Is it permissible to chat with one's paternal uncle's daughter via WhatsApp to check on her and congratulate her, knowing that marriage to her was previously considered but the family refused?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Conversation between a man and a non- woman is a great gateway to fitna (temptation/strife), and is not permissible except out of necessity and with adherence to the guidelines.
Therefore, it is not permissible to communicate with one's paternal female cousin. One can inquire about her well-being through her family or the questioner's sisters.
If the questioner's phrase "she tried to distance herself from me" means that she pulled away from him, then she is correct in doing so, and she must be treated as a non-mahram. Her being "like a sister" does not negate her being a non-mahram according to Islamic law.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/183549
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 183549
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy