Boss choosing a female secretary for the workplace

Question

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

It is not permissible for a woman to work in a place where
she will mix with men, because of the bad consequences and haraam things
that this leads to, such as khulwah (being alone with a member of the
opposite sex), looking, shaking hands and becoming attached to bosses and
colleagues, and other things that are well known. Hardly any mixed workplace
is free of these haraam things.

We have already quoted the evidence for mixing being haraam
in the answer to question no. 1200.

Secondly:

It is not permissible for bosses to employ a woman to work
among men, whether as a secretary, cleaner, or anything else, because that
is helping in haraam mixing.

The fact that this is the prevalent custom in a country does
not serve as a justification for it in terms of sharee’ah, rather customs
must give way to shar’i rulings and are subject to them .

The claim that women are better at secretarial skills and at
using the computer is not true. There are also men who are good at these
skills, and the matter depends on making a good choice. Men are more
entitled to jobs because it is the man who takes care of the family and he
is the one who is required to spend on them according to sharee’ah. If a
woman is able to find work that is free of haraam things, she may do that,
otherwise her house is better for her.

Thirdly:

It is haraam for a man and woman to be alone together,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“No man is alone with a woman but the shaytaan is the third one present.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2165); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Tirmidhi. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “No man should be alone with a woman without there being a mahram
present, and no woman should travel unless she has a mahram with her.” A man
stood up and said: O Messenger of Allaah, I have enlisted for such and such
a campaign and my wife has set out for Hajj. He said: “Go and do Hajj with
your wife.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3006)and Muslim (1341).

What is meant by “being alone” is that they are together in a
place where no one else can see them.

With regard to mixing: it may be without khulwah (being alone
together), such as when a number of men are together with a number of
females. What is haraam is that which leads to any of the haraam things
mentioned above, such as looking, touching, speaking in a soft alluring
voice, and forming attachments. This – as stated above – is hardly absent in
any mixed workplace, because people meet so often and sit together for
lengthy periods. This breaks down all barriers, especially in small or
confined spaces with a limited number of people, as in the case mentioned in
the question. In this case the opportunities to get to know one another and
become attached are even greater.

Mixing may be free of khulwah, but it does not prevent making
appointments to meet elsewhere, and things that are worse than that.

Whoever studies the evidence for mixing being haraam – which
is quoted in the answer referred to (no.
1200) – will understand the wisdom
behind Islam closing the door to it, and will understand that this command
is based on an understanding of the nature of both sexes and what results
from their being close together. Islam is keen to protect both of them.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (12/156):
Mixing between men and women in schools and elsewhere is a great evil and
adversely affects religious commitment and worldly interests. It is not
permissible for a woman to study or work in a place where men and women mix,
and it is not permissible for her guardian to allow her to do that.

May Allaah help us all to do that which He loves and which
pleases Him.

And Allaah knows best.