What is the ruling on what elderly men do, which is that they talk a lot with women?

The questioner : And the men, I mean the elderly, do not limit themselves to just the salam with elderly women in the shop; they chat with them and sit with them afterwards. Yes.

The Shaykh : In any case, if there is no danger, suppose for example the shop is on the street, it is a woman’s shop, and this man is sitting with her, being one of her neighbors or something like that, and he is talking to her, and the danger is absent,

The questioner : for an hour or two.

The Shaykh : Even though the best, without doubt, is to leave this matter, because the least that can be said is that people will suspect him; if they do not suspect him, they might use his action as a proof,

The questioner : meaning they will criticize him.

The Shaykh : It is better to advise him about this; it is said: “The one who is obligated to avoid exposing himself to suspicion.” Yes, look at the author’s words regarding men giving the salam to women and women giving the salam to men.