Is khalwah (seclusion) in question in an elevator?

I wait for the elevator and when it comes I see that there is only one woman in it; or when I am alone in an elevator, a woman comes in. Is khalwah in question in a place where everybody can get in? Will you explain it?

Dear Brother / Sister,

If two people, especially one man and one woman are alone in a place, it is called khalwah (seclusion). It lexically means a corner of loneliness. Khalwah is divided into two as sahih and fasid.

Khalwah means two people being alone in a house or a room with a locked door or in a closed place where nobody can see them and nobody can enter if the people inside do not want.

When these conditions are considered, the decree about the elevator is as follows:

Even if the elevator is closed, there is a possibility of stopping on every floorer and it is possible for other people to enter the elevator any time; therefore, khalwah does not occur. 

However, it is possible to remain in a lift for a long time due to a power cut-off or a breakdown; therefore, it is appropriate for a man and a woman to avoid being in an elevator alone.

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