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:

Assalam
Just recently a brother or sister asked about nikkah to a Jain and also a sister asked about how difficult it was to find someone because people go back to the original country to get married.  Your answer was that we are not allowed to get married to people who are not "The people of the book". 

My question is then if a muslim gets married to say a christian and that person does not convert and stays a christian then is that satisfactory and allowed.

(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:

Can a Christian retain her religion after marriage?

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: My question is then if a muslim gets married to say a christian and that person does not convert and stays a christian then is that satisfactory and allowed.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 5:Likewise you are permitted to marry believing chaste women, and chaste women from among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), provided that you give them their due ‘mahr’ and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues.

If a believing man marries a woman from among the Jews and the Christians, and the woman wishes to practice her own religion (Jewism or Christianity), her marriage with the believer will be considered absolutely legal and valid in the sight of Shariah.

The above permission of Allah Subhanah is precisely stating the same thing, for if the Jew or Christian woman converts to and follows Islam as her deen, then she will be considered a believer and there would be no need for the above permission.

One must understand the difference between a permission and a command; and the above Aayah is a permission, not a command. Thus if any believing man wishes to marry a woman from among the People of the Book, his marriage will be considered absolutely legal and valid in Islam.

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

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan