online chats

[mansoor]

Does anyone for sure if online chatting with the opposite gender is permissible or not? This has been highly debatable issue with some muslims I know?

[Ruqayyah]

As salaamu alaikum

Men and Women
interacting on the Internet.. is this Allowed? Here is the
questions and Shaykh Morsy's answer:


Question:




ANSWER:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is known in the religion of Allaah that it is forbidden
to follow in the footsteps of the Shaytaan. Everything that
could lead a person to fall into haraam things is also
haraam, even if in principle it is originally permitted.
This is what the scholars call "the principle of warding
off harm."
Concerning this matter, Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):

"O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shaytaan."
[al-Noor 24:21].

With regard to the second matter, He says (interpretation
of the meaning):

"And insult not those whom they (disbelievers) worship
besides Allaah, lest they insult Allaah wrongfully without
knowledge." [al-An'aam 6:108]

Here Allaah forbids the believers to insult the mushrikeen
lest that leads to them insulting the Lord, may He be
glorified and exalted.

There are many examples of this principle in sharee'ah. Ibn
al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) mentioned many of
them and explained them well in his excellent book A'laam
al-Muwaqqi'een. (See 3/147-171 thereof).

The issue under discussion here also comes under this
category. Conversation - whether verbally or in writing -
between men and women is permissible in and of itself, but
it may be a way of falling into the traps of the Shaytaan.
Whoever knows that he is somewhat weak, and is afraid that
he may fall into the traps of the Shaytaan, has to refrain
from such conversations, in order to save himself.
Whoever is sure that he will be able to remain steadfast,
then we think that it is permissible in his case, but there
are certain conditions:


1. The conversation should not be allowed to wander too far
from the topic being discussed; or it should be for the
purposes of calling others to Islam.

2. They should not let their voices be soft, or use soft
and gentle expressions.

3. They should not ask about personal matters that have no
bearing on the matter being discussed, such as how old a
person is, how tall he or she is, or where he or she lives.
etc.

4. Other brothers (in the case of men) or sisters (in the
case of women) should take part in the conversation or read
the correspondence, so that the Shaytaan will find no way
to enter the hearts of the people who are conversing or
corresponding.

5. The conversation or correspondence must be halted
immediately if the heart starts to stir with feelings of
desire

[thekid]

as salaam alai kum

To sum up the excellent answer given by "rukaya"......in short - HIJAB OF SPEECH.