Question Summary:
It is permissible to read Istikharah regarding her?

Question Detail:

Assalamualaikum. I am a student that recently met a girl who I like and feel that she would make a good marriage partner. I would like to know if it is permissible to read Istikharah regarding her though I might not be able to marry her immediately due to financial constraints. I would not like to spoil my future marriage in any way, be it pre-marital dating, etc.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakātuh.
Your concern for preserving your chastity in this age of widespread immodesty is indeed commendable. Allah Ta’ala, declaring chastity as one of the qualities of a successful believer, says:
 
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ... وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ  [المؤمنون: 5/1]
Indeed the believers are successful.... and they are those who protect their private parts.
(Qur’an 23:1,5)
 
Marriage is a crucial moment in a person’s life and choosing a spouse is one of the most important decisions a person can make, which has far-reaching consequences. Being such, it is important that a person makes this decision with insight and understanding. It is common that people, overtaken by their emotions of extreme love, fail to consider the key factors when choosing a spouse, only to find out later that there is not much compatibility between them and their spouses. The results of such marriages are dreadful, not only for the spouses themselves, but which extends to be so for their families and close ones. Such marriages either land up in divorce, or the spouses living together in a marriage, yet far apart from each other!
 
Being young, you have not witnessed and experienced the different waves of life that mature you to be able to make the most appropriate decision. Your parents have the required maturity, insight and love to help you decide. You should therefore confide in your parents and solicit their wise counsel on the issue. Their advice and guidance will be motivated by their love and concern for you and for what would be in your best interest.
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Maulana Mahmood Patel
Azaadville, South Africa
Student DarulIftaa
 
Checked and Approved by
MuftiEbrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net