The Marriage Contract Before Tawhid and the Ruling on Renewing It

The questioner:
The questioner: A man was a supervisor of the grave-diggers who would visit the graves and invoke them other than Allah. Then he contracted marriage with his uncle’s daughter through a *shighar* (exchange) marriage. Afterwards, he repented to Allah and became one of the monotheists. Does he have to renew that contract or not?

The Shaykh:
If he contracted the marriage while he was a polytheist and she was a Muslim, the contract is invalid. They are all deceased. And if they were all upon shirk (associating partners with Allah), the contract is valid if the *shighar* was equal; but if the *shighar* was not equal,

The questioner:
They all became monotheists, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh:
Renew the marriage.

The questioner:
and they married her while they had something with her, all of them. Yes, they married in the state of *shirk*, all of them.

The Shaykh:
It may be said that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) approved the marriages of the polytheists when they embraced Islam; he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not look into them. So if they were polytheists, he approved their marriages. Yes.

Another questioner:
And if he does not pray.

The Shaykh:
It is not permissible for him to marry the Muslim woman.

Another questioner:
He married and had children.

The Shaykh:
Renew it, renew it, so that his children are legitimate for him.

Another questioner:
Children, children.

The Shaykh:
He is older, but the marriage is invalid after his repentance. We ask Allah for guidance for us and for him. Yes.