Question:
What is your advice concerning some Muslim minorities marrying disbelieving women who do not believe in the existence of a Creator and what is the effect of that upon the children?
Response:
My advice to all Muslims is that they should not marry anyone who is not a Muslim. A Muslim man should do his utmost to marry a Muslim woman because that will be good for him, both in the life of this world and in the Hereafter and good for his children as well. With regards to marrying kuffaar, if they are not from the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians, then, according to clear text and consensus of the scholars, it is forbidden.
According to a consensus of the scholars, it is not permitted for a Muslim to marry Buddhists, communists, atheists and so forth. Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) says:
{And do not marry idolatresses until they believe.} [Soorah al-Baqarah, Aayah 221]
Concerning the Settlement of Hudaybiyah, Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) ordered that the believing women, who came seeking emigration to the Prophet (Sal Allaahu alaihe wa sallam) should not be returned to their disbelieving husbands. He (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) says:
{They are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers nor are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them.} [Soorah al-Mumtahinah, Aayah 10]
It is, therefore, not permitted for a Muslim to ever marry a kaafir woman unless she is from the People of the Book and they are the Jews and Christians only. They are considered the People of the Book if they have remained upon the teachings of their Book. However, if they have become communists or deny the existence of a Creator, they are no longer People of the Book, but rather they have become atheists.
If, however, they are from the People of the Book, adhere to the teachings of Christianity or Judaism and believe in Allaah and the Resurrection, then they can be married. This is provided that they are known to be chaste and it is known that they do not commit adultery or fornication. Allaah has made lawful for us chaste women from the People of the Book. He (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) says:
{All good things are made lawful for you this day. The food of the People of the Book is lawful to you and your food is lawful to them. (Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before you, provided that you give them their dowries and live in honour with them, neither committing fornication nor taking them as mistresses... } [Soorah al-Maa'idah, Aayah 5]
Allaah has made lawful for Muslims chaste and virtuous women who are free and not slaves. There is no harm, therefore, in marrying women from the People of the Book, if the need arises. However, to refrain from doing so and to marry Muslim women is preferable and advisable, especially nowadays.
The risk involved in marrying them these days is greater because they have control and power over husbands and might, therefore, lead their husbands or their children to kufr in Allaah. My advice to all my brothers everywhere is, that they should not marry non-Muslim women and that they should be aware of the risks and end result of doing so. Rather, they should do their utmost to marry Muslim women and to educate and guide them to what is good. This is safer, especially at this time when evil and wickedness has increased. The kuffaar have today gained the upper hand over the Muslims, and women in the countries of the kuffaar have power and authority and dominate their Muslim husbands and try to attract them and their children to their false religion.
And there is no power, no strength except with Allaah!
Shaykh Ibn Baaz
al-Aqalliyaat al-Muslimah - Page 29, Fatwa No.5
In this day and age.... a Muslim man should DO his utmost to marry a Muslim woman.... (reason why I'm still single) simply because marrying non-muslim women will lead to more sisters unable to marry, as they cannot, and should NOT be encouraged to, take Non-Muslim husbands. And it is true, non-believing wives, non-Muslims... have been known to lead good Muslims astray, and even forbid their children from practisng Islam... May Allah guide us in his Ordained Religion, wallahu 'alam, amin.
ReplyDeleteI love this fatwa mashaa Allaah. It's true. Non muslim women often to turn the men away from Islaam and expose the children to shirk (though they often promise to raise the children on Islaam only). I've seen the result of this in a few children (may Allaah make them firm up on the deen, aameen) and the strong regret and worry from their father (now married to a muslimah walhamdulillaah).
ReplyDeleteWhen I first reverted my sister and her husband tried to set me up with his muslim friend whose ex wife is non muslim and whose daughters do not practice AT ALL (boyfriends, babies out of wedlock, etc..). Aside from being told and his giving me salams, I would never have known he was a Muslim.
In the instances where they do marry non muslimahs and those women embrace Islaam and become stronger in deen then the man, Alhamdulillaah.
I was once asked by a Muslim man what to do about his Christian wife. He said she is a good women, but she doesn't listen to him. Said she does not believe in the separation of sexes and is alone with men that she says is friends. Does not let him know when she is going out, says she doesn't want to be controlled. She wants to raise their kids in both religions.
ReplyDeleteI just explained to him that maybe he can tell her it's not about controlling her, but know what is going on and he only wants what is best for her. As for raising the children I said I have no advice for you. It should of been made clear up front the kids would be Muslim. I told him this is why it is best to marry a Muslim women. Not to say that all Muslim women are good women, there are may sisters out there that need to get it together. Just that marring a Christian or Jew, even though allowed, is not the best idea and may cause to many problems like the brother is having.
yep, and moreover just because someone calls them a Muslim, Christian, or Jew or whatever... doesn't mean they even follow even what their own Scriptures say... that's the ignorance and error when it comes to Muslim men marrying especially "Christian" women, they fall into a big trap, quoting Qur'an and Hadith just to marry them, and most likely it was their non-muslim ways, i.e.flirting, free exposure of their "charms", that attracted them in the first place! See how smart the shaytan is.... na'udhu billah min ash-shaytan! (the human ones too) Amin!
