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

[Part 2] The understanding of the Salaf (1) Narrated ’Urwah ibn Az-Zubair: ’Ā'ishah said (to me), “Don't you wonder at Abū so-and-so (referring to Abū Hurairah, as mentioned in the report of Muslim 2493) who came and sat by my dwelling and started relating the traditions of Allāh's Messenger (ﷺ) intending to let me hear that, while I was performing an optional prayer. He left before I finished my optional prayer. Had I found him still there. I would have said to him, 'Allāh's Messenger (ﷺ) never talked so quickly and vaguely as you do.' ” In another wording: “The Prophet (ﷺ) used to talk so clearly that if somebody wanted to count the number of his words, he could do so.” [Bukhāri & Muslim] (2) Narrated Yūsuf bin Māhak: Marwān had been appointed as the governor of Ḥijāz (i.e. Madīnah) by Mu’āwiyah. He delivered a sermon and mentioned Yazīd ibn Mu’āwiyah so that the people might take the oath of allegiance to him as the successor of his father (Mu’āwiyah). Then ’AbdurRaḥmān ibn Abī Bakr told him something (he criticised Mu’āwiyah for appointing his son Yazīd) whereupon Marwān ordered that he be arrested. But ’AbdurRaḥmān entered ’Ā'ishah's House (his sister) and they could not arrest him (out of respect for ’Ā'ishah). Marwān said, “It is he (’AbdurRaḥmān) about whom Allāh revealed this Āyah: ﴿وَالَّذِي قَالَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَكُمَا أَتَعِدَانِنِي‏﴾ 'But some scold their parents, “Enough with you! Are you warning me that I will be brought forth ˹from the grave˺...?” On that, ’Ā'ishah said from behind a screen, 'Allāh did not reveal anything from the Qur'ān about us (i.e. the offsprings of Abū Bakr) except what was related with the declaration of my innocence (of the slander).” [Bukhāri 4827] (3) Umm Thaljah said: I entered upon ’Ā'ishah raḍhiyallāhu ’anhā when a man called out from behind the screen asking about Nabīdh, so she said: “Allāh's Messenger forbade the useof Dubbā' and Muzaffat (all these are the names of utensils used for preparing alcoholic drinks).” [Aṭ-Ṭabarāni in Al-Awsaṭ 4744] Ibn Ḥajar raḥimahullāh said: “ ’Ā'ishah would not allow any men to enter upon her without permission, and if anyone entered there was a screen between him and her, unless he was Maḥaram.” [see explanation of Bukhāri (6073)] (4) It comes in the long ḥadīth concerning the stabbing of ’Umar raḍhiyallāhu ’anhu, “...Then Ḥafsah (the mother of the believers) came with many other women walking with her. When we saw her, we went away. She went in (to her father ’Umar) and wept there for some time. When the men asked for permission to enter, she went into another place, and we heard her weeping inside...” [Bukhāri 3700] Adh-Dhahabi raḥimahullāh said: “We have heard (narrations) from several women, but I have not seen them. Likewise, a number of the Tabi'een narrated on the authority of ’Ā'ishah, and they never saw her form.” [Siyar A’lām An-Nubalā' (7/38)] Ibn Kathīr raḥimahullāh said: “It is permissible to listen (to narrations) from behind a screen, just as the Salaf used to narrate from the mothers of the believers.” [Ikhtiṣār ’Ulūm Al-Ḥadīth] Sheikh Muqbil raḥimahullāh was asked: there were female Muḥaddiths who men listened to and reported from, so what do you say about this? He replied: Yes, ’Ā'ishah, the mother of the believers and Umm Salamah, likewise after them among the Tabi'een Hafṣah bint Sīrīn and ’Amrah bint ’AbdirRaḥmān, and after that the scholars still heard (narration) from women, and what is understood is that she was speaking from behind a screen...so the case of narrating from behind a screen - and Allāh's aid is sought - if they are on their level and the female muḥaddith is on the level of ’Ā'ishah in terms of piety, then there is no problem with that. [Fatāwā Al-Mar'ah Al-Muslimah 75] Conclusion: We live in an era of widespread trial and tribulation, so we must fear Allāh in this affair and stick to the path of the Salaf; certainly every good lay in following the way of the Salaf.