Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
1- Muslims are not allowed to participate in proms as they are generally practiced in North America, for such gatherings invariably involve unlawful mingling and mixing of boys and girls.
2- Muslims should be distinguished by their morals and values.
3- The Muslim’s way of dress, talk, and behavior should be based on morality and decency.
4- In their celebrations, Muslims should maintain their dignity, ethics and good manners.
In response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Muslims are not allowed to participate in proms as they are generally practiced in North America, for such gatherings invariably involve unlawful mingling and mixing of boys and girls. In Islam, such indiscriminate mingling and mixing of boys and girls is definitely considered haram (forbidden).
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The eye commits fornication, the ears commit fornication, the hands commit fornication, the feet commit fornication, and finally the private parts consummate it or reject it.” (Muslim)
So, stay away from such gatherings in order to protect the integrity of your religion and honor.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.