The Women who is non-muslim. (Marrying outside of Islam: Man or Women)

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Inter-marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims is something that has been clearly prohibited in the Qur�an and Sunnah, thus not permissible in any way. The only exception to this general rule is the marriage of Muslim men with Christian and Jewish girls, and that also with certain conditions.

Allah Most High says:

�Do not marry unbelieving women until they believe. A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though if she attracts you. And not marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe. A man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever, even though if he attracts you. Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the fire but Allah beckons by His grace to the garden (of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His signs clear to mankind; that they may receive admonition�. (al-Baqarah, 221).

The above verse of the Holy Qur�an along with many other statements of the Qur�an and Sunnah clearly mention the impermissibility of Muslims marrying non-Muslims. Therefore, a marriage between a Muslim and someone from another religion will not be lawful or even valid according to Islam. The exception, however, is mentioned in the following verse:

�(Lawful unto you in marriage are chaste women who are believers and chaste women among the people of the book�. (al-Ma�idah, 5).

Thus, it would be permissible, in principle, for Muslim men to marry women from the people of the book (ahl al-Kitab) namely Christian and Jewish girls. However, this is also subjected to certain conditions, as will be mentioned later.

The reason behind this is that, marital relationships demand mutual love, affection and intimacy and without this, the purpose of marriage is left unfulfilled. If such close relationship of love and intimacy is established with a non-Muslim, it may emotionally incline a Muslim towards disbelief (kufr) or, at least, the abhorrence of Kufr and Shirk may not remain in the heart. Consequently, it may lead one to disbelief and eventually the fire of Hell. This is why Allah Almighty said towards the end of the verse of Surah al-Baqarah quoted above:

�Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the fire but Allah beckons by His grace to the garden (of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His signs clear to mankind; that they may receive admonition�. ( 221). (See: Ma�arif al-Qur�an, 1/ 540).

Therefore, the fear that a Muslim man or woman may well be affected with his/her partner�s religion, thus go on to a path that leads to the fire of hell, is the main cause for this prohibition. Hence, a Muslim woman will not be allowed whatsoever to marry anyone besides a Muslim man, and even if she did, the marriage will not be valid in Islam. Similarly, a Muslim man will not be allowed to marry any non-Muslim girl, such as a Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, or any other non-Muslim woman. However, it will be permissible for him to marry a Christian or a Jewish girl. This is explained in the following section.

Marrying Christian and Jewish girls

As stated previously, Islam has allowed Muslim men to marry women from the people of the book (ahl al-Kitab). This permission is explicitly mentioned in the verse of the Qur�an already quoted:

�(Lawful unto you in marriage are chaste women who are believers and chaste women among the people of the book�. (al-Ma�idah, 5).

However, there are certain points that need to be taken into consideration here:

Firstly, the exception of Christian and Jewish girls is because the difference in belief between the people of the book and Muslims is relatively lesser and lighter as compared with other non-Muslims. They are all monotheistic religions and known as the Abrahamic faiths. The basic difference between Islam and the other two religions is the belief in the last Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace). Therefore, the fear and danger of corruptibility is less as compared to marrying with women from other faiths, thus Islam gave this permission for Muslim men to marry Christian and Jewish girls.

A question may arise here, that if the difference between Muslims and people of the book is considered to be lighter as compared to other faiths, then why is it unlawful for Muslim girls to marry Christian and Jewish men?

The answer to this question is that, women are somewhat weak and emotional by nature. Then the husband has been given a caretaking and controlling role over the wife. As such, it is very likely that the Muslim wife may fall prey and become impressed with her husband�s faith. The chances of the husband becoming affected by his wife�s faith are remote, thus the difference between the two situations is clear.

Moreover, by marrying a Christian or a Jewish man, the status of the Muslim wife would be affected, for the wife normally takes the nationality and status given by her husband�s law. A Christian or a Jewish woman marrying a Muslim man would be expected eventually to accept Islam, while the possibility of a Muslim woman changing her faith to that of her husband is very likely. Therefore, only Muslim men were given this permission of marrying with women from the people of the book.

Secondly, women who are Christians and Jews merely by name, and do not really believe in any religion, like a large number of people in the west, cannot be termed as people of the book (ahl al-Kitab). They are atheist in reality and it will not be permissible for Muslim men to marry them.

Therefore, one must first make sure that the woman is truly a believing Christian or Jew, and then consider contracting marriage with them.

Thirdly, it should be remembered that the meaning of the permission of marrying Christian and Jewish women is simply that, if a marriage contract was performed with them, it would be valid according to Islam and the children born out of this wedlock will be considered legitimate.

However, there are various narrations that establish its undesirability. A Muslim man is advised in the Hadith to select a life partner who fully observes the injunctions of Islam, so that she becomes a means of attaining piety. If that is the case, then marrying Christian and Jewish girls would be disliked.

This is the reason why Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) prevented many such marriages in his lifetime because of what he had seen of the corruption that resulted in Iraq and Syria. (See: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, Kitab al-Athar).

Finally, this permission is only when one is confident that he himself or his children will not be affected by this marriage. In the early days, Muslims were duly equipped with adequate Islamic knowledge and an unshaken commitment towards their religion. As such, there was no risk of the husband being affected by his wife�s religion. Rather, the wife would see the glory of Islam, thus enter into the fold of Islam.

Therefore, if a Muslim male is confident that marriage with a Christian or Jewish girl will have no affect on his and his children�s Islamic identity and commitment, then there is no bar against such marriages. However, if he is not so confident, he must avoid entering into such marriages.

And Allah knows best

Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari
Darul Iftaa, Leicester, UK

Women's Role in Islam

Women’s role of Islam found in Quran

As I flip through CNN channels and watch different documentaries, I can’t help but cringe and become mortified by the sights of Muslim women in Afghanistan and other areas of the Middle East who are either sprawled on the floor begging for food and money, abused by their husbands, uneducated, illiterate, oppressed, and subjected to humiliation and degradation.

Islam, of course, is then blamed for all of this. The widespread misconception in the West is that women have no rights in Islam and are nothing but mere objects. Sadly, there is lack of awareness within some Muslim communities, as well.

Many Muslims themselves, men and women, are still bound by the confines of traditions, rather than Islamic values. This is evident in countries in which women aren’t allowed to receive an education, drive, work or voice their opinions. It is in these countries that traditional practices, instead of Islamic principles, continue to represent the model behavior.

This is abhorrent and can impose a heavy burden on women. It also, unfortunately, only perpetuates the inaccurate stereotypes and misconceptions. Thus, it is urgent to differentiate between traditional cultural practices and the religion of Islam.

What many people, even some Muslims, are unaware of is the considerable number of rights Islam has awarded women. It also may astonish people to learn that 14 centuries ago, Islam granted women all the rights that the West has only recently acknowledged. In order to thoroughly understand these teachings of Islam regarding women, one must turn to the words of God and the Muslim holy book, the Quran, which highly stresses the principle of equality between men and women.

God emphasizes that the only criterion for judging people is not their gender, race or color, but rather, only piety. He states: “O mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has piety” (49:13).

There are numerous other Quranic verses proving that Islam treats males and females on the basis of equality regarding their religious duties, responsibilities and reward, such as: “If any do deeds of righteousness, be they male or female, and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them” (4:124).

In regards to specific rights for women mentioned in the Quran, I cannot even come close to covering them all in one article. However, there are some grave misconceptions that have always disturbed me, so I feel the immediate urge to cover those particular ones.

One common misconception is that Muslim women have no rights when it comes to marriage. In Islam, a Muslim woman has the full right to choose her husband. There is no such thing as an “arranged marriage” — her approval of the marriage and of the groom is a must. Her free, unforced consent, as a matter of fact, is an essential condition for the validity of the marriage contract.

Moreover, marriage in Islam is not the sale of a bride to her husband. On the contrary, in Islam, the bride is dignified and it is the groom who must present her with a dowry, as a sign of respect toward her. The payment of the dowry by the husband is an admission of his wife’s independence, for she becomes the owner of it immediately upon her marriage and retains this marriage gift even if she later becomes divorced.

Furthermore, contrary to common misconceptions, women in Islam are accorded full rights to knowledge and education just as men are. It is actually incumbent upon all Muslims, male and female, to seek knowledge. One of the aims of acquiring this knowledge is to be more God-conscious and to increase the welfare of the community.

Islam honors women and thus, they are encouraged to become educated in order to help them develop their character. Education is also significant because it helps women become more capable and efficient mothers who will accordingly be able to play their roles in raising strong, well-educated generations to come.

Islam additionally encourages women to pursue their own careers, if they so choose, as long as the woman’s integrity is safeguarded and she fulfills her primary obligations toward her husband and children (if married). Islam further dignifies a woman by arranging for her to be maintained always and financially supported by her closest male guardian (father, brother, husband, etc).

So, going out to work is a choice and not an obligation, as the man is the financial head of the household. This specifically means the man is responsible before God for the welfare and protection of his family. Therefore, even if the woman does work, her right to her own money, real estate or other properties is fully acknowledged.

As women, we have total economic independence and have the right to own, buy or sell property, and invest or donate our money without our husband’s approval or permission.

Lastly, Islam gives women many more rights, which are covered in the Quran. I truly feel honored, proud, and fortunate to be a Muslim woman and have the blessing of Islam in my life. I implore Muslims and non-Muslims alike to turn to the primary sources of Islam to learn the truth about the roles, duties and rights of women in Islam. Only then, will the ill-founded misconceptions, stereotypes and practices dissipate.