Can I Sit Next to Someone of the Opposite Gender on Public Transport?
Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Question
Is it permissible to sit in a shared auto-rickshaw?
If I sit and the next passenger, a female, comes and sits, it’s very tight. The distance is 1.2 km, but another option is walking 900 meters.
Can I take it if I’m late?
Answer
I pray you are well.
No, sharing a rickshaw like this would not be permissible as there would be direct contact with the other person. In general, sitting next to someone of the opposite gender is permissible on public transport when necessary, as long as there is no physical contact. It is impermissible to touch a non-Mahram – except in cases of necessity, such as medical treatment. (Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar)
Sitting as you have described would entail being in contact with the other person to the point that you could feel their body heat through their clothing. This would not be allowed.
It’s better to plan your day and make arrangements that would prevent being in this situation. If you do run late, perhaps you could speak to the rickshaw driver and say you don’t want to be put in the above situation. If he agrees then get on.
Many people are faced with such daily tests of obedience to Allah. Those who find a way to avoid disobeying Him benefit in this life and the next. Those who don’t care miss out on much good. Choose wisely.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital, and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.
