Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen’s Advice to Women Who Hold Their Houses to Be "Prisons".

The Shaykh -Allah have mercy on him- was asked:

“Esteemed Shaykh do you have a word of guidance for those women who say staying in the home is like being in a prison?“

He responded:

“Yes, that which I have to say to that Muslim woman who holds her house to be a prison, if this expression can be considered correct, is that this way is from Allaah, the Most Glorified and the Most Exalted.

As Allaah the Most High says, (And remain within your homes) and as it is found in the narration of the Prophet, may Allaah’s praise and salutations be upon him, regarding women, {… And their homes are better for them.} A women within her house is free to go to any area of the house, and take care of any needs within her home, and work for herself, so where is the confinement and where is the prison? Yes, it could be considered a prison by the one who wishes to needlessly go out and be like men. But what is well known is that Allaah, the Most High, gave men specific characteristics, and women specific characteristics, and distinguished between men and women in His creation of them in terms of physical traits, intellectual traits, character traits, and aspects of the religion, according to what was required by the boundaries and guidelines of Allaah, the Most Glorified and the Most Exalted….

…. So it is upon women to fear Allaah and to refer back to whatever was stated by their Lord and their Creator, and refer back to whatever was directed by the Messenger of the Lord of all the worlds to them and to other women. And that they be aware and know that they will meet Allah, the Most Glorified and the Most Exalted, and that He will ask them what was their response and stance towards the Messenger sent to them and his guidance. And indeed no one knows when an individual will return back to Allaah and be questioned. Certainly a woman might start the morning within her home, her fortress, and when the evening arrives she would have entered her grave. Or she may spend the evening in her house, by when the morning arrives she has entered her grave. Therefore these Muslim women must fear Allaah, and turn away from the corrupt Western callers. As these western callers are those who, after they consumed that corruption, they threw its remaining bones and gristle to us. And some of us snatched up that remaining bone and gristle after these western nations have already consumed whatever benefit it had!

Rather, a woman should be like that Muslim woman who resides in her house, living her proper life, being distant from all places of trials and societal corruption. However they, as women, are now confronted by these issues; and they are being assaulted as women from a far off location.

So we must build a wall for ourselves, as we are Muslims; we have our own religion, we have our own unique nature, we have our own manners, and we have our own character. Yet we still are hurrying along behind the disbelievers gasping and out of breath due to our efforts to follow them into corruption. How free is Allah, the Powerful from any imperfection or shortcoming, indeed there is no change nor power except in Allaah!”

[From the Radio Program Nur Alaa Darb]