Q: Is it permissible or obligatory for a woman to go out to learn medicine, if she commits the following despite trying to avoid it?A-Mingling with men: 1- while talking with patients and with tutors.2- in public transportationb-Traveling from countries such as Sudan to Egypt, what will the case be if she travels by plane; for a number of hours only not three days?C-Is it permissible for her to reside by herself without a Mahram (spouse or permanently unmarriageable relative); to (Part No. 12; Page No. 179) learn medicine, if she resides with a group of women, given the existence of the previous conditions?

A: First: If her going out to learn medicine results in mingling with men during studying or in transportation, leading to Fitnah (sedition), then in this case it is impermissible for her to do so, because protecting a woman's honor is an individual obligation while learning medicine is a collective one. An individual obligation is definitely given precedence over a collective obligation. Whereas talking with patients or tutors is not prohibited. What is prohibited, is for a woman to be soft and tender while speaking to them, which may lead to the emergence of evil desire of a mal-hearted person (lewdness or hypocrisy), and this is not restricted to learning medicine. Second: It is permissible for a woman to travel to learn medicine, or to treat patients if she has a Mahram with her, but not in the case where there is no one with her, even if she travels by plane, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): A woman should not travel except with a Dhu-Mahram (Agreed upon by Imams Al-Bukhari and Muslim). Also due to what was previously mentioned that the interest of protecting a woman's honor is to be preceded over the interest of learning or teaching medicine ...Etc. Third: It is permissible for a woman to stay without a Mahram with a trusted group of women to learn and teach medicine or to treat other women, but it is impermissible in case she fears Fitnah if she has no husband or Mahram in her life away from her homeland, (Part No. 12; Page No. 180) it is also impermissible for her to treat men except in urgent cases provided there is no khulwah (being alone with a member of the opposite sex).May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.