His father forces him to attend a mixed university, does he obey him? | Sh. Fawwāz al-Madkhalī

This questioner from Ghana says: “Is it from ḍarūrah (dire necessity) that one obeys the parents with regards to entering a mixed university? If the son (or daughter) refuses to enter this university, his father will become angry and free himself from him. Is this a ḍarūrah that is considered valid in the Sharīʿah (Islamic Legislation)?

The answer to this is: In the Name of Allāh. All praises are due to Allāh. And may Allāh raise the rank of the Messenger of Allāh, his family, his companions and all that follow him, and may He grant them peace. As for what follows:

We have to [firstly] know the meaning or the limit of ḍarūrah (dire necessity). The scholars have defined the person who is muḍṭar (in a state of ḍarūrah) as someone who fears for himself destruction, or he fears that something unbearable befalls him, his wealth or his honor. This person is called mukrah (being forced against his will) or he is called muḍṭar. As for expanding this matter (beyond its limits), this is a wrong kind of expanding which has become widespread in this time. As for the people of waraʿ (apprehensive fear) and taqwā from amongst the scholars, they don’t speak with this (i.e. they don't hold this opinion that some people have where they explain ḍarūrah wrongly), nor do they expand this matter (beyond its limit).

So based upon that, it’s not allowed to obey the parents in this matter. Instead he should strive to convince them or to send them someone that can convince them to not study in these mixed schools and universities. He should also clarify to them that this contains a great danger upon the male & female youth and upon their religion, and that it has many evil consequences. And he should clarify to them the speech of the scholars concerning the prohibition of free mixing of men & women in universities. So he clarifies to them that this isn’t permissible. And our scholars from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah have given this verdict, such as the Esteemed Shaykh ibn Bāz (may Allāh have mercy upon him) and the Esteemed Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān (may Allāh preserve him). Likewise Shaykh al-Albānī (may Allāh have mercy upon him), Shaykh Muqbil (may Allāh have mercy upon him), Shaykh Aḥmad an-Najmī (may Allāh have mercy upon him), Shaykh Zayd al-Madkhalī (may Allāh have mercy upon him) and Shaykh Rabīʿ (may Allāh preserve him). All of them have given the verdict that free mixing (between men & women) is forbidden. And Allāh knows best.

Also see:
Ruling on studying in a mixed university, if there's no other university in the country that is free of ikhtilāt (free mixing)?
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