Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

salaam brother in islam

im a girl from denmark, and im in college at the time, and i wanted to know that am i allowed to talk to the non-mehram boys in my class, i dont have any thing bad in my mind when i talk to them, but only as my class mates. i wanted to know as my friend(very good muslim) doesn`t like me talking to them and a couple of days ago, she said that islam forbids it?!?!?! 

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Answer:

Talk to Non Mehram Boys

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The Lord Who Created everything in existence is the One Who bestowed on each their specific nature; and it is in the nature of the man and the woman that they are physically and naturally attracted to each other. Islam does not forbid a believing man or a believing woman to talk to non-mehram members of the opposite sex provided they have a genuine and just reason to conversate with them. What Islam does prohibit and absolutely forbid is the free mixing and casual and vain talk between non-mehram members of the opposite sex. It is possible that the avowed and accursed enemy of mankind, the Shaytaan, may grab this seemingly harmless association and inspire them to a path that leads them to one of the most heinous and grave sins in Islam; ie. zina.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3118 Narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab

The Prophet (saws) said, "Whenever a man is alone with a (non-mehram)woman, the Shaytaan makes a third."

Even if your claim that you ‘don’t have anything bad in your mind’ when you conversate with non-mehram males is accepted, there is absolutely no guarantee that the man you are talking to is not inspired by his Shaytaan to some evil.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 53:

53 O ye who Believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses until leave is given you for a meal (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation: but when ye are invited enter; and when ye have taken your meal disperse without seeking familiar talk. Such (behavior) annoys the Prophet: He is ashamed to dismiss you but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth. And when ye ask (his ladies) for anything ye want ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs. Nor is it right for you that ye should annoy Allah's Messenger or that ye should marry his widows after him at any time. Truly such a thing is in Allah's sight an enormity.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Al-Ahzaab verse 32-33:

O Wives of the Prophet, you are not like the other woman. If you are God-fearing, do not talk in a soft voice lest the man of the diseased heart should cherish false hopes from you, but speak in an unaffected (or business-like) manner. Stay in your houses, and do not go about displaying your fineries as women used to do in the days of ‘jaahileeya’ (ignorance).

Other than the Prophets of Allah, some of the best and most pious and God-fearing people who ever walked on this planet earth were the noble companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws). As pious and as God-fearing as they were, Allah Subhanah commanded even them that if they ever wanted to talk to any of the wives or daughters or ladies of the Prophet’s family, they should talk to them from behind a screen or a veil. And Allah Subhanah also commanded the noble and chaste wives of the Prophet (saws) that if they ever needed to conversate with the non-mehram males of society they should speak in an unaffected and business-like manner, lest one with a diseased heart should cherish false hopes from them!

In conclusion, there is absolutely no harm if one talks to a non-mehram member of the opposite sex if one has genuine need and keeps the conversation focused, short, and business-like on the subject or topic being discussed. What Islam does prohibit is the vain, casual, and/or private talks between two non-mehram members of the opposite sex which might allow the Shaytaan to lead them to a path of trial and destruction.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother and sincere well wisher in Islam,

Burhan