First of all, we’d like to state that a Muslim is best advised to engage in what is beneficial for him/her and to avoid what may waste his/her time or arouse his/her sexual desires.
Sheikh `Abdul-Majeed Subh, a prominent Azharite scholar, states: “As a Muslim, we should realize that most romance movies or novels display non-Islamic values and immorality. So, we should not read or watch such romances that display non-Islamic values and morals.
Dr. `Abdul-Fattah `Ashoor, professor of Exegesis of the Qur’an, stated the following: “Reading books have many benefits. A Muslim should read that which is beneficial to him. It stands to reason that the Muslim should avoid reading romantic novels that only arouse sexual desires and ignite lust in him/her. This is due to the fact that reading such things will fill him/her with temptation and drive him/her away from remembering Almighty Allah.
Reading romantic novels may be dangerous in the same way as films are, as both may contain expressions about immoral people and immoral practices that are forbidden for a Muslim.