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Topic Under DiscussionMuslim Woman Marrying a non-Muslim Man

Question
QuestionfromPakistan

I am having some trouble
understanding the issues involved in a non-Muslim man marrying a Muslim lady.
Your answers on the website seem to indicate that the possibility exists for
this to be so. Yet I have found other sites (such as www.verity.nu)
that specifically and quite graphically indicate what should happen if such an
event took place.

As your mannerisms and speech I find
pleasant and informative, I am writing to you for your further advice on this
matter.

Many thanks for any further comments
you may have.

Be well,

AnswerAs I have mentioned in a few of my
previous responses to related questions[1],
the issue of marriage between a Muslim woman and non-Muslim man, except in the
case of a polytheist man, has not been expressly mentioned in the Shari`ah.
Even though Muslims have traditionally considered the silence of the Shari`ah,
in this regard, to imply a disliking for such marriage and have, therefore,
considered it more prudent to avoid it, yet, the fact remains, that such
marriage, due to the silence of the Shari`ah
can only be considered as 'disliked', not expressly 'prohibited' by the Shari`ah.

In your letter, you have referred to
a site, which, contrary to my opinion, considers the marriage between a Muslim
woman and a non-Muslim man (including Jews and Christians) to be expressly
prohibited. In my opinion, the stated opinion is not correct and is based on
such verses of the Qur'an, which relate specifically to the issue of marriage
between a Muslim and a polytheist.

The author of the referred article
writes:

The marriage of Christian man to a
Muslim woman is an invalid marriage. Allah says in the Quran:

And give not (Muslim women) in
marriage to idolaters until they believe [al-Baqara
221]

Therefore, it is not allowed for
disbeliever to marry a Muslim woman. Allah also says,

They (Muslim women) are not
lawful for them (the disbelivers) nor are they (the disbeliever) lawful for
them [al-Mumtahana 10]

As should be clear from the above
excerpt of the referred article, the author has based his opinion on the Al-Baqarah
2: 221 and Al-Mumtahinah 60: 10. A
close look at both these verse shows that they specifically relate to the
polytheists. Neither of these verses discusses the issue of marriage between a
Muslim woman and a Christian or a Jewish man (or a man ascribing to any other
monotheistic creed).

It is, however, important to note
that the mistake of applying the directives of verses, which are specifically
related to polytheists is based on the concept that the Jews and the Christians,
because of some of their beliefs, are polytheists according to the Qur'an.
However, in my opinion, this concept is not correct. A polytheist, according to
the usage of the term "Mushrik"
in the Qur'an, is a person, who ascribes to a polytheistic belief, knowing
that it is a polytheistic belief. In other words, a polytheist is a person, who
clearly ascribes to polytheism, i.e. who ascribes partners and equals to the One
God. The Christians and the Jews, contrary to this usage of the term in the
Qur'an, have never consciously ascribed partners to God. They may have
ascribed to certain beliefs, which, in the eyes of the Muslims, amount to
polytheistic beliefs, yet, even according to the Qur'an they have never been
guilty of knowingly ascribing to polytheism, as such. It is because of this
reason that the Qur'an - even though it has referred to some of their
beliefs, which according to its concept of Tawheed,
amount to polytheism - has not categorized the Jews and the Christians with
the polytheists, and has, therefore, mentioned them as a distinctly separate
group from the polytheists (as should be clear from Al-Baqarah
2: 105, Aal Imraan 3: 67, Surah
Al-Taubah 9: 1 - 33, Al-Bayyinah
98: 1)

As should be clear from the
foregoing explanation, the Qur'an does not group the Jews and the Christians
with the polytheists. Thus, as a result, the verses of the Qur'an, which
prohibit marriage with polytheists, do not apply to marriages with Jews and
Christians.

The foregoing explanation should
adequately summarize the basis of my difference of opinion with the author of
the referred article. In my opinion, the issue of the marriage of a Muslim woman
and a non-Muslim man has not been expressly dealt with in the Shari`ah.
However, such a marriage, even though it is not expressly prohibited by the Shari`ah
is something 'disliked' in view of the restraint practiced by the Muslim
community, in this regard, since the time of its inception. While on the basis
of the verses that prohibit marriage between Muslims and polytheists, the author
of the referred article is of the opinion that marriage between a Muslim woman
and a Christian or a Jewish man is also expressly prohibited by Islam.

It is now for the reader to judge
for himself as to which of the two opinions is based on sounder reasoning and
stronger grounds. He would only be obliged to follow the opinion, which he
considers to be more in keeping with the Qur'an and the Sunnah
of the Prophet (pbuh).

September
28, 2000

[1]
The reference is to: "Marriage
with non-Muslims" and the subsequent discussion on this question.

Answer published by Moiz Amjad

Other Discussion(s) related to the QuestionWhat Shall be the Status of the Marriage if a Muslim Woman Marries a non-Muslim Man
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