Is it permissible for me to marry a Christian woman while each of us remains on his or her own religion?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I married a Christian woman. Is it permissible for her to remain on her religion while I remain on mine? I don't know the solution.
The Shaykh : If you remain on your religion and your Islam, that is a great good.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : After you married the Christian woman, did the circle of Muslim women become too narrow for you?
The questioner : No, I haven't married yet, my master!
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : You haven't married.
Another questioner : I haven't entered into it yet.
The Shaykh : So you have proposed?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Have you concluded the contract?
The questioner : Not yet.
The Shaykh : Not yet?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, do you not find any good among Muslim women other than the Christian woman?
The questioner : By Allah, my master, yes, it is necessary.
The Shaykh : The Christian woman is from the People of the Book, and our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) has permitted marriage with women of the Book, but He attached a condition to it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And this condition is not observed by most Muslims who have been afflicted with marriage to women of the Book. He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:5] Do you know what "al-muhsanāt" means?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It means the chaste ones.
The questioner : The chaste ones, yes.
The Shaykh : So how do you know that she is chaste?
The questioner : Allahu Akbar, there is no god but Allah. May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If you remain on your religion and your Islam, that is a great good.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : After you married the Christian woman, did the circle of Muslim women become too narrow for you?
The questioner : No, I haven't married yet, my master!
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : You haven't married.
Another questioner : I haven't entered into it yet.
The Shaykh : So you have proposed?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Have you concluded the contract?
The questioner : Not yet.
The Shaykh : Not yet?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, do you not find any good among Muslim women other than the Christian woman?
The questioner : By Allah, my master, yes, it is necessary.
The Shaykh : The Christian woman is from the People of the Book, and our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) has permitted marriage with women of the Book, but He attached a condition to it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And this condition is not observed by most Muslims who have been afflicted with marriage to women of the Book. He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:
chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you
وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It means the chaste ones.
The questioner : The chaste ones, yes.
The Shaykh : So how do you know that she is chaste?
The questioner : Allahu Akbar, there is no god but Allah. May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.