Is it permissible to add non-mahram women to his list of Facebook friends for the purpose of da‘wah and offering advice?

Is it permissible to add non-mahram women to his list of Facebook friends for the purpose of da‘wah and offering advice?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Facebook has pros and cons. The benefits of Facebook and the harm it may cause are connected to the reasons why one signed up for it and how one uses it.

We have discussed this website in the answer to question no. 137243; please refer to it.

Secondly:

We do not think it is permissible for a man to add any women who are not his mahrams to his list of friends, and especially we do not think it is permissible to correspond with them and chat with them. What is more dangerous is when you can see them. That is because this opens the door to fitnah for those who get involved in it, and the tragic consequences that result from forming relationships between men and women are too many to list and too well-known to need mentioning. The Muslim should not be deceived by the Shaytaan’s making these relationships attractive by claiming that they are for the purpose of da‘wah, exhortation, advice and helping others. If a man really is keen to call people to Islam, there are millions of his fellow males who need that, so he should hasten to add them and help them. The same might be said to sisters who want to help others: they have to do that their fellow females and leave calling and advising men to other men. 

Uncovering one’s face in front of non-mahram relatives

There are two married brothers living in one apartment. Is it permissible for their wives to uncover their faces in front of one another’s husband, knowing that both of them are righteous?

Praise be to Allaah.

If the families are living all together, then the women must observe hijaab in front of those who are not their mahrams. It is not permissible for the wife of one brother to uncover her face in front of his brother, because his brother is like any other man in the street with regard to looking and being non-mahram. It is also not permissible for his brother to be alone with her if he (the husband) is outside the home. This is a problem which is affecting many people, such as when brothers are living in the same home and one of them is married. It is not permissible for the one who is married to leave his wife with his brother if he goes out to work or to study, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No man should be alone with a [non-mahram] woman.” And he said: “Beware of entering upon women.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, what do you think about the brother-in-law [meaning the husband’s relatives]?” He said, “The brother-in-law is death.” 

Ruling on covering the hands in the presence of non-mahram men

What is the ruling on covering the hands? Please note that I wear niqaab but because of my studies, where I have to write and use equipment like computers etc, I cannot always cover my hands because that hinders me, and the place is not free of men.

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible for a woman – especially if she says that she wears niqaab – to mix with non-mahram men and to sit with them, whether that is in school or at work. We have stated the ruling on mixing and its evil consequences in our answers to questions no. 1200, 20784 and 12837.

The evil consequences of mixing include men and women looking at one another, which is haraam. Allaah has commanded the believing men and women to lower their gaze and avoid looking at that which is not permissible for them.

It is not permissible for non-mahrams to see anything of her, or for her to be careless about how she dresses so that anything appears of her that it is not permissible for her to show.

Elderly woman uncovering her face before non-mahrams

Is it permissible for an elderly woman to uncover her face before men who are not her mahrams?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, Allaah has permitted elderly women to uncover their faces before non-mahram men, but that is subject to the condition that they do not uncover anything of their adornment that may be a cause of fitnah, so they should not wear attractive or fancy clothes or put any cosmetics on their faces to beautify them.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And as for women past childbearing who do not expect wedlock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment. But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them. And Allaah is All‑Hearer, All‑Knower”

[al-Noor 24:60]. 

Ruling on a woman covering her face when praying because non-mahram men may pass by

Is it obligatory to cover the face when praying if there are non-mahram men present or they may pass by, as happens in the Haram? Or is it o.k. to uncover the face?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said:

When a woman is praying her whole body is ‘awrah and she must cover all of her body except her face, if there are no non-mahram men present.

If she is alone or with men who are her mahrams, then she may uncover her face when praying.

But if she is in the presence of non-mahram men, then she should cover her face when praying and at other times, because the face is ‘awrah.

Fataawah al-Mar’ah al-Muslim, 1/315.

See also the answer to question no. 21803 and 1046.

And Allaah knows best.

Is the one who kisses a non-mahram woman regarded as a zaani (fornicator or adulterer)?

