Here is something I translated some time back after witnessing the great harm and fitnah in young men and women having private conversations and correspondences between themselves through email or text. May Allah protect us and our families.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen [rahimahullaah] was asked:
Question:
What is the ruling on muraasalah [correspondence] between young men and women knowing that this correspondence is free from immorality, ‘ishq [passionate love], and I always begin the letters with
وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا
…and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another.
[Al-Hujuraat 49:13]
Answer:
It is not permissible for anyone to have correspondence with a non-mahram woman, due to the fitnah [that is] involved. The one having the conversation may think there is no fitnah [in that], but however the Shaytaan remains with him until he seduces him with her and her with him. The Prophet [salla Allaah ‘alaihi wasallam] ordered the one who hears of the Dajjaal to flee far away from him, and he said that a man may come to him as a believer but the Dajjaal will keep on at him until he makes him fall into his fitnah.
Correspondence of young men with young women involves a great deal of fitnah and danger, and it must be avoided, even if the questioner says that there is no love or desire involved. As for men corresponding with men and women with women, then there is nothing wrong in it except if it contains evil.
[Fataawa al Mar’ah al Muslimah (2/578)]
Also, Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albani had the following incident:
Questioner:
as-salaamu alaykum.
Shaykh Albaany:
wa alaykum as-salaam.
Questioner:
If you do not mind, is the Noble Shaykh Albaany present?
Shaykh Albaany:
He is with you.
Questioner:
If you do not mind, oh Shaykh I have some questions?
Shaykh Albaany:
Go ahead.
Questioner:
Is it permissible for me to correspond to my fiancé [over the phone]?
Shaykh Albaany:
Are you married to her yet?
Questioner:
Not yet.
Shaykh Albaany:
It is not permissible.
Questioner:
It is not permissible?
Shaykh Albaany:
It is not permissible.
Questioner:
Even if it is for the reason of giving advice.
Shaykh Albaany:
It is [likewise] not permissible.…”
[Silsilatul Hudaa wan-Noor, #269 (10:03-13-35)]
Shaykh Uthaymeen was asked a similar question to which he replied:
“If he is pleased with her and is finished with the proposal, then he should not correspond with her, that’s the ending. Some of those whom are engaged for marriage have the habit to speak to his fiancé over the phone, whereas you find him sitting down speaking to her for several hours and if you were to say [to him]:
‘this is not permissible, the woman is unlawful for you , so how can you correspond to her?’
He would say: ‘I am observing her level of education’. How are you observing her level of education? Did you not propose to her and was pleased with her? There is no need for this [observation of the level] of the education. If you are really interested, then get married to her [and] then speak to her as much as you wish. As for you corresponding to her while she is unlawful for you and you yet not married [to her], then this is not permissible. Verily many of the people have been trialed with this [unlawful act], so you will find him call her over the phone, then begin to correspond to her, [so] a whole night goes to waste, hence having conversation with friends extremely kills time, therefore we warn from this.
[al-Liqaa’ush Shahree (28, question#3)]
Shaykh Saalih al Fawzaan, may Allah preserve him, was asked:
Question:
What is the ruling on having conversations with young women by email and what is the ruling of it, if it is beneficial for example speaking to a woman poet [to benefit from her poetry]?
Answer:
The origin is that is not permissible if it is occurring from non mahram men for them [the women] due to what it contains of fitnah and harm, even if she is a poet because preventing harm has precedence over bring out good. Majority of the times the ending of [these cases] are awful due to the youth having conversations with young women [by email] …”
Translated by
AbdulFattaah Bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
