Fatwa #810417 March 2003United Arab Emirates
Concerning the best way to adopt Islamic ways:what do i do when i am engaged and when that person is my class fellow??
Question
I am engaged to be married to my class fellow.However since we are still at the stage of internship in our field of medicine, we are not earning and we will probably have to wait for marriage.I am addicted to him and worse, I have made him emotionally dependant on me too.How do i go about this now?? Also is it permissible to exchange gifts in period of engagement?That falls in our family customs
Answer
At the outset, we wish to advise you that engagement does not make contact with your future husband permissible. You are still considered as a strange woman to him. Hence, any type of contact with him, before Nikah, is prohibited.
By him being your classmate too, you should maintain Hijaab from him also. You have made him emotionally dependant on you because of your maintaining close contact with him. You should explain him the situation with a lot of wisdom and request him till marriage not to have any contact whatsoever. Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ?Exchanging of gifts increases the love?. Therefore, you may exchange gifts, however, these gifts should be through Mahrams, not directly.
and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
By him being your classmate too, you should maintain Hijaab from him also. You have made him emotionally dependant on you because of your maintaining close contact with him. You should explain him the situation with a lot of wisdom and request him till marriage not to have any contact whatsoever. Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ?Exchanging of gifts increases the love?. Therefore, you may exchange gifts, however, these gifts should be through Mahrams, not directly.
and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai