Is it permissible for a man to sit with his fiancée and go out with her?
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The questioner : This questioner asks: Is it permissible for a man to sit with his fiancée and go out with her?
The Shaykh : To sit with her?
The questioner : To sit with his fiancée and go out with her?
The Shaykh : The fiancée is a non-mahram woman with respect to the suitor.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible for him, and she is like any other woman to him. It is not permissible for him to sit alone with her, nor to speak to her on the telephone, nor to talk to her in any way until he marries her, because, as I said, she is a non-mahram woman to him, and he is the same as any other man in this regard. Some people may be lax in this matter, meaning in speaking to their fiancée, and perhaps he may go out with her alone. This is forbidden and not permissible. If he wants this, let him hasten to the marriage contract. Even if the consummation is delayed, once he marries her, she becomes his wife. It is then permissible for him to speak to her on the telephone, and it is permissible for him to go out with her alone outside the town, and it is permissible for him to go to her at her parents' house and be alone with her. There is no blame in any of this. However, we do not advise that there be intercourse between them in this state, meaning if he has married her but consummation has not yet taken place. We do not advise that there be intercourse between them because if there is intercourse between them and then a disagreement arises and he divorces her, and she turns out to be pregnant, this creates a problem, or perhaps the woman may be accused. Likewise, if he dies after marrying her and having intercourse with her before the public consummation, and she becomes pregnant, she may be accused. But he may have physical contact with her in every way except intercourse, because we fear the consequences we have mentioned. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : To sit with her?
The questioner : To sit with his fiancée and go out with her?
The Shaykh : The fiancée is a non-mahram woman with respect to the suitor.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible for him, and she is like any other woman to him. It is not permissible for him to sit alone with her, nor to speak to her on the telephone, nor to talk to her in any way until he marries her, because, as I said, she is a non-mahram woman to him, and he is the same as any other man in this regard. Some people may be lax in this matter, meaning in speaking to their fiancée, and perhaps he may go out with her alone. This is forbidden and not permissible. If he wants this, let him hasten to the marriage contract. Even if the consummation is delayed, once he marries her, she becomes his wife. It is then permissible for him to speak to her on the telephone, and it is permissible for him to go out with her alone outside the town, and it is permissible for him to go to her at her parents' house and be alone with her. There is no blame in any of this. However, we do not advise that there be intercourse between them in this state, meaning if he has married her but consummation has not yet taken place. We do not advise that there be intercourse between them because if there is intercourse between them and then a disagreement arises and he divorces her, and she turns out to be pregnant, this creates a problem, or perhaps the woman may be accused. Likewise, if he dies after marrying her and having intercourse with her before the public consummation, and she becomes pregnant, she may be accused. But he may have physical contact with her in every way except intercourse, because we fear the consequences we have mentioned. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.