Emailing non-mahram boys

I would like to ask that when i used to study in university I did not have the religious way of living and my group of friends had also 2 boys in it, but Alhumdulillah after Allah blessed me to live in a religious way I now dont meet them or have any contact with them anymore since last 6 years. My friends used to have the combined email and in that they also email to those 2 boys whereas when I reply I delete their names. They get irritated on me. Can you please advise how should I tell them with hikmat about justification of my action. I know by taufeeq of Allah im doing right but how to tackle my female friends over it. They ask me are not they your Muslim brothers? They are hurt by your attitude does Islam allow to hurt the Muslim brother?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

May Allah Ta’ala accept your zeal for following the teachings of Islam and may He give you the tawfeeq to not only maintain but to increase the zeal. Ameen.

Islam strictly forbids free interaction and intermingling between non-mahram persons of the opposite gender. Such free interaction and intermingling are a great source of fitna. A non-mahram person is not like one’s biological brother or sister according to the teachings of Islam; and the rules pertaining to interacting with a non-mahram person are different from the rules pertaining to interacting with one’s brother or sister or another mahram.

Yes, a Muslim should not break another person’s heart; however, if not breaking the other person’s heart will mean displeasing Allah Ta’ala then one must give preference to pleasing Allah Ta’ala over pleasing His creation. After all, how far will one go to fulfil another person’s desires and wishes? Even secular law has put limits to fulfilling the wishes and desires of another person. How then can Islam not have limits when Islam is a complete way of life?

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Faizal Riza
28/10/2011