Title: Social Gatherings for Finding Life-Partners Question: Speaking from personal experience and those of that I have spoken to, it is very difficult, to say the least, for the young Muslim men and women, living as minorities in western countries and willing to find a life partner, to meet in an Islamic environment. Additionally, diverse ethnic backgrounds and lack of a sufficient number of potential partners from the same culture and ethnic background makes it nearly impossible (speaking from personal experience) to find a suitable life partner. Keeping these things in mind, I was asking myself what could one do to facilitate the interaction between Muslim males and females wanting to get married. Would organizing a social gathering, under the umbrella of one of the local Muslim bodies be permissible as to facilitate this interaction? DO you know of any other alternative ways of achieving this? I invite your comments. Wasalaam adis duderija Answer: The Qur'an has prescribed etiquettes of interaction for men as well as for women, for the times when they interact with each other. Such social gatherings, where the participants are requested to show due regard to the prescriptions of the Qur'an, cannot be termed as prohibited. Within the allowable limits of the Shari`ah and without disregard to the spirit of its social directives, we may arrange any for gatherings for providing the participants an opportunity to interact. However, it would be preferable, in my opinion, to make these gatherings an occasion for the interaction at the family level, thereby reducing the chances of any inappropriate behavior of the young ones. Regards, Moiz Amjad January 18, 2002