Fatwa #467784 November 2021Germany
The limit (حد) one can communicate with a Non-Mahram
Question
I'm just wanted to know what is the Shariah masalah with regards to talking to Na Mahram's .
Like what is the حد in this matter.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
At the outset, we should understand that chastity is one of the fundamental teachings of Islam.
When the King Heracle of Ilya (Jerusalem) questioned Abu Sufyan (Radhiyallahu Anhu) regarding the teachings of Islam, he said:
قَالَ مَاذَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ قُلْتُ يَقُولُ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَحْدَهُ، وَلاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَاتْرُكُوا مَا يَقُولُ آبَاؤُكُمْ، وَيَأْمُرُنَا بِالصَّلاَةِ وَالصِّدْقِ وَالْعَفَافِ وَالصِّلَةِ (صحيح البخاري-7|كتاب بدء الوحى)
Translation: Heracle said, 'What does he Rasullullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) order you to do?' Hazrath Abu Sufyan (Radhiyallahu Anhu) replied, 'He tells us to worship Allah Ta’ala and Allah Ta’ala alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our Kith and kin.
In order to maintain chastity, Shariah has emphasised on Shame and modesty, See the following Ahadith:
عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال الإيمان بضع وستون شعبة، والحياء شعبة من الإيمان (صحيح البخاري-4)
Translation: “Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, Imaan consists of more than sixty branches, and Hayaa (modesty, chastity) is a branch of Imaan.”
قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: إن مما أدرك الناس من كلام النبوة الأولى: إذا لم تستحي فاصنع ما شئت (صحيح البخاري- 1844)
Translation: “Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, one of the admonitions of the previous Prophets which has been conveyed to the people is that if you have no modesty, you can do whatever you like.”
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْحَيَاءُ مِنْ الْإِيمَانِ وَالْإِيمَانُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَالْبَذَاءُ مِنْ الْجَفَاءِ وَالْجَفَاءُ فِي النَّارِ (جامع الترمذي-2009)
Translation: “Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, Modesty is part of faith and faith is in Paradise. Shamelessness is part of insolence and insolence is in Hellfire.”
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: إِنَّ الْحَيَاءَ وَالْإِيمَانَ قُرِنَا جَمِيعًا، فَإِذَا رُفِعَ أَحَدُهُمَا رُفِعَ الْآخَرُ (شعب الايمان-7331)
Translation: “Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, Modesty and belief are together. If one of them is removed, the other is removed.”
Shariah also closed all doors leading to immorality, Allah Ta’ala says:
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا (الإسراء: 32)
Translation: "And do not even go near to fornication
It is a well-known fact and natural for a male to be attracted to a female and vice versa.
A free relationship and interaction could lead to immorality, hence the laws of hijab and segregation. [i]
It is also a well-known fact and natural for a male to be attracted to the voice of a female. It is for this reason Allah Ta’ala says:
{يَانِسَاءَ النَّبِيِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَعْرُوفًا } [الأحزاب: 32]
Translation: O wives of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), you are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allah Ta’ala, then do not be soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech.
When the wives of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) who were the epitome of purity and chastity were addressed to be straight and firm in their speech, how much more should other women be careful in their speech especially in this era of evil and immorality.
However, if there is a genuine need for a woman to communicate with Non-Mahrams, she may do so provided her speech is firm. It is not permissible for her to talk in a soft and alluring tone that may lead to captivating and attracting the heart of the Non-Mahram.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best
M. Akhtar
Student Darul Iftaa
South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[i] قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ .وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (النور30)
Translation: "Tell the believing men to lower their gazes and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gazes and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which becomes apparent thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their head covers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, so that you may succeed."
عن على رضى الله عنه عن النبى صلى الله عليه و سلم قال لا طاعةَ لمخلوقٍ في معصية الله عز وجل
Translation: Ali (Radiyallahu Anhu) mentions that Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said: “There is no obedience to creation in disobedience to the creator.
Allama Busiari (Rahimahullah) explains the nature of the Nafs in the following words.
فَلاَ تَرُمْ بِالْمَعَاصِيْ كَسْـرَ شَـهْوَتِهَا"
اِنَّ الطَّعَـامَ يُقَوِّي شَــهْوَةَ النَّهِم"
Translation: "Do not intend breaking the desires of the Nafs through (committing) sins. Verily food strengthens the desire of a big eater."
وَالنَّفْسُ كَالطِّفْلِ إِنْ تُهْمِلْهُ شَبَّ عَلَى"
حُبِّ الرَّضَاعِ وَإِنْ تَفْطِمْهُ يَنْفَطِــمِ"
Translation: "The Nafs is like a child, if you leave it, it will become a youth while enjoying breastfeeding, if you wean it, it will be weaned."
"فَاصْرِفْ هَوَاهَــا وَحَاذِرْ أَنْ تُوَلِّيَهُ إِنَّ الْهَوٰى مَـا تَـوَلَّى يُصْمِ أَوْ يَصِمِ"
Translation: "So desist/discard the desires of the Nafs and beware that the desires do not overpower the Nafs. Verily when carnal desires overpower, it will either kill or create a defect.