My manager at work once asked one of our sisters in hijab this question during a job interview:
“Majeedah, if your assigned patient is coding and your attention is urgently needed as the primary nurse, would you be able to answer the Code Blue call if you happened to be praying?”
My response was:
In Islam, while people are praying and someone suddenly becomes unconscious, it is permissible for at least two people to break their prayer and attend to the unconscious person while the others continue praying. So yes, for this reason, I would.
At this point, I am not entirely sure whether the answer I gave was completely correct, but I answered based on the knowledge I had.
Apparently, they asked her some additional questions as well. Since she was a new graduate leaving her previous job, I think she was not given much of a chance because perhaps she did not answer those questions well.
Now, to follow up on Dr. Khadijah’s post about the questions people get during interviews, I have also been asked similar questions such as, “Would you be willing to take off the niqab?” I was even asked the same question during my clinical days.
However, throughout the four months I spent during my clinicals across about four hospitals as a student nurse, I wore my niqab.
Now, back to the question: Would you be able to allow your patients to see you?
Of course, I would if necessary.
I have had challenges where I was not able to wear the niqab in some hospitals and only had the option of wearing a mask instead.
But as Allah would have it, I eventually found two hospitals that allowed me to wear it without any issues. In fact, at the first hospital, my manager was a White woman. She told me she had hired people with hijabs before and that I am free to observe my prayers because she already knew I would pray.
In that hospital, there was even a section assigned for salah, like a mini masjid.
In all, may Allah crown our efforts and ease our paths. While some good sisters are reluctant to remove their veil (niqab) because of financial struggles, others are removing it publicly and in broad daylight.
May Allah rectify us and grant us a good ending.
May Allah reward you beautifully.
Umm Sumayyah Mai
