(Nashr Al Mīrāth Al Nabawī By Shaykh Muhammad Awwama Hafizahullah, P. 66-67)
The 8th question: Akram Nadawī mentions about Female scholars and ʿĀlimāt Muḥadithāt (female scholars of ḥadīth) in his book “Al Muḥaddithāt”, that they would narrate hadīth in large gatherings consisting of men and women, what is your opinion in regards to this matter?
Response: The question states: ʿĀlimāt Muḥadithāt would narrate ḥadīth in large gatherings consisting of men and women.
The explanation: “These gatherings consisted of men and women” indicates that there was mixing [i.e. men and women sitting together]. But no. In the past gatherings of knowledge all [types] of people attended: the elderly, the youth, the men and the women. However, the gatherings of knowledge and ḥadīth were attended [in a manner where] the women were behind the men.
Imām Ibn Ḥibān (d. 354 AH) mentioned: the people of ʿIrāq and the people of Ḥijāz used to hear ḥadīth from Sayyidah ʿĀʾisha, May Allah be pleased with her, and others, without seeing her and without looking at her and like that they also heard [ḥadīth] from the Tābiʿyyāt (the successors after the Ṣaḥābiyyāt) .
Imām Al Dhahabī (d. 748 AH) says in “Siyar Aʿlām Al Nubalāʾ”: we heard [ḥadīth] from several women whilst not seeing them. This was during the 8th century. We certainly encourage our women, our daughters and our sisters towards knowledge, however within the remit of the Sharʿiyyah (the canonical law of Islam).
In the beginning of my discussion I said: that there are parameters and measures, and from amongst the parameters is the preservation of honour; Islam has placed many rulings to preserve honour. Among them is that men should not mix with women. If this command is established then excellent! And If that is not the case, this is not permissible, just like it is not appropriate to make an analogy of the present to the past; due to differences in the preservation of legal regulations.
Translated by M Ali