A woman kissed me and I responded to her, and we started touching one another and kissing, but when she asked me to have intercourse with her I refused for fear of the punishment of the zaani before Allaah. Am I an adulterer because of that? I only put my fingers in.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

What you did by kissing and touching this woman is a reprehensible haraam action from which you have to repent by regretting having done it and resolving not to go back to it. You also have to keep away from the things that lead to fitnah, such as mixing, being alone with a woman, and haraam looks. You should praise Allaah for having saved you from falling into the major sin of zina for which Allaah has issued a stern warning of punishment in this world and in the Hereafter, which includes the hadd punishment of stoning the zaani to death if he was married and giving him one hundred lashes if he is not married.

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that zina is one of the reasons for which people will be punished in their graves, and he has told us of the horrific nature of this punishment. See the answer to question no. 8829.

How audacious this woman was when she transgressed the sacred limits set by Allaah, called you to haraam, sought evil and indulged in sin without any fear or shame. How great is the blessing of Allaah to you, that you stopped at that point; there was some trace of faith left in your heart that prevented you from committing the greater evil.

Woman riding with a non-mahram man

What is the ruling on buying clothes for children on which there are pictures of animals and people?
What is the ruling on a woman riding with her sister’s husband in a car accompanied by her sister? Or riding with her husband’s brother accompanied by his mother?
May Allaah reward you greatly on our behalf, O Shaykh Muhammad, and join me with you and all the Muslims in Paradise for eternity.

Praise be to Allaah.

With regard to clothes on which there are pictures, it is haraam to wear them for adults and children, males and females, alike.

See Question no. 10439.

With regard to a woman riding with a non-mahram man, one of the following two scenarios must apply.

1 – That she is riding on her own with him. This is the khulwah (being alone with a member of the opposite sex) which is forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade it when he said: “No man is alone with a (non-mahram) woman but the Shaytaan is the third one present.” (Narrated by Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan, 2092; also in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2546). See also question no, 2986.

2 – That she is riding with a group of women and that non-mahram man. This is permitted, subject to two conditions:

(i)                That the man should be trustworthy

(ii)              That it should not be a journey, rather it should be inside the city. But if that is a lengthy journey then it is haraam for her to travel without a mahram, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible for a Muslim woman to travel the distance of one night’s travel without a man who is her mahram.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1088; Muslim, 1339. This version narrated by Muslim).

Based on that, it is permissible for a woman to ride with her sister’s husband if they are accompanied by her sister, and it is permissible for her to ride with her husband’s brother if they are accompanied by his mother, if there is no danger of fitnah.

Ruling on being intimate with a non-mahram woman without intercourse

What is the ruling on being intimate with a non-mahram woman without intercourse in the vagina? Is anal intercourse regarded as sodomy?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

It is by Allah’s wisdom that when He forbids a thing He forbids the things that lead to it, because indulging in things that may lead to haraam may make the heart inclined towards it, in such a way that the individual develops a psychological conflict between falling into this sin or the suffering that results from standing in the middle of the road, so that he is not shunning the haraam thing entirely, with the peace of mind that comes from keeping away from it, nor is he committing the sin and fulfilling the desires of his self that is inclined towards evil. In most cases of this type, the person will fall into major sins that he thought he would never commit, major sins that corrupt his religious and worldly affairs, ruin his life, and destroy the blessing in his wealth and children, as a befitting punishment for his sin, because he moved away from his Lord and transgressed His sacred limits, and did not care that Allaah was watching him and was aware of what he was doing. The wise man is the one who is not careless about things that lead to real disasters that affect his religious commitment, which is a man’s capital and comes before any worldly consideration.

The one who thinks about this question will realize that it is impossible for a man to reach that level of evil and then be able to control himself and refrain from falling into that great sin, which is as nothing compared to the anger and wrath of Allaah and the corruption that it causes, all just for the sake of the short-lived pleasure that the sinner is trying to achieve, which will be followed by never-ending regret.

The Muslim has to understand things as they are and what they lead to, and not be tempted by the things that the Shaytaan makes attractive, or be deceived when the Shaytaan tries to make him think of evil actions as insignificant as a trick to make people join his party of losers. He has to fear Allaah his Lord in private and in public, and know that Allaah sees him and knows his intentions and his actions, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal”

[Ghaafir 40:19]

He should remember that what is with Allaah is better and more lasting, and that the Hereafter and its blessings are better for him than this world, and that the reward for being patient in abstaining from evil actions is Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, in which there is whatever a person could want of absolute and untainted pleasure.

