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Chatting lawful only within the limits of Shariah

Question

I recently married and my wife and me are very close however she sometimes chats on line with her family. That is a good thing but I have a problem when she chats with her cousins who are not her Muharim. In addition, I don't want to cut the relation with her relative. I want to know what the religion says about her chatting with her cousin on the Internet.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.First of all, we advise you to be gentle and kind with your wife. You should teach her Islamic duties and rites with indulgence and leniency. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: Allah loves kindness in all matters. [Reported by Imam al-Bukhari ]Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad (SAW) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, …}[16:125]. Second, we advise the wife to be obedient to her husband and not to disobey any of his orders unless he asks her to commit something Haram. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: If I were to order anyone to prostrate for someone else, I would order the wife to prostrate for her husband. [ al-Tirmizi ] As for her talking or chatting with her male relatives or other alien men, it is lawful provided it is within the limits of Shariah without leniency in speech or Khalwa (seclusion). But it is forbidden for her to talk to them for a long time, laughing and cheering each other as if they were her Maharim. This is a gate to depravity and destruction. Allah Says addressing the wives of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) who are the purest of all women (interpretation of meaning): {…then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner. And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger….}[33:32-33].The woman should know that her cousins are not Maharim to her; so, she should not stay in Khalwa with them or travel with them.Allah knows best.

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