𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 (375)

Providing Phone-Blocking Services at Weddings with Religious Violations Question: The (female) questioner says: We are a group of sisters who launched a project to prevent tasweer at weddings. We purchased phone pouches and cover the phone of every guest entering the wedding. We also bought devices to detect phones, all in an effort to preserve the privacy of the event and the women attending. Through this initiative, we also earn a modest income. We have already begun operations and hired staff to carry out the work. However, most of the weddings that request our service are not free from violations, such as music. Most of the staff we hired do not distinguish between weddings with unlawful music and those with only permissible duff (tambourine), and we fear bearing the sin of their presence at such gatherings. Note that the phone-pouching takes place at the main entrance of the wedding hall, though music may still reach them. Is it permissible for us to allow these workers to go and assist with this service under these conditions or not? Sheikh Yahya hafidahullah: Preventing mobile phones from entering women's gatherings and wedding parties is an important measure, as there may be immoral women who seek to expose others—recording or photographing someone's wife, daughter, or female relatives, then spreading these images or recordings to cause harm, scandal, or corruption. Even audio recordings could be misused for such things. Therefore, banning mobile phones at women's events is permissible. If the women charge a reasonable fee for providing this service—covering the phones and managing the process—there is no harm in that. It is a lawful form of work, and even a form of cooperation in righteousness and piety. However, as for hiring women who do not distinguish between lawful and unlawful gatherings, who see no difference between events with music and those without—it is not appropriate. You should employ women who understand that music is forbidden and who avoid attending weddings of those ignorant ones with such violations, instead of women who lack awareness and attend those events with such violations. For indeed music corrupts the hearts. Love of the Qur'ān cannot coexist with love of music. Music is a path to fornication and comes with many dangers. Do not allow the good you have initiated to be spoiled by hiring women who lack discernment and thereby fall into cooperation in sin and transgression, exposing them to sickness of the heart and corruption, and thus mixing good acts with evil. This is wrong.