Question:

What are the fiqhi or juristic rules applying to large groups of people now without homes who may have to live and share the same mixed shelter?  

 Answer:

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, thanks for your important question and we ask Allah to ease the plight of all those suffering people and to shelter them with His infinite mercy on the Day of Judgment.

If Muslims are forced to live in mixed shelters, they should commit themselves to the Islamic manners governing mixing between men and women, and they should avoid causing any temptation. They should also give outstanding examples in securing the privacy of others and protecting them from all sources of harm. This is the true trait of the Muslim that is unveiled especially at times of crises.

Responding to the question, the eminent scholar and renowned da`iyah Sheikh Abdel Khaliq Hasan Ash-Shareef states the following:

In the first place, I would like to stress that such incidents should make us draw near to Allah, and they should enhance and increase our iman and prevent us from committing sins.

In all cases and under all circumstances, all those who live in the same shelter should try their best to secure the privacy of one another. Muslims who are forced to live in such shelters should avoid free mixing and they should also avoid any act that may cause temptation. They should protect women living there and consider them as their mothers, sisters, and daughters. Anyone who thinks of committing sin there should know that punishment is not far from him and that he may be severely punished as a result.

Above all, a complete separation between men and women should be ensured in such mixed shelters, especially at sleeping times. All the Muslim men and women living there should try their best to commit themselves to the Islamic dress code, and they should conduct themselves in a way which give others a bright picture about Islam and Muslims.

Allah knows best.

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