Yahya said that Malik was asked, "Can a woman eat with other thanher relative or slave?" Malik said, "There is no harm in that if it isin a manner which is accepted for a woman to eat with men."Malik said, "A woman sometimes eats with her husband and with othershe dines with or with her brother in the same way. It is disapprovedof for a woman to be alone with a man when there is no relationshipbetween them by blood, marriage or suckling that would prevent himmarrying her."
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 49, Hadith 35