For more information on the ruling please see question no. 27259

Advice: Separating women from non-mahram* men in family visits

What advice can you give Muslim families in regards to family visits and gatherings?

People are civil and sociable by nature: they must have friends, and friendship involves visiting one another.

When visits are between families, we must pay attention to an important matter which will close the door to evil, by not allowing mixing between the sexes. One of the indications that mixing is haraam is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “… And when you ask (the Prophet’s wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts…” [al-Ahzaab 33:53]

If we examine the evil results of mixing in family gatherings, we will find many examples of corruption and immorality, for example:
In most cases, women’s hijaab in mixed gatherings is either non-existant or not correct. These women display the beauty which Allaah has forbidden them to show to anyone before whom they is not allowed to uncover, as it says in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “… and not to reveal their adornment …” [al-Noor 24:31] It even happens that women who adorn themselves in mixed gatherings never adorn themselves for their husbands. When men see women in mixed gatherings, this destroys their religious commitment and morals, and provokes forbidden desires. Terrible arguments and marital separations may result, when one looks at or winks at the wife of another, or they laugh and joke together. When the couple returns home, the settling of accounts begins:
Man: “Why did you laugh at so-and-so’s words, when he never said anything funny?
Woman: “And why did you wink at so-and-so?”

Man: “When he speaks you understand him readily, but when I speak you never understand me!”

So the exchange of accusations goes on, until it ends in hatred or even divorce, in some cases. Some men and women may begin to regret their luck in marriage, when they begin to compare their spouses with those of their friends. A man may say to himself, “So-and-so joins in discussions and is well-educated, but my wife is ignorant and is not educated at all…” And a woman may say to herself, “So-and-so is so lucky, her husband is so eloquent and smart, and my husband is so boring and speaks without thinking…” This destroys the marriage relationship and leads to bad treatment on the part of both spouses. Some may show off to others by making false claims about what they do not have, so that one man may issue instructions to his wife in front of other men so that he can pretend to have a strong personality, when at home he is like a tame pussy-cat. A woman may borrow gold so that others in the gathering may think she owns so much, but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who claims to have what he does not own is as it were wearing a garment of falsehood.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 9/317) These mixed night-time gatherings are often a waste of time, filled with idle gossip and other sins of the tongue, whilst small children are left at home (so that the gathering will not be spoiled by their crying!) These night-time gatherings may become even worse and involve other major sins, such as drinking and gambling, especially among the so-called upper class. Another of the major sins that may result is the desire to follow the kuffaar and be like them in dress and other habits and customs. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, al-Musnad, 2/50; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2828)

In family gatherings, women should be separated from non-mahram men, and the gatherings should serve some useful purpose, such as remembrance of Allaah (dhikr), seeking beneficial knowledge or discussing social problems or things that can benefit the family in this life. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and healthy. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

* Translator’s note: “mahram” refers to a blood-relative to whom marriage is permanently forbidden, such as a woman’s father, brother, son, uncle, etc

Muslim women giving talks in gatherings where non-mahram men are present

is it allowed for a brother to organise i talk and the speaker is a sister. the issue is on women in islam but the sister is talking to every on (brothers and sister)i thought it’s not but the organisors say it is allowed but they ask for evidence is there any on this issue

Praise be to Allaah.

We put this question to Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) who answered as follows:

In our opinion this is not permissible except in cases of necessity, and on the condition that the men cannot see her. There should be a screen between her and them, and she should not soften her voice too much, because her voice may be ‘awrah. Women are not allowed to say Tasbeeh out loud in the prayer – if the imaam makes a mistake – instead they are commanded to clap [to draw the imaam’s attention to a mistake], lest their voices be recognized.
Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen

At this point we would ask the brothers who are organizing these lectures: what need is there for a woman to give a lecture in front of a group of people which includes men? We hope that the answer will not be because they want to prove that Islam does not oppress women or to prove that they are open-minded and enlightened! Or any other weird and mistaken reasons that can never be used to justify opening the doors to fitnah (temptation) which Islam seeks to shut firmly. We constantly repeat our advice: organize your activities within the framework of sharee’ah. And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path. And Allaah knows best.