What are the Shariah limits of mutual interaction between non-mahram men and women on social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.)? What is the ruling on following each other, liking and commenting on posts, and sending messages in the inbox or DM? Some people maintain continuous contact with non-mahrams in the name of religious information and “da'wah” — is this permissible?

Allah Almighty has commanded both men and women to lower their gazes: ﴿قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ﴾ (Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them) (Surah An-Nur: 30), and addressing women He said: ﴿فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا﴾ (Surah Al-Ahzab: 32), i.e. do not adopt softness and pliancy in speech, lest the one in whose heart is a disease should covet. And He also forbade going near zina: ﴿وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا﴾ (And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way) (Surah Al-Isra: 32). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The zina of the eyes is looking, the zina of the ears is listening, the zina of the tongue is speaking…” (Sahih Al-Bukhari: 6243; Sahih Muslim: 2657). Social media is a new field for the use of these same organs, therefore these same principles will determine its rulings.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ said: “No man should be alone with a (non-mahram) woman, except that a mahram is with her” (Sahih Al-Bukhari: 5233), and he said: “Beware! When a man is alone with a woman, the third with them is Satan” (Jami' At-Tirmidhi: 2165; sahih). Al-Lajnah Ad-Da'imah has stated a broad definition of khalwah: it is not only physical solitude, but every situation in which the two can converse with each other and others cannot hear their conversation (Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da'imah: 17/57). In light of this definition, conversation in the inbox, DM and closed chat also falls within the circle of khalwah, because here too the conversation is outside the hearing of others. Shaykh Abdullah ibn Jibrin, may Allah have mercy on him, declared mutual correspondence between young men and women — even if it is free of immodesty — impermissible due to fitnah (Fatawa Al-Mar'ah, p. 96), and today's chat is more than correspondence, being immediate and continuous contact, therefore its ruling cannot be lighter than that.

(a) Following religious and scholarly public pages and benefiting from their content is in itself permissible, provided the content is free of prohibitions such as obscenity, immodesty and music, etc. It is necessary to avoid viewing the personal pictures and videos of non-mahrams and following such accounts which are contrary to guarding the gaze. (b) There is scope for a brief comment on a public post, to the extent of need and necessity, free of informality — for example, a scholarly question or a correction — but praise and flattery, heart-winning conversation, repeated coming and going, and exchange of jokes are prohibited, because this is precisely softness in speech and the door to fitnah. (c) Private messages should be only for a genuine need (a transaction, a scholarly question, buying and selling), to the extent of need and brief; contact for friendship, chatting and emotional attachment is absolutely haram. Al-Lajnah Ad-Da'imah has counted friendship relations between a man and a woman among the most haram of acts (Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da'imah: 17/66).

The Shariah method of calling to the religion is public speech, writing and broadcasts; giving the name of da'wah to private contact with a specific non-mahram cannot become a cover for it. The investigation of Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, is that a woman can also call men towards Allah, but with observance of hijab and avoidance of khalwah. Therefore, publishing religious content on a public platform is permissible, indeed recommended, but private conversation, personal relations and continuous contact do not thereby become permissible under this same pretext. If needed, questions and answers should be through public comments or through an office or editorial channel.

Maqasid note: The Shariah has made haram not only zina, but also its causes — this is precisely the requirement of blocking the means (sadd al-dhara'i) and preservation of honour (hifz al-'ird) and preservation of religion (hifz al-din). Caution on social media is not merely a formal restriction; it is protection of the purity of the heart and the stability of families.

Translated from the original Urdu fatwa.