Is It Permissible for a Convert To Work To Support Herself As She Has No Muslim Family To Support Her?

Question:

Can a convert woman in America who is unmarried and has no Muslim male or female relatives work if she needs to provide for herself?

Answer:

Assalamu alaykum,

Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your sincerity and for your willingness to be independent.

Sustenance (Rizq)

Although you may feel alone, please know that Allah is with you and He has guaranteed your sustenance for you. No one can take away what is meant for you, and your provision will reach you no matter what method Allah uses to get it to you. Please see the details of seeking provision here:
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/articles/general-artices/seeking-nearness-to-allah-the-ultimate-aim-in-our-worldly-work/Shazia Ahmad
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/general-counsel/what-does-it-mean-to-have-beautiful-restraint-and-balance-in-ones-work-career-and-in-seeking-ones-provision/

Working in a Mixed Environment

Although there is no obligation upon Muslim women to support themselves, these days, a woman, especially in the West, may find herself without any option but to work to lift herself out of poverty. In this case, she may work, even in a mixed environment, as long as she follows gender interaction rules and keeps a modest decorum.

Please see the details here:
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/general-counsel/a-reader-on-gender-interaction/
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/general-counsel/women-the-workplace-is-it-impermissible-for-me-to-work-even-if-i-observe-proper-limits/

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.