4808; Muslim 2740.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said, commenting on the hadeeth (narration of the Prophet): This hadeeth
indicates that the fitnah caused by women is greater than any other fitnah. This is supported by
the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver
(wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the
present world’s life; but Allah has the excellent return (Paradise with flowing rivers, etc.) with
Him.” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:14 – The Qur’an].

Allaah described them (women) as being among the things that men covet, and He mentioned
them first, before the other things, to indicate that they are the cause of the fitnah. Fath al-Baari,
9/138.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him): “Allaah has decreed for every son of Adam his share of zina
(fornication/adultery), and there is no way to escape from it. The zina of the eye is a glance,
the zina of the tongue is speaking, and the zina of the mind is wishing and hoping; then the
private part either acts upon this or it does not.” Reported by al-Bukhaari, 11/26; Muslim,
4/2046.

Allaah says in The Qur’an (interpretation of the meaning):

30. “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect
their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allaah is
All-Aware of what they do.”

31. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and
protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment
except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to
see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all
over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their
adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their
husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim)
women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or
old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex.
And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of
you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.” [al-Noor 24:30-31 –
The Qur’an].

It was narrated from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Beware of entering upon women.”
A man from among the Ansaar said, “O Messenger of Allaah, what about the brother in-
law?” He said, “The brother in-law is death.” Al-Bukhaari, 4934; Muslim, 2172.

Abu Usayd al-Ansari (May Allaah be plased with him) narrated that he heard Allah’s Messenger
(May peace and blessings be upon him) say to the women on his way out of the mosque when he
saw men and women mixing together on their way home: “Give way (i.e., walk to the sides) as
it is not appropriate for you to walk in the middle of the road.” Thereafter, women would
walk so close to the wall that their dresses would get caught on it. Narrated by Abu Dawood in
“Kitab al-Adab min Sunanihi, Chapter: Mashyu an-Nisa Ma’ ar-Rijal fi at-Tariq.”

It was narrated from Abu Moosa (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a woman puts on perfume and passes by people so
that they can smell her fragrance, then she is such and such,” and he spoke sternly - meaning
an adulteress. Narrated by Abu Dawood (4173) and al-Tirmidhi (2786); classed as saheeh by
Ibn Daqeeq al-Eid in al-Iqtiraah (126) and by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

al-Mannaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “She is an adulteress” means: because of
that she is exposed to zina, and implementing the means that lead to it and calling those who
seek it. Hence she is called an adulteress in a metaphorical sense, because desire may prevail and
real zina may take place. Her passing by men is likened to her sitting in their path so that they
pass by her. Fayd al-Qadeer (1/355)

Allaah says in The Qur’an (interpretation of the meaning):

“…And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that
is purer for your hearts and for their hearts…” [al-Ahzaab 33:53 – The Qur’an].

Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis): This verse
indicates that Allaah has given permission to ask of them from behind a screen in the case of
necessity, or when consulting them about some matter. This meaning includes all women,
because the basic principle of sharee’ah (Islamic law) is that the whole of a woman is ‘awrah
(parts of the body that must be covered infront of non-maharem).

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (17/202): The woman’s voice is not haraam in and of
itself, and it is not haraam to listen to it unless there is some softness and gentleness in speech. It
is haraam for a woman to speak in such a manner to anyone other than her husband, and it is
haraam for men other than her husband to listen to it, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allaah),
then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for
adultery, etc.) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner.” [al-Ahzaab
33:32 – The Qur’an].

Ibn Kathir (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his tafsir: These are the good manners which
Allah enjoined upon the wives of the Prophet so that they would be an example for the women of
the Ummah to follow. Allah said, addressing the wives of the Prophet that they should fear Allah
as He commanded them, and that no other woman is like them or can be their equal in virtue and
status.

Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid (May Allaah preserve him) said in a fatwa on the same
topic: “If there is this warning against being soft of speech lest the one in whose heart is a
disease be moved with desire, then what about men sitting with women who are clothed yet
naked, who go astray and lead others astray, chatting and laughing together, and looking at one
another? What fitnah can be greater than that? What heart can remain free of sickness when this
is the case?”

Ultimately, all of this may result in haraam touching, which includes many things which people
consider to be insignificant, such as shaking hands. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “If one of you were to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle, that
would be better for him than his touching a woman who is not permissible for him.”
Narrated by al-Tabaraani from Ma’qil ibn Yasaar; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami’ no. 5045.

& Allaah knows best.