Women going out for outings

Question

Nowadays some people hold that keeping women confined within four walls is an injustice, and that women should put on a burqa (an outer garment covering the whole body) and go about with their husbands, because in the era of the Prophet women took part in battles and helped in every task. Is this so?

Answer

Of the conditions and circumstances under which women took part in jihad in the era of the Prophet, not even a tenth of a tenth exists today; rather, their presence is ordinarily impossible. Nevertheless, to the extent that the jurists have given permission, to that extent women going out for jihad is permissible even today: that is, in a state of dire necessity (idtirar)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.