Is it permissible in Islamic law for a young man to speak with a girl and tell her that he is obliged to marry her without her parents' knowledge, based on what some consider to be the "spirit of the age" and "consulting the heart"?

It is permissible to speak with one's fiancée, even if the marriage contract has not been concluded, if there is a need for it, provided it is done with modesty, away from anything that offends decency, without seclusion, and while adhering to Islamic manners and rulings. Keeping pace with the times does not mean violating Allah's rulings and His law; rather, a believer must make reality conform to the Sharia (definition). The young man should be advised and called to the truth, and cautioned that accusing Islam of rigidity and extremism is the talk of Islam's enemies. As for the hadith (definition), "Consult your heart," its meaning is to refer to one's heart and conscience when there is a conflict in the sayings of scholars or when there is no clear preference, not to follow one's whims or to deviate from the rulings of Islam.