Is It Permissible for a Man To Learn Qur’an From a Woman?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
Is it permissible for a man to learn Qur’an from a woman? Furthermore, is it permissible for a man to hear a woman recite Qur’an?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
In cases of necessity and when certain conditions are met, it is permissible for a man to learn Qur’an from a woman. See explanation below.
A Glimpse Into The Wisdoms of Gender Interaction
The rulings of Islam are not merely judiciary verdicts based on dry rational thought. They are Divinely sanctioned regulations and principles that allow the Muslim to navigate the complexity of existence to fulfill their existential purpose of seeking the Divine pleasure.
In this vein we see that the rulings of Islam must be understood in light of the human being’s dual nature.
Body & Soul
The human being is made up of both the physical (their body) and the metaphysical (their soul). The ladder is most important and their true essence, and the former is seen merely as a vehicle.
The rulings of Islam then seek to frame the Muslim’s actions in a way that is conducive to spiritual growth and purification without neglecting the rights and needs of their physical nature.
The Challenge
The challenge comes when the appetites of the body go beyond the bounds of moderation or permissibility and begin impeding the Muslim’s spiritual progress and their relationship with their Creator.
For this reason, the Islam teaches the human to be wary of their physical nature and therefore act in a way that mitigates any likelihood of their physical nature harming their spiritual nature.
This is why there is a general emphasized caution on the rules and etiquettes that govern cross-gender interactions. This is especially true in Sacred places like the Mosques and Sacred deeds like reciting/teaching the Qur’an.
Jeopardizing the Sacred
The Qur’an is a book of guidance, knowledge, and is one of the Muslim’s most fundamental and direct connections to God. Thus gender interaction here is extra problematic because of what’s at stake. If the physical nature’s inclination to the opposite gender distracts the Muslim from the sanctity and deep meaningful connection of the Qu’ran, all is lost. This applies equally to both genders. Thus all the rulings of gender interaction apply to both equally.
The Detailed Ruling
It is permissible for a man to learn Qur’an from a woman only in the case of necessity and if the following conditions are met:
[Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
1) No Teacher of the Same Gender is Available
Ideally adult males learn from males and adult females from females. This is due to the natural inclination that Allah Most High has placed in each of us for the opposite gender. Due to this reason, caution is advised in all matters of interaction between the sexes. [Ibid.]
If no teacher of the same gender is available, the remaining conditions must be met.
2) No Seclusion or Impermissible Behaviour
If one must learn Qur’an from the opposite gender, due to a lack of access to a qualified teacher of the same gender, then the learning must take place such that both parties are not in seclusion.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Let no man ever be in seclusion with a woman.” [Bukhari]
This narration applies to any woman that is marriageable, either at the moment or if the proper circumstances arised. [Ibid.]
Furthermore, if the learning takes place in a public area or such that there are others present, one still must take care that no impermissible behavior takes place. Proper attire must be worn by both parties such that no part of the body is exposed that is impermissible for the opposite gender to see. Likewise, there must be no physical contact as this is strictly prohibited. [Ibid.]
3) Avoiding Temptations
Due to the natural inclination alluded to above, the Sacred Law delineates for us guidelines that diminish the possibility of temptation. The above rules of ‘no seclusion and no impermissible behavior’ also serve this point.
The relied upon position in the Hanafi school of Jurisprudence is that the voice of a woman is not ‘awra (i.e. is not obliged to conceal from the opposite gender). That said, it is, however, a possible cause of temptation (fitna) and for this reason caution is encouraged.
Prohibition of Beautifying Her Voice
Allah Most High says, “O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women: if you are mindful ˹of Allah˺, then do not be overly effeminate in speech ˹with men˺ or those with sickness in their hearts may be tempted, but speak in a moderate tone.” [Qur’an; 33:32]
For the reasons alluded to in the above verse, it is strictly prohibited for a woman to beautify, elongate, or overly effeminate her voice for marriageable men. If she is speaking in the above manner, her voice is now considered ‘awra and is obligatory to conceal from the opposite gender. [Ibid.]
