All praise be to Allah, Alone. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah!
There has been a lot of discussion in the Jazirah Magazine regarding female driving of cars. Evils and temptations of this measure is well known to everyone including those who call for it. For example, this entails unlawful Khulwah (being alone with a member of the opposite sex), unveiling the face, careless and free intermixing (of men and women), and committing adultery which is the main reason for the prohibition of these practices. Allah's Sacred Shari'ah (Law) forbids all mans leading to unlawful actions and makes them Haram (prohibited) in themselves. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) commanded the wives of the Prophet and all believing women to remain in their homes and to wear their Hijab (veil) if they must go out for some need. He also commands women not to display their beauty to anyone other than their Mahram (husband or unmarriageable relative), as it will inevitably lead to licentiousness that can devastate the entire community,
And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform AsSalât (IqamâtasSalât), and give Zakât and obey Allâh and His Messenger.
O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed.
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, headcover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyûbihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islâm), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.
No man sits alone with a woman except that Satan is the third party.
Allah's Sacred Shari`ah (Law) prohibits all things that lead to vice. Similarly, Allah prohibited Qadhf (falsely accusing a chaste person of involvement in prohibited sexual relations) and decreed severe punishment for those who spread it in order to protect the Muslim community from this evil.
Allowing women to drive contributes to the downfall of a society. This is well known; however, ignorance of legal rulings and the disastrous consequences of vice results in harmful lenience, as does the negligence of the advocates of licentiousness who enjoy looking at Ajnabiyyat (woman lawful for the man to marry). This leads to scandals and indifference to impending evils.
Say (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳـﻠﻢ): "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are AlFawâhish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allâh for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allâh of which you have no knowledge."
and follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). Verily, he is to you an open enemy. He [Shaitân (Satan)] commands you only what is evil and Fahshâ (sinful), and that you should say against Allâh what you know not.
I have not left any affliction more harmful to men than women.
The people used to ask Allah's Messenger about good, but I used to ask him about evil for fear that it might overtake me. Once I said, "O Allah's Messenger! We were in ignorance and in evil and Allah has bestowed upon us the present good; will there by any evil after this good?" He said, "Yes." I asked, "Will there be good after that evil?" He said, "Yes, but it would be tainted with Dakhan (i.e. Little evil)." I asked, "What will its Dakhan be?" He said, "There will be some people who will lead (people) according to principles other than my tradition. You will see their actions and disapprove of them." I said, "Will there by any evil after that good?" He said, "Yes, there will be some people who will invite others to the gates of Hell, and whoever accepts their invitation to it will be thrown in it (by them)." I said, "O Allah's Messenger! Describe those people to us." He said, "They will belong to us and speak our language" I asked, "What do you order me to do if such a thing should take place in my life?" He said, "Adhere to the group of Muslims and their Chief." I asked, "If there is neither a group (of Muslims) nor a chief (what shall I do)?" He said, "Keep away from all those different sects, even if you had to bite (i.e. eat) the root of a tree, till you meet Allah while you are still in that state." (Agreed upon by AlBukhari and Muslim).
I call upon every Muslim to fear Allah and be upright in their words and deeds. Muslims must also beware of these Fitan (temptations) and their advocates. I also urge everyone to refrain from what brings the wrath of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) or leads to it. I ask all Muslims to be greatly aware of the advocates of these Fitan against whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) warns in his Hadith. May Allah protect us all from the evils of these Fitan, and their advocates and supporters. May He (Glorified and Exalted be He) preserve Islam for this Ummah (nation based on one creed) and protect it from the evil mongers. I also supplicate Allah to guide our journalists and all Muslims to what pleases Him (Glorified and Exalted be He) and leads to our welfare in this life and salvation in the Hereafter. He is the Waliy (Protector, Supporter, and Helper) and the most Able to do this.
May Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions!