Male and Female conversing with one another via email before nikah

Q: 

1. Is it permissible for a male and female to converse with one another via email before nikah is performed.
2. If the couple is proposed and the girl talks to her future sister in law via e mail and she leaves a certain amount of text for the boy to read directly which he reads annnd replys directly to, is that halaal?
3. Is it permissible if a third person reads the email/text message? If yes what requirments must the third person meet?

A: 

1. This is not the Islamic way before getting into marriage. This is the style of the kuffar.
2. As above.
3. It is not permissible to write to each another, directly or indirectly, let alone a third person. All this is as a result of not practicing the hadeeth, “When a match is found don’t delay the marriage.”

 وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَىٰ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا ﴿الإسراء: ٣٢﴾

Answered by:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)