Prohibition of Raising Her Voice
Furthermore, there is a discouragement in the Prophetic teachings from women raising the volume of their voices in front of the opposite gender. This is to eliminate the possibility of temptation.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The saying of SubhanAllah is for the men and the slapping of the hands is for the women.” [Tirmidhi]
This narration refers to informing the Imam, during the prayer, of a mistake. The male informs the Imam by saying SubhanAllah, loudly. The female follower, on the other hand, merely slaps her right palm on the back of her left hand such that the Imam can hear it and correct the mistake. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
It is prohibitively disliked for a woman to raise her voice in front of the opposite gender. [Ibid.]
Thus by adhering to this Prophetic guidance, the woman protects herself from being a potential cause of enticing to sin. Allah Most High says, “…and do not assist each other in sin and enmity…” [Qur’an; 5:2]
Similarly, is the ruling of the woman not reciting aloud in the prayer, not raising her voice when saying the talbiya in Hajj, not calling the adhan, and so forth.
These rulings are indicative of discouragement for a woman to raise their voice – due to the seductive nature of their voices when raised that may lead to temptation (fitna).
Note that the mention of opposite gender specifically refers to the marriageable person of the opposite gender, not one’s spouse or unmarriageable relative. The wording ‘opposite gender’ is used for brevity.
Summary: Necessity Permits Some of the Impermissible
Learning to recite the Qur’an to the extent that one can perform the prayer correctly is a personal obligation on every mature Muslim. Listening to the opposite gender recite melodiously is, however, strictly prohibited. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
Dr. Wahaba al-Zuhayli, a contemporary scholar, from Damascus writes in his work Islamic Jurisprudence and its proofs (al-Fiqh al-Islami wa Adillatuhu):
“It is strictly prohibited (haram) to listen to the voice of a female, which is in a melodious and musical tone, even if it is by reciting Qur’an.” [Zuhayli, al-Fiqh al-Islami wa Adillatuhu]
Do to the above clash between that which is obligatory (learning the Qur’an) and that which is prohibited (listening to a woman’s melodious voice), a man learning to recite from a female teacher is not permitted except when absolutely necessary.
Furthermore, when such a case does arise, the necessity is only treated to the extent of the necessity. This is a principle of Islamic Jurisprudence [Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah wa al-Nazair]
That said, if she can teach without reciting, she must. If not, she must recite in as moderate and un-melodious a tone as possible.
Note that this necessity, if found, does not extend to classmates or other women, therefore, listening is prohibited. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
See the following links for more clarification:
What Is the Etiquette to Follow for a Woman Towards a Male Teacher?
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
3006 – حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْبَدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، أَنَّهُ: سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، يَقُولُ: «§لاَ يَخْلُوَنَّ رَجُلٌ بِامْرَأَةٍ، وَلاَ تُسَافِرَنَّ امْرَأَةٌ إِلَّا وَمَعَهَا مَحْرَمٌ»، فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، اكْتُتِبْتُ فِي غَزْوَةِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، وَخَرَجَتِ امْرَأَتِي حَاجَّةً، قَالَ: «اذْهَبْ فَحُجَّ مَعَ امْرَأَتِكَ»
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ص59 – صحيح البخاري – باب من اكتتب في جيش فخرجت امرأته حاجة أو كان له عذر هل يؤذن له
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369 – حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنْ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «§التَّسْبِيحُ لِلرِّجَالِ، وَالتَّصْفِيقُ لِلنِّسَاءِ»، -[206]- وَفِي البَابِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، وَسَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، وَجَابِرٍ، وَأَبِي سَعِيدٍ، وَابْنِ عُمَرَ
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ص205 – سنن الترمذي ت شاكر – باب ما جاء أن التسبيح للرجال والتصفيق للنسا
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
