May Allaah forgive me, I am a 25 year old Muslim female who has recently started to practise my faith as I have never really had much knowledge on my Deen, I have been living in an apartment with my Muslim friend and her Muslim boyfriend, neither are family members of mine, nor do they practice their faith. Is it permissible for me to live with them as they are getting married soon? I cannot afford to move out at the present time and am legally bound to live here for 5 more months. What is the ruling on this according to Sharee'ah I have recently fell pregnant out of wedlock and have got a Fatwa regarding my pregnancy, so I would like to know what the ruling is on this living arrangement and not the pregnancy, as I know that I have to refrain from seeing the father of my child. What can I do? My father lives abroad, my sister does not live in the same city and my mother only lives in a one bedroom apartment which would not be big enough for her, myself and the impending child. Please can you advise me as to what to do to gain Allaah's Mercy and Forgiveness?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

The reason of committing fornication is most likely due to being too tolerant about the reasons which lead to it, like mixing with men, being in seclusion with them, forbidden looking and the like. So it might be that it was one of the above reasons which led you to commit fornication. Anyway, you are obliged to take the initiative to sincerely repent, and refer to the conditions of true repentance in Fatwa 87903. If you are sincere in your repentance, Allaah may forgive your sins, and He may even change your sins into good deeds. Allaah Says (what means): {Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic monotheism), and do righteous deeds, for those Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.}[Quran 25:70] Allaah further Says (what means): {But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance.}[Quran 20:82]

If you sincerely repent then you are obliged to cut the relationship with this man who impregnated you and it is not permissible for you to live with your female friend and that man with her, as that may lead you to commit fornication again. Living with your mother in a small place is better helps you keep your religion and preserve your chastity as opposed to living in a place where you would lose your religion and your worldly matters, and this is indeed the complete loss.

Allaah Says (what means): {He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what the manifest loss is.}[Quran 22:11]

This young man and that girl whom you wanted to live with, should be advised to fear Allaah and avoid living together in the same flat, as each one of them is marriageable to the other; in Islam such a relationship is forbidden. It was one of the practises of the people in the pre-Islamic era and Islam abolished it. Allaah Says (what means): {… nor those who take [secret] lovers/boy-friends."}[Quran  4:25]

Allaah Knows best.