❀ A Woman’s Voice as a Form of Ḥijāb ❀
This fatwa is derived from the book “500 Questions and Answers for Women,” based on the rulings of the scholars of the Ḥaramayn, translated by Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbdullāh Salīm.
❖ Question:
What is the Sharʿī ruling on a non-maḥram man listening to a woman’s voice via telephone or other means of communication?
❖ Answer:
According to the correct opinion, a non-maḥram man listening to a woman’s voice is considered part of the ḥijāb. For this reason, during prayer, if the imām makes a mistake, women do not say “Subḥān Allāh” as men do; rather, they clap. Similarly, a woman is not permitted to call the adhān, as it requires her to raise her voice. During iḥrām, she may recite the talbiyah only loud enough to be heard by a woman next to her.
However, some scholars have permitted necessary conversation between a woman and non-maḥram men within limits, provided:
✔ There is no softness or flirtation in speech.
✔ The environment is free from suspicion.
✔ There is no risk of arousing sexual desires.
The basis for this ruling is the following verse:
«فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ»
“Do not speak in a soft tone, lest the one in whose heart is a disease should develop desire.”
[Sūrah al-Aḥzāb: 32]
This indicates that if a woman speaks gently or flirtatiously, resembling the tone used between spouses, it can excite unlawful desires.
Therefore, in a necessity, it is permissible for a woman to communicate via phone or other means, whether initiating the call or responding, as long as it remains within Sharʿī bounds.
(Fatwa by: Dār al-Iftāʾ Committee)
