Marriage to non Muslims

1. Marriage to non Muslims

2. Allah Almighty had revealed: «ولا تنكحوا المشركات حتى يؤمن، ولأمة مؤمنة خير من مشركة ولو أعجبتكم، ولا تنكحوا المشركين حتى يؤمنوا، ولعبد مؤمن خير من مشرك ولو أعجبكم أولئك يدعون إلى النار، والله يدعو إلى الجنة والمغفرة بإذنه ويبين آياته للناس لعلهم يتذكرون» (البقرة 221) • (2: 221): Wed not idolatresses till they believe; for lo! a believing bondwoman is better than an idolatress though she please you; and give not your daughters in marriage to idolaters till they believe, for lo! a believing slave is better than an idolater though he please you. These invite unto the Fire, and Allah inviteth unto the Garden, and unto forgiveness by His grace, and expoundeth His revelations to mankind that haply they may remember. • This verse is general in not marrying the non Muslims. • The other ayah that specified certain women (Jewish or Christian) and for men only is the ayah in surah المائدة 5والمحصنات من الذين أوتوا الكتاب “and you –i.e. men- marry the bashful from the people of the book”. • Leaving the general ayah relating to women and forbidding them from marrying non Muslims left at that, and what was revealed in surah الممتحنة 10: “they are not lawful to them i.e. the non Muslim men to marry Muslim women”.

3. Wisdom behind allowing marrying Muslim men to Christians and Jews • Christians and Jews have a legislature and understanding of living based on the divine commandments. • Believe in prophets and holy books, and divine message. • A Muslim man may not marry a women that has turned away from Islam, even if she becomes Christian or Jewish. • If one of the spouses leaves Islam, the marriage automatically ends. • If the two non Muslims are married, and the man became Muslim, he may stay with his non Muslim wife. • If the woman becomes Muslim, she must leave her husband, and gives him the chance till the waiting period ends.

4. Why cant a Muslim women marry a non Muslim man? • Allah Almighty had created a human nature in men and women, part of that, men are generally the leaders of the household. As in the ayah in surah Alnisaالرجال قوامون على النساء • And since Islam deals with every detail of a Muslims life. A women being under the authority of a non Muslim, is going to risk her marriage or her Islam.