Is It Permissible to Keep a Snapchat Streak with My Cousin?
Shafi'i Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
May I send daily snaps to a boy cousin to keep a streak, even if they show no faces and are just random everyday things?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate.
Let the streak end naturally, and try not to worry about it. Since a cousin is not a mahram, you should keep the same boundaries as you would with any unrelated man. Even if the snaps seem harmless, maintaining a streak creates a private, ongoing connection that could go against Sacred Law.
Why the Content Is Secondary
One should only contact a non-mahram when there is a genuine need. In addition, any contact should be public, brief, and without extra friendliness. A daily streak with a cousin of the opposite sex fails these criteria on all three aspects.
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “No man is alone with a woman except that Shaytan is the third of them.” [Tirmidhi]
What to Do
Let the streak end naturally, by going silent, or you can send a polite message like, “I am trying to practice my din better, so I am stepping back from streaks.”
You can still stay in touch with your cousin at family gatherings, in group chats, as you would with other relatives.
If your intentions were innocent, you are not at fault for the past. Just turn to Allah and make a change.
The main idea is that Sacred Law prevents small actions that could lead to bigger problems.
So, end the streak, keep your family bond strong in public settings, and try to use your daily habit to benefit your afterlife, like saying a short dhikr or reading a page of the Quran. Allah will give you something better in return.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
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Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
