Woman goes out to gatherings of dhikr without permission
A woman is asking: what is the ruling on my going to the mosque or to a gathering of dhikr in a Muslim’s house for da’wah or to learn, without my father’s permission? If he knew about it he would stop me from going, but eemaan (faith) wears out just as clothes wear out, and I need to renew my faith because I am in an environment that is filled with munkaraat (undesirable things). Is it permissible for me to go in secret or what?
Answer
Praise be to Allaah. Before marriage, a woman is under the guardianship of her father, so it is not permissible for her to go out of the house except with his permission, whether it is to go to the mosque or elsewhere, because obedience to one’s father is obligatory so long as it does not involve disobedience towards Allaah. We advise you to listen to broadcasts from the Al-Qur’aan Al-Kareem station, because there is much knowledge and sound teaching to be gained from it. They have a program called “Noor ‘ala’l-Darb (Light on the Way)” in which a group of scholars answer questions from listeners. May Allaah help you to do all that is good and grant you a sound understanding of Islam.