QUESTION ON MIX GATHERING- ANSWERED BY THE Grand Ayatullah Sistani in 1996/1416

Jan 30, '13 12:11 PM for everyone

Is it permissible to organise religious and educational gatherings in which young men and women will participate with observance or Islamic rules of interaction [that is, without ant intention of lust and without any threat of corrupting morality? Let it be clear that such a program will be organized under supervision of parents and sympathetic persons.

Answer:

No objections, provided:

[a] girls observe the Islamic hijab completely;
[b] girls sit separately from boys;
[c] both sexes should observe the respect and dignity in character, conversation and dress in such a way that they never put themselves in any sinful or corrupt situation.

It is highly recommended that in the beginning of such gatherings a religious scholar, with sound reputation and Islamic behaviour should exhort the audience explaining to them the harms of abandoning the Islamic laws.

Q.2 Can young men and women in such gatherings exchange views and discuss issues in the form of debate and argument? Answer: If the topic is from religious point of view, an appropriate subject for discussion and exchange of views between the boys and girls and if what has been mentioned in the previous answer is observed, then there is no objection.

Q.3 Can young men and women in such gatherings which has been organized specifically for them give speech and present papers on religious and educational topics for each other?

Answer: With the observation of the conditions already stated, there is no objection. Q.4 In order to encourage these youths to get married among themselves so that their religious interests will be preserved, is it permissible to organize activities under the supervision of the parents and sympathetic religious persons to allow them to know each other through conversation and discussion?

Answer: No objection, provided:

Their knowing each other is attainable through the activities mentioned in other questions.

In answer to the last question, Ayatullah Sistani has clearly not allowed activities specifically organized to facilitate the youths to know one another for the purpose of marriage. Unlike the first three answers, he does not say “it is permissible or there is no objection” in this answer. By saying that “their knowing one another is attainable through the activities mentioned in other questions,” the Ayatullah has indicated that if “knowing one another” takes place incidentally through other activities, then it is okay. But to organize a gathering with that specific purpose in mind has not been approved by Ayatullah Sistani.

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