Peace be upon those who know the truth and believe in it, then help it with their tongues and hands, and cooperate in righteousness and piety as Allah has commanded them.
As for what comes next,
Know that the fundamental principle is that men and women are equal in rights and obligations unless there is definitive evidence from Sharia that indicates a difference, as the commands and prohibitions of Allah and His Messenger are general and absolute in this regard, even though the wording of most of them is in the masculine form, as it is due to the grammatical convention of giving precedence to the masculine gender, not because it exclusively refers to men, just as it appears to be the case from the words of Allah Almighty about the wife of Lut, peace be upon him, that she ﴿كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ﴾; “was among those who were left behind,” and His words about Maryam, peace be upon her, that she ﴿كَانَتْ مِنَ الْقَانِتِينَ﴾; “was among the devoutly obedient.” Therefore, all religious commands and prohibitions apply equally to both men and women, except for those commands and prohibitions that are known to be exclusive to one gender.
Based on this, a woman is permitted to engage in any work that is permissible in itself, both inside and outside the home, whether alone or with a man, provided that it does not lead to any forbidden act, such as touching a non-mahram, talking to him about something that involves sin, being alone with him in seclusion, neglecting obligatory hijab, or failing to fulfill her duties toward her husband and children. If it leads to any of these, then it is not permissible, as it is following the footsteps of Satan, while Allah Almighty has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ وَمَنْ يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ ۚ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَى مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾; “O you who believed! Do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan, he indeed commands what is indecent and reprehensible. And had it not been for Allah’s grace upon you and His mercy, not one of you would ever have been purified. But Allah purifies whomever He wills, and Allah is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” Similarly, a man is not permitted to employ a woman if her work is not permissible, as it may lead to some of the mentioned forbidden acts; because employing her in this case is cooperating in sin and transgression, while Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ﴾; “And do not cooperate in sin and transgression, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is severe in punishment.”
The website for the office of Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani
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