ReplyDeleteNa'am, I agree. The Muslim man should do his utmost to marry a Muslim woman because it is BEST for him. Not everyone was raised in Islam and in the dunya outside of Islam, beauty is perceived different. So a brother see these women and want them basically, lol, so they go off of it being permissible for them to marry non-Muslim women rather than going for what is best for them. And it's sad to see someone in that situation.
ReplyDeleteSome of that 'dunya beauty' is false. Make up washes off and weave tracks eventually fall out lol. The angel fish may be nice to look at, but they oyster with it's concealed pearl is much more intriguing (if they had any sense).
ReplyDeleteyes ma'am, I agree 100%(smiles)
ReplyDeleteMash'allah... I always hated to see women wearing make-up, plastered with nose-clogging perfumes, among other things (and I was an atheist, imagine that), before I even know anything about Islam or Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, I pray Allah has guided me, and that He will guide others who seek His mercy, Amin.
ReplyDeleteAameen.
ReplyDeleteAameen
ReplyDeleteick @ perfumes
lol, I wonder how many people know that perfumes, colognes, fragrances, etc, (the non-halal variety, of course) have a very high content of alcohol (anywhere between 50 to 90%) , basically the same formula as "vodka" and the likes, some sources state... super-icky... rubbing or spraying a haram intoxicant over your body... no wonder it ends up stinking... (at least to me)
ReplyDeletemaashaaAllaah this was an excellent post. and ummx you are hilarious..."and weave tracks eventually fall out"...LOL. that is a classic right there. i have to keep that in my book of excellent punchlines. LOL.
ReplyDeleteLOL.... that was a good one!
ReplyDeleteLOL I missed that one, not too good on the AmerSlang,
ReplyDeleteLOL well, it's true (not that I know first hand... sometimes you can see them hanging)
ReplyDeleteI can't even tolerate the smell of these so called perfumes. They make me sick to my stomach. In general, be it halal perfume or the commercial stuff... a little goes a long way.
c'mon u have some very nice halal perfumes, egyptian and morocco musks be me favourites!
ReplyDeleteYes ummx, I see loose tracks all night long at work, lol, and can't say a thing. I have to just keep working and act like I don't notice like everyone else does (including themselves), lol.
ReplyDeleteI like nice smells, but I agree with a little goes a long way.
Oh no I meant the halal perfumes smell nice, but a little goes a long way... no need to bathe in it. It's the stuff I smell when passing ppl in the store or whatever, that makes me sick.
ReplyDeletelol @ seeing loose tracks
I have a nice one from dubai, why? when I can never wear it lol
ReplyDeleteyep, especially women, especially since thats why they wear it(along with their haram attire), to attract attention....a'udhu billah... makes me vomit literally
ReplyDeletewhy cant u wear it? hmmmm
ReplyDeleteIf I need to step out I would have to wash it off.
ReplyDeleteah ok... but if you're just around your hubby and non-mahram relatives, it's no problem.... anyway Muslim men should be respectful and not be that close to you to even smell if you are wearing it. Not giving any sisters an excuse to use perfume, but just in case, she might leave it on when going out the home...
ReplyDeleteNo hubby and you mean mahram relatives, yes? I guess I'm so out of the loop with perfume, I never think of wearing it. I actually JUST found it when switching furniture last weekend not realizing it had been misplaced lol. A Muslim man (any man really) should not be so close where I can smell his scent! Too much perhaps? and some just don't maintain their distance, especially those who do not heed the warning about not standing in road/walkways, making a sisters have to walk in the street with traffic, hmph.
ReplyDeleteoops, silly me, yes MAHRAM, was rushing a bit, scribbly mind, was going to write, non-marriageable relatives,didnt like the word, LOL, then changed it, but forgot to erase the "non".... and yes, we, brothers, in general need to maintain that distance, actually it has happened to me before, by mistake of course, as I was doing a task with a brother and a sister walked by, and he warned me about it afterwards. And May Allah forgive our shortcomings, amin!
ReplyDeleteAameen, na'am. Walhamdulillaah in the masjid some brothers almost embed themselves into the wall to make way for us but I do notice that not being practiced as much outside of the masjid (with some). Especially if you are not married.
ReplyDeleteAameen
ReplyDeleteAnd we have to remind ourselves and others politely, of our shortcomings, as we are only human, we fall into small errors sometimes. Wa nastaghfirullah, Allah subhanahu wa t'ala is Merciful.
ReplyDeleteNa'am, I know I have plenty shortcomings so please forgive me if they show and leave anyone offended. I would never intend that.
ReplyDeleteok you are forgiven... just don't do it again (I'm just kidding)
ReplyDeletelol....funny.
ReplyDeleteTrue. JazakAllaahu khair for the reminder.
ReplyDelete