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QUESTION: Are females allowed to have male friends? ANSWER: In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. May the peace and blessing of Allah be showered upon the Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions, and those who follow them with sincerity. It depends what you mean by “friends.” If you mean “friend” in the Western sense, where you hang out and spend time together and go places, then no, this is not allowed. Islam doesn’t allow free intermingling of the sexes for the simple reason that whenever men and women are together, there is always the possibility, whether latent or actual, of being tempted to do something improper.

That having been said, Islam is also practical. When there is a legitimate need for men and women to work together, they may do so, provided that everyone observes the proper etiquette (adab). The Qur’an describes the relationship between believing men and women as follows, “And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another: they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil; they observe regular prayers, practice regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise. (Al-Tauba, 9:71)

In this verse, the Qur’an does speak of the believers as friends. But this is in the spiritual sense, and is very different from the Western concept of friendship.

And Allah knows best.

Zaynab Ansari

[Source: SunniPath]