The ruling on the marriage of a couple who were abandoning prayer and then repented
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Another message from one of the brothers, also named Jamal Sa'd, a Muslim Egyptian working in Iraq: I listened to an episode of this program, and since that day I have not slept, nor do I know the taste of this life. I want the ruling of Islam regarding a man who married a woman who was not praying, and I too was not praying before my marriage. When we completed the matter of marriage, we came to know Allah with true knowledge, and my wife and I used to pray in congregation sometimes, and we were at the peak of faith. But the divine decree willed that my wife passed away, and I am supplicating for her Paradise. Since I do not slack in any obligatory duty and all my prayers are in congregation, and I have three children from her, what is the ruling of Islam regarding this wife? And what is the ruling of Islam regarding me? I ask for your response because I do not know how to sleep after hearing that episode?
Answer: Praise be to Allah who granted you both repentance, so you repented and she repented as well, and you both were praying together until she passed away. Praise be to Allah. Repentance erases what came before it, as Allah the Exalted said: : [Surat al-Nur: 31], and He made success the result of repentance; so whoever repents succeeds. He, the Exalted, said: [Surat al-Tahrim: 8], the verse. So repentance is among the causes of the erasure of sins and among the causes of entering Paradise. And He, the Exalted, said: : [Surat al-Furqan: 68] [Surat al-Furqan: 69] [Surat al-Furqan: 70].
So whoever repents with a sincere repentance and stands firm upon faith and righteous deeds, Allah erases his evil deeds and replaces them with good deeds, a favor from Him, the Exalted and Glorified. So praise Allah, my brother, that you repented and she repented, and praise be to Allah. Strive in supplicating for her forgiveness and mercy, and you are in a good state. Your marriage is valid; because you and she were not praying, your prayer was valid, like the prayer of the disbelievers who embraced Islam in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) affirmed their marriages as they were. The people embraced Islam in his time (peace and blessings be upon him) and he affirmed their marriages as they were in their state of disbelief, and he did not change their marriages. So you and she were not praying, so your marriage is valid; because you were in the same state, your marriage is valid, and praise be to Allah, like the marriages of those who married in disbelief and then embraced Islam. Abandoning prayer is undoubtedly disbelief, but praise be to Allah, you have both repented, and praise be to Allah. She was a disbeliever at that time, and you were as well by abandoning prayer. In the most correct of the opinions of the scholars who say that abandoning it is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), and others among the scholars of knowledge said that abandoning it is a disbelief less than disbelief, and that abandoning it does not take one out of Islam if the one who abandons it believes in it and that it is the truth and that it is obligatory, but his laziness and negligence carried him to it. So according to a group of scholars of knowledge: he does not become a disbeliever with major shirk by that, but he becomes a disbeliever with minor shirk; due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): narrated by Muslim in his Sahih; and due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam), but the correct and stronger opinion is that it is major shirk, as we have explained in other episodes. But you married her while you were not praying and she was not praying, so you are equal, so your marriage is valid, and praise be to Allah, and the repentance is valid, if Allah wills, as long as it is sincere, and you have both repented to Allah, and Allah erases from you what preceded. So we ask Allah for you and for her forgiveness and mercy. And upon you, my brother, is to stand firm and to ask your Lord for steadfastness upon the truth until you die upon it, if Allah wills.
And upon you also is to strive in performing it in congregation, performing the prayer in congregation, with attention to humility and facing it and striving in it, until you perform it completely. May Allah grant us and you success, guidance, and steadfastness upon the truth.
The presenter: O Allah, amen.
Answer: Praise be to Allah who granted you both repentance, so you repented and she repented as well, and you both were praying together until she passed away. Praise be to Allah. Repentance erases what came before it, as Allah the Exalted said: :
And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَO you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَاا الأَنْهَارُ...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.
وَالَّذِينَ لا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلا يَزْنُونَ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًاMultiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated -
يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًاExcept 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.
إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُوْلَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًاا رَحِيمًاSo whoever repents with a sincere repentance and stands firm upon faith and righteous deeds, Allah erases his evil deeds and replaces them with good deeds, a favor from Him, the Exalted and Glorified. So praise Allah, my brother, that you repented and she repented, and praise be to Allah. Strive in supplicating for her forgiveness and mercy, and you are in a good state. Your marriage is valid; because you and she were not praying, your prayer was valid, like the prayer of the disbelievers who embraced Islam in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) affirmed their marriages as they were. The people embraced Islam in his time (peace and blessings be upon him) and he affirmed their marriages as they were in their state of disbelief, and he did not change their marriages. So you and she were not praying, so your marriage is valid; because you were in the same state, your marriage is valid, and praise be to Allah, like the marriages of those who married in disbelief and then embraced Islam. Abandoning prayer is undoubtedly disbelief, but praise be to Allah, you have both repented, and praise be to Allah. She was a disbeliever at that time, and you were as well by abandoning prayer. In the most correct of the opinions of the scholars who say that abandoning it is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), and others among the scholars of knowledge said that abandoning it is a disbelief less than disbelief, and that abandoning it does not take one out of Islam if the one who abandons it believes in it and that it is the truth and that it is obligatory, but his laziness and negligence carried him to it. So according to a group of scholars of knowledge: he does not become a disbeliever with major shirk by that, but he becomes a disbeliever with minor shirk; due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Between a man and disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) is the abandonment of prayer.
بين الرجل وبين الكفر والشرك ترك الصلاةThe covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.
العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة فمن تركها فقد كفرAnd upon you also is to strive in performing it in congregation, performing the prayer in congregation, with attention to humility and facing it and striving in it, until you perform it completely. May Allah grant us and you success, guidance, and steadfastness upon the truth.
The presenter: O Allah, amen.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.