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The question

Is a reciprocal relationship, based on pure love and assistance for the sake of Allah, between a man and a married woman, separated by long distances, and limited to offering advice and solving problems without any intention of marriage or abandoning the wife, considered haram (forbidden) in Islamic law?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

The one who strives to help a widow and a needy person is to be thanked, and this deed is like that of a mujahid (striver) in the way of Allah. A man is not held accountable if Allah puts the love of a foreign woman in his heart, as long as he keeps himself chaste, because a servant does not control the affairs of his heart. However, the phrase "we feel a mutual love" indicates a transgression of what is forbidden by Islamic law. Caution must be exercised, and direct communication with her should be avoided, because communication is a fitna (temptation), especially since she is married. Assistance can be delivered to her through her husband. Distance does not prevent the occurrence of forbidden acts with the availability of means of communication, and the fitna of women for men is great. A believer must avoid situations of doubt.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy