Question: What is the ruling on a woman working in sales in a store where she mixes with men who buy from her?
Answer: “Men can buy from a woman if they need that. However, what is necessary is for women to be apart from men. And that they have markets specific for women to come and buy from women. If she is forced to sell and she is covered and wearing the hijab, then there is no harm. However, not in a store. Rather, she goes to a place at certain times, like she sits at the end of the market. As for her being in a store interacting with men and they enter upon her, then this is not correct nor necessary”.
[Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood no. 329]
Translated by
Faisal bin Abdul Qaadir bin Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan