As a Female, Can I Share an Apartment With Non-Muslim Girls?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
Can I share an apartment with non-Muslim girls?
Answer
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question.
May Allah give you success in your higher studies and may you find the best option for you.
Lifestyle
It is permissible for you to have non-Muslim roommates but it’s not optimal. Living with them successfully depends on your personality and their personalities. Optimally, living with Muslims is better because many potential problems can be avoided, and your first experience away from your parents would be easier with Muslims. If you do choose them, strive to find people of good values and character, and who are respectful of your religious practice.
Istikhara
If you really can’t find Muslim roommates, pray istikhara. If it comes out positive, and you end up living with them, you must lay down the rules about not having pork or alcohol in the house, nor dogs or music, nor visits from boys. This may also be an opportunity to teach them about Islam, so tread carefully, but preserve your religion first. And remember this hadith, “You will never leave something for the sake of Allah, but Allah will give you something better in return.“ [Ahmad]
Company
Finally, remember this important prophetic hadith about the company you keep: “A person is on the religion of his close friend, so let him carefully examine whom he befriends.” [Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud] Keep your soul safe, pick your friends carefully, and don’t waste time with anyone that doesn’t elevate you. May Allah facilitate that for all of us.
See this link as well:
What Should I Do With Friends Who Swear and Backbite?
Smoking Marijuana and the Importance of Keeping Good Company
What do I do with my roommate?
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
