Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Can a Christian man marry a Muslim woman after converting to Islam?

· 28 Rabiʻ II 1433 AH1 min readFatwa 19888English

Question

I want guidance in the issue regarding my friend. He is a Christian and he loves a Muslim girl who loves him also. They were working together and liked each other very much that they decided to get married. They have known each other for 4 years and the girls’ family agree to the marriage; but only after the boys’ conversion to Islam. The girl asked my friend to convert and he agreed. After converting to Islam, they will marry. The boy is converting to Islam. Please tell us what would be the status of the Nikah according to Shariah? Would it be lawful according to Islam?

Can anyone convert to Islam to marry a woman?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

In principal, a Muslim woman is only permitted to marry a Muslim man.[1] Based on this, if your friend accepts Islam, it will be permissible for the girl in question to marry him. You should encourage your friend to accept Islam as soon as possible and not to wait until the time of marriage. You should also

take this as an opportunity to teach him about the beauty and splendour of Islam.

It is also important to keep in mind that man should not just convert to Islam for marriage; he must sincerely and genuinely accept Islam.[2]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[1] لفتاوى الهندية - ط. دار الفكر - ج1 ص 282

وَلَا يَجُوزُ تَزَوُّجُ الْمُسْلِمَةِ من مُشْرِكٍ وَلَا كِتَابِيٍّ كَذَا في السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ

[2] فتاوى محمودية, ج. ١٠, ص.٥٠٧, ادارة الفاروق

Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/19888
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-19888

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