The impermissibility of men teaching strange women (Ajnabiyyāt) without any partition separating between the two

[Part 1] Evidences from the Qur'ān & Sunnah 1⃣. The statement of Allāh ﷻ: ﴿وَإِذَا سَأَلۡتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَـٰعࣰا فَسۡـَٔلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَاۤءِ حِجَابࣲۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكُمۡ أَطۡهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمۡ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ﴾ “And when you ˹believers˺ ask his wives for something, ask them from behind a barrier. This is purer for your hearts and their hearts.” [Sūrah Al-Aḥzāb: 53] Points to take away from this Āyah: •1. This (فَسۡـَٔلُوهُنَّ) is a command from Allāh, and the base rule is that when Allāh commands something, it means that matter is obligatory - unless there's evidence to suggest otherwise; i.e. You must ask them from behind a barrier. •2. Commanding with something is an indirect prohibition of doing its opposite, as most of the scholars of Uṣūl have stated: «الأمر بالشيء نهي عن ضده» Therefore, if Allāh has commanded men to ask women from behind a barrier, that means we are not allowed to ask them without there being any barrier. •3. Ash-Shinqīṭī raḥimahullāh said, based on the contrary understanding it is understood that mixing (between opposite genders) and not setting a barrier (between the two) is impure and filthier for your hearts and their hearts. [Fatāwā Taḥrīm At-Ta’līm Al-Mukhtaliṭ] •4. If this is the case with regards to asking about a single matter, what of the one who has regular sittings with women; perhaps spanning several months if not years; wherein he looks at them and they look at him, he speaks to them and they speak to him?! •5. If this command was addressed to the best generation, who possessed the purest hearts, what of those living in these times of fitan?! •6. As-Si’dī raḥimahullāh explained in his tafsīr: {From behind a barrier} i.e. there should be a screen between you and them which prevents from looking [at one another]; because there is no need for that (i.e. looking at each other). Thus, looking at them is forbidden in all circumstances. As for speaking to them, then the detail for this is Allāh mentioned. Then He mentioned the wisdom behind that by saying: {That is purer for your hearts and their hearts}, because that is farther away from suspicion; and the farther a person is from the means which lead to evil, the safer it is for him, and the purer it is for his heart. Therefore, one of the issues of legislation which Allāh has clarified much of its details is that all means, causes and leads to evil are forbidden, and it is prescribed to take the means to avoid them. 2⃣. The statement of Allāh ﷻ: ﴿قُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ یَغُضُّوا۟ مِنۡ أَبۡصَـٰرِهِمۡ وَیَحۡفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمۡۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ أَزۡكَىٰ لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِیرُۢ بِمَا یَصۡنَعُونَ (*) وَقُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ یَغۡضُضۡنَ مِنۡ أَبۡصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَیَحۡفَظۡنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ﴾ “˹O Prophet!˺ Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity. That is purer for them. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what they do. [*] And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity.” [Sūrah An-Nūr: 30-31] Points to take away from this Āyah: •1. Ibnul Qayyim raḥimahullāh said: “Allāh Exalted is He has made the eye the mirror of the heart; so if a servant lowers his gaze, the heart lowers its desire and yearning, and if his gaze is released, the heart releases its desire.” [Rawḍhah Al-Muḥibbīn P. 92] •2. Ash-Shinqīṭī raḥimahullāh said: “He (ﷻ) began with the command to lower one's gaze before the command to protect the private parts, because looking is the reason that leads to fornication with the private parts...so a man may pleasure his eyes by looking at a beautiful woman, and his heart is overtaken by her love, and slowly that leads them to immorality, especially in this era when fear of Allāh has been removed from hearts, and corruption and pornography has spread, so you hardly see anyone lowering his gaze out of shyness and fear of Allāh, except for those whom Allāh wills.” [Muḥaḍharah P. 153]