Marrying a person of a different religion

Q. Can a Muslim man or woman marry a person of a different religion?

R. Marriage between a Muslim and a non-Muslim woman is not valid. In other words, mixed marriage has no place in Islam. However, according to the law established by the Qur'an, it is permissible for a man to marry a Christian or a Jewish woman. This concession made only to men was later abolished by Hadhrat Umar (Radiyallahu anhu) because according to him such a union would cause a lot of fitnah. He even went so far as to order men married to non-Muslim women to dissolve their marriages by divorcing their wives.

It would be inaccurate to interpret this measure taken by Hadhrat Umar (Radiyallahu anhu) as an infringement of Quranic law. If the action of a doctor who forbids a patient from eating certain halaal foods that he believes could cause harm to the physical health of his patient is considered merit, it is not clear how the action of Hadhrat Umar (Radiyallahu anhu) can be considered otherwise when he did nothing other than prevent an evil that he considered harmful to the spiritual health of the Ummah. No doubt Hadhrat Umar (Radiyallahu anhu), who took 12 years to study Surah Al-Baqarah, knew the sense of Quranic law better than we do.

It was spiritual deterioration that was the cause of the action of Hadhrat Umar (Radiyallahu anhu). If it was necessary at that time, which was the spring of Khairul Qurun (the best of times), to prohibit interreligious marriage, how much more necessary would it be to prohibit it in our day when our co-religionists know the way of doing things and the way of life of the Ghair-Qaum - Mother's Day, Christmas, New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve, wedding dress to name but a few, - better than their own Deen. It will therefore be very difficult nowadays, given the very precarious spiritual state of the Ummah, for a Muslim married to a Christian or a Jew, to preserve his faith and keep his religious convictions. If this is the case, what will be the fate of the children born of such a marriage?

In short, marriage with a Christian or a Jewess, in the current context, is extremely perilous because it involves many risks both for the father's Deen and for that of the children. In fact, such a marriage is Makruh Tahrimi. However, it is important to note that Nikah with a Christian woman or a Jewish woman is valid. Their relationships are not considered adulterous and their children are considered legitimate.

It is worth pointing out, however, that everything that has been said so far concerns the marriage of a Muslim to an Ahl-e-Kitaab woman, that is, a woman who is Christian or Jew by religious conviction and not by name only. She will not be considered an Ahl-e-Kitaab if she does not believe in a Supreme Being, or in Hadhrat Musa (Alaihis Salaam) and Hadhrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) and their books. Such a woman is considered an atheist and Nikah with an atheist is not valid.

[English version of "Épouser une personne de religion différente" – Al Haadi – Vol. 1 No. 5]