Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I am a sunni muslim boy. can i marry a shia girl

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Sunni marry shia

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Any individual who believes in the Absolute Oneness of Allah Subhanah, believes in all His Revealed Books, believes in all His appointed Messengers, believes in all of the Angels, believes in the concept of the Hereafter, believes in the Divine Decrees of Allah Subhanah; and declares the testification of faith by saying that there is no god except Allah Alone, and Mohamed (saws) is His Messenger, will be considered a legal ‘muslim’ in the Sight of Shariah Law. And being a muslim, all the rights that are due to any muslim will be accorded to him in full: he can marry amongst the muslims, he will inherit his muslim parents, and his children will inherit from him, he can visit the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, he will be given a muslim funeral or ‘janaaza’, etc. All the rights that are due to a brother/sister muslim will be accorded to him/her in full.

Your Question: I am a sunni muslim boy. can i marry a shia girl

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, regardless of the various differences in belief and practice amongst those who call themselves ‘sunnis’ and those who call themselves ‘shias’; both sects believe with conviction in the Supreme and Absolute Oneness of Allah Subhanah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as Allah’s Last and Final Messenger….thus a marriage between the two would be absolutely valid, legal, and lawful in the Sight of Shariah Law.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan