A female listener says: I heard from your program that it is not permissible for a praying woman to marry a man who does not pray, but in the custom of our family, it is not permissible for a girl to
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : This is from the listener Maja bint 'A from Syria. She says in her letter: I have heard, O honorable Shaykh, from your program that it is not permissible for a praying woman to marry a non-praying man. In our family, it is not permissible for a girl to marry except a cousin. But she does not find the qualities of the upright, believing man who performs all the required acts of worship; rather, he drinks intoxicants, may Allah protect us from that. Knowing that many of the girls among us perform all the required acts of worship. So should she refuse to marry her cousin and remain as she is, or should she submit to it with the hope that she will change him in the future? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Yes, we say that it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a man who does not pray, because the man who does not pray is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion. We have mentioned the evidence for this from the Book, the Sunnah, the sayings of the Companions, and correct reasoning in several episodes. There is no need to repeat these proofs, as the listener can refer to them in previous episodes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if the one who leaves prayer is a disbeliever, an apostate, and outside of Islam, then it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry him, due to the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-Mumtahanah 60:10] And this custom that the questioner referred to in her tribe, that they do not marry except from among themselves, is a custom that is not sound; rather, it contradicts what the Shari'ah texts require. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan al-Bayhaqi 10:875 So whenever a good man, pleasing in his religion and character, is found, if he proposes, he should not be turned away, because of this hadith that we mentioned.
And as for when a man proposes to a woman who is not his match in religion, such that he is negligent in prayer, or drinks intoxicants, or similar to that of the major sins, then she has the right to reject him and not accept marriage to him.
The result is that the suitor is divided into two categories: one who does not pray, and this is a disbeliever, and it is not permissible to marry a Muslim woman to him under any circumstances.
And a man who is an open sinner, immersed in sins and major sins, and she also has the right to refuse to marry him.
And as for the questioner’s statement that she marries him in case Allah guides him, the future is not in our hands.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He may be guided, or he may not be guided, and he may perhaps be a cause of misguidance for this righteous woman. We are concerned with what is before us, and as for the future, no one knows it except Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And how many women have been given such hopes, but they ended in failure, and the husband did not become upright, but rather became a cause of misery for the righteous wife. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes, we say that it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a man who does not pray, because the man who does not pray is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion. We have mentioned the evidence for this from the Book, the Sunnah, the sayings of the Companions, and correct reasoning in several episodes. There is no need to repeat these proofs, as the listener can refer to them in previous episodes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if the one who leaves prayer is a disbeliever, an apostate, and outside of Islam, then it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry him, due to the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them
فَإِن عَلِمتُموهُنَّ مُؤمِناتٍ فَلا تَرجِعوهُنَّ إِلَى الكُفّارِ لا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَهُم وَلا هُم يَحِلّونَ لَهُنَّWhen there comes to you one of whose religion and character you are pleased, then marry her to him. If you do not do so, there will be a fitnah on the earth and great corruption.
إذا أتاكم من ترضون دينه وخلقه فأنكحوه إلا تفعلوه تكن فتنة في الأرض وفساد كبيرAnd as for when a man proposes to a woman who is not his match in religion, such that he is negligent in prayer, or drinks intoxicants, or similar to that of the major sins, then she has the right to reject him and not accept marriage to him.
The result is that the suitor is divided into two categories: one who does not pray, and this is a disbeliever, and it is not permissible to marry a Muslim woman to him under any circumstances.
And a man who is an open sinner, immersed in sins and major sins, and she also has the right to refuse to marry him.
And as for the questioner’s statement that she marries him in case Allah guides him, the future is not in our hands.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He may be guided, or he may not be guided, and he may perhaps be a cause of misguidance for this righteous woman. We are concerned with what is before us, and as for the future, no one knows it except Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And how many women have been given such hopes, but they ended in failure, and the husband did not become upright, but rather became a cause of misery for the righteous wife. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.