Question
Reference number: 686599 | Miscellaneous | July 12, 2021
I am a girl, and I am a university student; I would like to ask this question: What is the ruling on turning on the camera during an online class which, consequently, allows other students to watch me via their computers or smart phones?
Answer
Praise Be to Allah and Peace Be Upon His Messenger.
Initially, it should be known that it is not forbidden, and thus it is not haram for a girl or a woman to show her face to strangers as long as she is committed to Islamic modest hijab and is not wearing makeup.
Secondly, forcing students to turn on their cameras to be seen during online classes is still not obligatory. It is known that the university academic staff do not demand this. Those students who did not turn on their cameras did not get any penalty.
It is worth mentioning that, if turning on cameras had become obligatory, it would be due to what students had done. They started to ask others to attend classes and to do exams. This is cheating. To avoid such practices, the academic staff started to ask students to turn on cameras to solve the problem not to humiliate students or put them into hardship.