What Is the Ruling on a Woman Meeting a Marriage Prospect on Zoom Without a Wali if She Is in a Public Space?
Question
What is the ruling on a woman meeting a marriage prospect on Zoom without a wali if she is in a public space?
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.
1. The Shar‘i Context
Islam sets clear guidelines for communication between non-mahram men and women, especially in matters of marriage. The goal is to protect modesty, remove opportunities for misuse, and ensure the process remains transparent and directed toward a halal outcome.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“No man should be alone with a woman except with her mahram.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
This applies to khalwah, whether physical or digital, meaning any private environment in which conversation is hidden from others and inappropriate speech or emotional vulnerability becomes easy.
2. Application to a Zoom Meeting
A Zoom meeting can take two forms:
If the call is private
- One-on-one
- No one else can see or hear
- No oversight
- No possibility of interruption
This is considered digital khalwah, and it is not permissible for a woman to meet a marriage prospect in such a setting without her wali or another trusted person present or supervising.
If the call is not private, such as:
- Family members or others are present in the background
- The wali/Mahram is aware of the meeting and can check in anytime
- The environment does not allow full privacy
Then this is not khalwah, and the interaction is permissible, as the context maintains modesty and accountability.
The presence of others—even indirectly—breaks the isolation that defines khalwah.
3. Relevant Usul Principles
1. ما أدى إلى الحرام فهو حرام
Whatever leads directly to haram takes the ruling of haram.
A completely private digital meeting easily leads to emotional attachment, inappropriate conversation, or manipulation, so it takes the ruling of khalwah.
2. الوسائل تأخذ حكم المقاصد
Means take the ruling of their purposes.
The purpose of this meeting is marriage a lawful and noble intent.
Therefore, the means (Zoom communication) are permissible as long as the interaction stays within Islamic limits and avoids khalwah.
If the purpose is halal and the means do not include anything haram, the means follow the ruling of the purpose.
This principle strengthens the permissibility of speaking through supervised or public digital spaces specifically for the goal of assessing compatibility for marriage.
4. Final Ruling
A Zoom meeting between a woman and a marriage prospect is:
- Not permissible if it is private and constitutes digital khalwah.
- Permissible if she is in a public or open space, where others are present or able to see or hear, and where the Mahram is aware and overseeing the process.
Since the purpose is halal (marriage), and the meeting is held without khalwah, the interaction is allowed within the boundaries of modesty, seriousness, and transparency.
And Allah knows best.