[abomokhtar]

Can we have mixed gatherings in the community center next to the mosque?
Answer
Yes, this is permissible so long as it does not lead to anything deemed prohibited by Islamic law.
According to the practice of generations of Muslims from among the predecessors and successors, the mere presence of males and females in the same place is not prohibited in itself. Rather, the prohibition concerns the manner of their gathering and whether it contradicts the rulings of Islamic law. This includes, for example, women uncovering the parts of their bodies which they have been commanded by Islamic law to cover, gathering to commit abominable acts or unlawful private meetings with a member of the opposite ***. Prohibited gender mixing involves physical contact and not merely being present in the same place.
The ruling
It is permissible to attend such gatherings and no one is blameworthy except those who exceed the limits of Islamic law. However, it is impermissible to attend if one fears temptation.
And God the Almighty knows best.
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