Obligation of leaving free mixing colleges
Question:
I am student in the field of medicine and study in the medical college which has free mixing of men and women. I have already finished four years and a year and a half is left. I understood the Salafi Dawah four months ago and – All praises belongs to Allah – I wished to be a doctor so that I benefit the nation and I also want to seek the Islamic knowledge. After I came to know regarding the legislative ruling I left the study. Due to this my father went against me and pressurised me and the brothers through the police until I resumed my study.
My father promised me that if I complete the education, he will co-operate with me and spend on me so that I can seek knowledge in Yemen for five years. So, is it permissible for me to stop my study and travel to seek knowledge without the permission of my father while they are (financially) independent of me and what is your advice, May Allah grant you success ?
Answer:
And you too. Firstly, the first thing (which you have mentioned) of continuing your studies while it has free mixing and it has disobedience whereas Allah has granted you the truth : This is not permissible and it is obligatory upon you to repent from it.
As far you wishing to seek knowledge and your father doesn’t need you and he doesn’t need your assistance and only wants from you that you work in worldly matters, if this is the case, especially you residing in the lands of disbelievers then yes. You leave for seeking knowledge and the evidences for the virtues of seeking knowledge are many.
“Whoever treads the path in search of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Paradise easy for him through it” (Recorded by Muslim 2699 on the authority of Abu Hurairah)
Knowledge, from it is that which is obligatory to know, like knowledge of Tawheed and Aqeedah, knowing how to pray and purify yourself, knowledge of the rulings of fasting, knowing what is required to know for those who are rich and knowledge of the rulings of sale and purchase, rulings related to marital life for those who are going to marry. So there is knowledge which mandatory to know and there is from it that is recommended to know.
So, suppose you had the obligatory knowledge and only want to seek the knowledge which is recommended, then you should leave to seek knowledge and this the opinion of the majority of the scholars. They say that such a person should leave, especially the case being that they do not need you and also you are in the land of disbelievers, you leave and Allah Azza wa Jal will make goodness easy for you. But we advise that in such conditions, that the person seeks permission from his father and tries his best to make him understand and if he is not pleased with him seeking knowledge then let him leave for seeking knowledge and he remains upon it and joins his ties and speaks to him in a good manner and way.
Answered by:
Shaykh Abu ʿAmr ʿAbdul Kareem Al Hajūri
Translated by:
Abu Muhammad Nezam Al Hindi
Source: