A man who neglected prayer for a year and married a woman who does not fast or pray, then repented, asking about the missed prayers and the ruling on his marriage to her
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The questioner : I am a young man, thirty years old, and I have spent nineteen years without prayer or fasting. I married a wife who does not pray or fast.
The Shaykh : We seek refuge in Allah.
The questioner : And now, praise be to Allah, I have repented to Allah with a sincere repentance. What is the ruling regarding the past of my life, and what is the ruling on my marriage to that woman who does not fast or pray until now?
The Shaykh : Your question includes two things. The first is regarding you, since you did not pray or fast in the early part of your life after reaching maturity, but you have now repented to Allah with a sincere repentance. I am glad to tell you that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said in His Book:[Al-Furqan 25:68-70] So when you repent to Allah with a sincere repentance, Allah the Exalted will accept your repentance, and He will forgive what has passed of your neglecting the obligatory. Islam demolishes what came before it, and it is not obligatory for you to make up anything of what has passed, whether prayer, zakah, fasting, or anything else.
As for your marriage to this woman, this woman is a disbeliever, and it is not permissible for a Muslim to keep her with him. You must separate from her unless Allah the Exalted guides her to Islam and she returns and repents to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. In that case, you renew her marriage contract and marry her from now on. We ask Allah the Exalted to grant you both success in what He loves and is pleased with, and to guide her to Islam so that life between you may proceed well.
The questioner : The prayers and fasting he missed...
The Shaykh : And this is the second thing included in your question regarding the problem of the wife.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : We seek refuge in Allah.
The questioner : And now, praise be to Allah, I have repented to Allah with a sincere repentance. What is the ruling regarding the past of my life, and what is the ruling on my marriage to that woman who does not fast or pray until now?
The Shaykh : Your question includes two things. The first is regarding you, since you did not pray or fast in the early part of your life after reaching maturity, but you have now repented to Allah with a sincere repentance. I am glad to tell you that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said in His Book:
(68) And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. (69) Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated - (70) Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
والذين لا يدعون مع الله إلها ءاخر ولا يقتلون النفس التي حرم الله إلا بالحق ولا يزنون ومن يفعل ذلك يلقى أثاما يضاعف له العذاب يوم القيامة ويخلد فيه مهانا إلا من تاب وءامن وعمل عملاً صالحاً فأولئك يبدّل الله سيئاتهم حسنات وكان الله غفورا رحيماAs for your marriage to this woman, this woman is a disbeliever, and it is not permissible for a Muslim to keep her with him. You must separate from her unless Allah the Exalted guides her to Islam and she returns and repents to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. In that case, you renew her marriage contract and marry her from now on. We ask Allah the Exalted to grant you both success in what He loves and is pleased with, and to guide her to Islam so that life between you may proceed well.
The questioner : The prayers and fasting he missed...
The Shaykh : And this is the second thing included in your question regarding the problem of the wife.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.