Is it Fard to have a barrier between men & women in gatherings

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

No, it is not Fard to have a barrier between men and women in gatherings or spaces where they are both present. This is the position of the Hanafi Madhab. Firstly, there is no evidence or reference (Nass) obliging a barrier. Secondly, there are numerous proofs and references proving that a barrier is not required. However, it is best to have a barrier and more thoroughly divide the genders to help avoid potential Fitnah or distraction. 

Explanation

عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ: كَانَ النَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَهُمْ عَاقِدُوا أُزْرِهِمْ مِنَ الصِّغَرِ عَلَى رِقَابِهِمْ، فَقِيلَ لِلنِّسَاءِ: لاَ تَرْفَعْنَ رُءُوسَكُنَّ حَتَّى يَسْتَوِيَ الرِّجَالُ جُلُوسًا

Sahl bin Sa`d: The people used to pray with the Prophet ﷺ tying their Izars (waist sheets) around their necks because of their small sizes. So, it was said to the women: Do not raise your heads (from prostration) till the men have sat up straight. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 814). 

The authentic Hadith above makes it fairly clear that there was no barrier between men and women who prayed in the Masjid of the blessed Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, it would be difficult to make the argument that a curtain, wall or the like is intrinsically or always obligatory when men and women share the same space. 

However, the Hadith narration certainly does not serve as proof for men and women to intermingle or sit next to each other in gatherings if they are not Mahram. Rather anyone who has knowledge of Sunnah will undoubtedly know that mixing with the opposite gender, as practiced in the west, is completely alien to Islam.  

Commentary

كَانَت النِّسَاء متأخرات عَن صف الرِّجَال، فنهين عَن رفع رُؤْسهمْ حَتَّى يَسْتَوِي الرِّجَال جالسين حَتَّى لَا يَقع بصرهن على عَوْرَاتهمْ. وَفِيه: الِاحْتِيَاط فِي ستر الْعَوْرَة، والتوثق بِحِفْظ الستْرَة. (عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري)

The women were behind the row of men. So, they were forbidden from raising their heads until the men were seated properly. Lest their eyes fall upon the men’s Awrah. And in it is the importance of taking precautions to cover one’s Awrah and ensuring that modesty is maintained. (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni 855H, Umdatu al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari). 

Imam al-Ayni is very clear in his commentary on the above Hadith. He explains that the concern was the females potentially seeing the Awrah of the males. Despite that serious issue, there was no barrier between men and women in the Masjid of the Mubarak Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, it will be difficult to argue that such a barrier or curtain is obligatory due to Fitnah. 

Tawaf

As well as Salah, Tawaf is also an example from the era of the blessed Prophet where there was no barrier between men and women despite them being in the same space. So once again the argument that a curtain or barrier is obligatory is severely undermined. That is not to say that a barrier or separation is not praiseworthy. Rather it is good to be cautious regarding such matters. However, the claim of obligation is contradicted.   

 أَخْبَرَنِي عَطَاءٌ: إِذْ مَنَعَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ النِّسَاءَ الطَّوَافَ مَعَ الرِّجَالِ، قَالَ: كَيْفَ يَمْنَعُهُنَّ؟ وَقَدْ طَافَ نِسَاءُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَعَ الرِّجَالِ؟ قُلْتُ: أَبَعْدَ الحِجَابِ أَوْ قَبْلُ؟ قَالَ: إِي لَعَمْرِي، لَقَدْ أَدْرَكْتُهُ بَعْدَ الحِجَابِ، قُلْتُ: كَيْفَ يُخَالِطْنَ الرِّجَالَ؟ قَالَ: لَمْ يَكُنَّ يُخَالِطْنَ، كَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا تَطُوفُ حَجْرَةً مِنَ الرِّجَالِ، لاَ تُخَالِطُهُمْ، فَقَالَتْ امْرَأَةٌ: انْطَلِقِي نَسْتَلِمْ يَا أُمَّ المُؤْمِنِينَ، قَالَتْ: «انْطَلِقِي عَنْكِ»، وَأَبَتْ، يَخْرُجْنَ مُتَنَكِّرَاتٍ بِاللَّيْلِ، فَيَطُفْنَ مَعَ الرِّجَالِ، وَلَكِنَّهُنَّ كُنَّ إِذَا دَخَلْنَ البَيْتَ، قُمْنَ حَتَّى يَدْخُلْنَ، وَأُخْرِجَ الرِّجَالُ

Ata informed us that when Ibn Hisham forbade women from performing Tawaf with the men he said: How can you forbid them? Indeed, the wives of the Prophet ﷺ performed Tawaf in the presence of the men. I said: Was this before the Hijab or after it? He said: Indeed, I swear I saw it after the Hijab. I said: How did they mix with the men? He said: They never mixed with the men. A’ishah used to perform Tawaf separately and never mixed with them. Once a woman said to her: O Mother of believers! Come along let’s touch the Black stone. She said to her: Go yourself. And she refused. They used to go at night, concealed, and used to perform Tawaf with the men. But whenever they entered the house, they would stand till the men left. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1618).

Free mixing

We must understand that simply being in the same area as the opposite gender is not free mixing or Ikhtilaat. Imam al-Ayni explains in his commentary of the above Hadith that despite making Tawaf at the same time as the men, the women did not free mix. 

طفن فِي وَقت وَاحِد غير مختلطات بِالرِّجَالِ لِأَن سنتهن أَن يطفن ويصلين من وَرَاء الرِّجَال. (عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري)

They performed Tawaf at the same time, without mixing with the men. Since it was their practice to perform Tawaf and pray behind the men. (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni 855H, Umdatu al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari). 

Eating with a guest

قَالَ يَحيَى: سُئِلَ مَالِكٌ: هَلْ تَأْكُلُ الْمَرْأَةُ مَعَ غَيْرِ ذِي مَحْرَمٍ مِنْهَا، أَوْ مَعَ غُلاَمِهَا؟ فَقَالَ مَالِكٌ: لَيْسَ بِذَلِكَ بَأْسٌ، إِذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى وَجْهِ مَا يُعْرَفُ لِلْمَرْأَةِ أَنْ تَأْكُلَ مَعَهُ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ، قَالَ: وَقَدْ تَأْكُلُ الْمَرْأَةُ مَعَ زَوْجِهَا، وَمَعَ غَيْرِهِ مِمَّنْ يُؤَاكِلُهُ، أَوْ مَعَ أَخِيهَا عَلَى مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ، وَيُكْرَهُ لِلْمَرْأَةِ أَنْ تَخْلُوَ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ، لَيْسَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا حُرْمَةٌ. (موطأ مالك رواية يحيى الليثي)

Yahya said that Malik was asked, is it permissible for a woman to eat with someone who is not a close male relative, or with her male slave? So, Malik said: There is nothing wrong with that, if it is done in a manner that is known to be appropriate for a woman to eat with men. He also said: A woman may eat with her husband, and with someone else who eats with him. Or with her brother in a similar manner. However, it is disliked for a woman to be alone with a man with whom there is no Mahram relationship. (Muwatta Malik, the narration of Yahya al-Laythi). 

Imam Malik clearly permitted women to sit and eat with the male guests of her husband. That is not usually proof for Hanafis. However, there does not seem to be anything in the Hanafi Madhab to oppose this. Sometimes Hanafi Imams will look at opinions from other Madhabs and consider them if nothing in our Madhab opposed it.  Therefore, it may be correct to say that this would be permitted in the Hanafi Madhab too. 

Having said that, it does not mean it is recommended for a woman to sit and eat with her husband’s guests. Rather distance between the genders is superior and seems to be the norm in the Sunnah. In the following Nass (text) Imam al-Ayni is commenting on the Hadith in which our beloved Prophet ﷺ mentioned the best row of the males is the first and the opposite is the case for females. Imam al-Ayni explains that this is due to there being greater distance between the genders. 

وأما إذا صلين مع الرجال فخيرُ صفوفهن: آخرها لبُعْدهن من الرجال ورؤيتهم، وتعلّق القلب بهم عند رؤية حركاتهم، وسماع كلامهم ونحو ذلك. (شرح سنن أبي داود)

If women pray with men, then the best rows for them are the last ones. Due to the distance from the men and seeing them. Also, their hearts being drawn to them when they see their movements, hear their words, or the like. (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni 855H, Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud).

Conclusion 

It is certainly a praiseworthy thing to be cautious regarding gender interaction. However, the claim that a barrier between men and women is Fard or Wajib is incorrect. It does not seem like there are any authoritative texts of the Hanafi Madhab stating this. On the contrary there are texts indicating or proving the opposite. 

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (09.01.26)