Both the Pahang and Penang mufti are calling for the National Fatwa Council to issue a fatwa emulating that by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declaring the act of chatting on social media by unrelated men and women, as “haram” (not permissable).

Ayatollah reportedly issued the fatwa yesterday, as chatting between a man and a woman who are marriageable ( bukan mahram ), on social media, can lead to vice.

According to Malay-language daily Berita Harian today, Abdul Rahman Osman and Hassan Ahmad ( left ), the mufti for Pahang and Penang respectively, also urged the Fatwa Council to come up with a set of guidelines on the practice to prevent the spread of acts that can be detrimental to the institution of marriage in Islam.

The daily quoted Abdul Rahman as saying that although chatting online does not involve any physical interaction, conversations without solid purpose or basis can lead to vice.

“An easy example is issuing a greeting ( memberi salam ). If there is no purpose to the greeting or it is misused to start a conversation that is without benefit, it is not compulsory to reply,” he is quoted as saying.

Even looking at a couple that is bukan muhrim on social media is wrong, he reportedly said, as this can “invite nafsu (lust)”.

Hassan, meanwhile, said conversations used to spread propaganda and matters conflicting with Islam must be addressed to curb the spread of deviant teachings.

However, he said there is nothing wrong with chatting if it merely involves the exchange of opinions and is towards good.