Is It Permissible for a Woman to Work in a Medical Field Where She May Need to Assist Male Patients?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Is it permissible for a woman to work in a medical field where she may need to assist male patients, risk occasional prayer delays, and wear modest but non-abaya scrubs?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

It is permissible for a woman to work in the medical field or in any other permissible field, provided that she is able to practice her religion.

You expressed a few concerns, such as assisting male patients, potentially delaying prayers, and not wearing abayas.

Assisting Patients of the Opposite Gender

As long as you do not have physical contact (skin to skin) with your male patients, see their nakedness (that which is between their navel to knees), or are secluded with them such that no one can see, hear, or enter without prior permission, there is no legal issue here. [Ala’ al-Din ‘Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-‘Ala’iyya]

Additionally, if there is a need, some of the above may be permitted, such that no other male worker could reasonably take care of them, and they would be harmed by not receiving such treatment from you. In such a case, you are permitted to treat them, but keep the treatment and subsequent contact only to what is needed. [Ibid.]

Delaying Prayers due to Medical Work

Prayer times are windows of time in which one can validly perform the prayers. Depending on where one is in the world and the current season, these windows may be longer or shorter.

There are recommended times within these windows that are encouraged and more rewarding. And there are other times within these windows where delaying the prayer to them is disliked and discouraged, if without excuse. [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah]

If you are understaffed and are needed on the floor, delaying the prayers within the prayer time is permissible, and the dislikedness of the delay would not apply due to the excuse. [Ibid.]

Missing prayers entirely (such that the time expired and you have not prayed) is strictly prohibited, sinful unless it was a dire situation, namely someone was at great risk, if you, specifically, were to leave them to go pray. [Ibid.]

Wearing Medical Scrubs

As long as the medical scrubs are loose-fitting and do not clearly show the shape and form of the body, with the exception of that which is unavoidable (i.e., a larger-statured woman), the clothing is permitted. [Ibid.]

It is not an obligation to specifically wear an ‘Abaya.

Advice

If there are other Muslim staff at your facility, you can bring them together to discuss how to mitigate each person’s religious challenges and support one another therein.

For instance, the male doctors on the floor can take the male patients, and the female staff take the female patients, as best as possible. Or at least, the female staff can work with male patients in those things that don’t require physical contact or seclusion, like taking vitals or changing IV bags.

Furthermore, the Muslim staff can cover each other’s responsibilities while others perform the prayer in its allotted time and vice versa.

This type of cooperation will not only facilitate the work you are doing but also create an infrastructure that will allow future Muslim staff to hold onto their religious practice while serving in the medical field.

Hope this helps

Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.