𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 (402)

Why is it not possible to segregate men and women during Ḥajj and ’Umrah? Sheikh ’Uthaymeen raḥimahullāh explained: "As for advocating for gender mixing — that is incorrect. And likewise, forbidding all mixing in this context is also incorrect, because ṭawāf cannot be entirely free from mixing between men and women. If we attempt to separate men and women by space, such as assigning women to the outer edges of the ṭawāf area and men closer to the Kaʿbah, then when men attempt to leave, they will inevitably pass through the women's area, leading to even greater disorder. Similarly, if we assign women near the Kaʿbah and men to the outer edges, the same problem arises — when women attempt to exit, they will crowd through the men's area, resulting in significant congestion and potential harm. If we attempt to separate them by time, such as allocating the morning for women and the evening for men (or vice versa), this too leads to problems. A woman may end up performing ṭawāf without a maḥram, which can be unsafe — especially during peak seasons when the crowds are immense — and she may get lost or be put in a vulnerable situation. Therefore, complete separation in ṭawāf is not practically possible. What is required is that each individual fears Allāh, Most High, and avoids fitnah and its causes to the best of their ability.