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Fatwa CenterMandatory military service for women in a non-Muslim country
Question
I am a Muslim woman who lives in a non-Muslim country. Here in our country, when you finish your highschool studies, you have to take the military course before you join a college. In the military course, you are not allowed to wear the hijab. The place is about 300km from my city, and you have to stay there for a year. Of course, it is a mixed environment. Take in consideration that this is a must if you are going to live in this country; otherwise, you will not have any rights in the country and your life becomes miserable i.e you will always have to be on the run and hide from the soldiers. If they catch you, then you will be forced to take the military course and will become a soldier; you are not allowed to continue your studies. So, shaykh, please give us your advice; what is the better thing to do. Do take in consideration that we are not allowed to legally leave the country before we fulfill our military service.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, we thank you for trusting us, writing to us, and asking us for advice; we ask Allaah to reward you, protect you, protect your religion for you, and relieve you from every difficulty and hardship.
There is no doubt that a woman doing military service in the circumstances that you mentioned involves several violations of Islam, such as not wearing the proper hijab and mixing with men; this could lead to temptations and evils that cause the Wrath of Allaah. Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to join the military service in this case.
Perhaps if the woman avoids transgressing the limits of Allaah, then Allaah will make a way out for her from every difficulty and relieve her from every hardship; as Allaah promised in the Quran, saying (what means): {That is instructed to whoever should believe in Allaah and the Last day. And whoever fears Allaah - He will make for him a way out.} [Quran 65:2]
If a person adheres to the Commandment of Allaah, then Allaah will be with him; Allaah says (what means): {Indeed, Allaah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.} [Quran 16:128]
So supplicate Allaah earnestly, and mention Allaah as much as possible, especially with the supplications said at times of sorrow, sadness and anguish; among which is the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood from Abu Bakrah 
in which the Prophet said, “The supplication of a person in distress is: Allaahumma rahmataka arju fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata 'ayn, wa aslih li sha'ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa ant (O Allaah, it is Your Mercy that I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshiped except You).”
Also, you may supplicate with the hadeeth reported by Imaam Ahmad from ‘Abdullaah (ibn Mas'ood) who said:
“The Prophet said, 'If distress befalls someone, he should say, 'O Allaah! I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, the son of Your slave woman. All my affairs are in Your Hand, Your Fate will occur, Your Decree is just. I ask You with the greatness of each Name of Yours which You revealed in Your Book, which You taught some of Your creatures, or which You kept secret. I ask You to please and enliven my heart with the Quran and to make it the light of my chest, the remover of my distress and discomfort.' Allaah will dispel that person's distress and grant him ease and comfort.' Someone asked, 'Should we learn this supplication (Du’aa)?' The Prophet said, 'Yes. Whoever hears this supplication should learn it.'” [Ahmad]
If a Muslim woman is in a country where she may be exposed to temptation in her religion, then she is obliged to migrate if she can do that, Allaah says (what means): {Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves - [the angels] will say, “In what [condition] were you?” They will say, “We were oppressed in the land.” The angels will say, “Was not the earth of Allaah spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?” For those, their refuge is Hell - and evil it is as a destination.} [Quran 4:97]
Ash-Shawkaani 
said, “This verse is used as proof that migration is obligatory on everyone who is in a non-Muslim land or a land where the disobedience of Allaah is openly committed if he is able to migrate...”
If a person is not able to migrate, then he should fear Allaah and be patient until Allaah makes a way out for him, in the same manner that Allaah made a way out for the oppressed believers in Makkah. Before this, the Prophet used to console them and say, “O Abu Jandal, be patient and seek the reward of Allaah, as Allaah will make a way out for you and for the oppressed ones who are with you.” [Ahmad]
And Allaah did make a way out for them, by His Grace and Mercy.
Allaah knows best.
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