Fathwa, - Is it ok to take food for a non-mahram?

Question:
Assalam alaikum wa rahmatullah. I got to know a brother and we became
good friends. When I realized that I didn't want to marry him, a
sister advised me that if we continued being friends then that would
be inappropriate. So I told him and we agreed that we shouldn't really
talk anymore. While we were still talking I used to take extra food
from my home for him because he goes to Medical school near my home
and he doesn't have any halal food options. I thought this was a good
alternative to throwing the extra food out and my brother usually went
with me. My question is : Is it ok to continue taking him food as long
as my brother comes along or should I stop since I'm not considering
him for marriage anymore? JazakAllah khair. May Allah reward you for
your good work Ameen.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Absolutely Most Gracious, the Absolutely
Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah.
May Allah bless and give peace to our Beloved Messenger.
Dear Sister,
I apologize for the delay in getting to your question.
I hope this message finds you in good health and spirits.
Generally speaking, it is a praiseworthy trait to share our food with others.
In particular, both the Qur'an and the Sunna emphasize our obligation
to share our food with those less fortunate in the form of charity and
expiation.
In the collection of Imam Bukhari, we find many reports of the
Prophet's generosity, Allah bless him and give him peace. For example:
Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari:
The Prophet said, "Give food to the hungry, pay a visit to the sick
and release (set free) the one in captivity (by paying his ransom)."
[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 65, Number 286]
On the other hand, you may want to consider the wisdom of continually
giving food to the brother. Firstly, he's a medical student, so I
assume he is capable of providing for himself. It might be better to
give the food to someone less fortunate. Secondly, if he is still
interested in marrying you, or was interested, then it may stir up
feelings if you keep taking him food.
If you truly feel that the brother is in need of this food, then it is
advisable that you send your brother with the food and avoid going
personally. The adab of interaction between unrelated males and
females dictates that interaction should only be to the extent of the
need.
I pray this answers your question. May Allah Most High reward you for
your generosity.
And Allah knows best.