Jamiatul Ulama KZN Council of Muslim Theologians
Question:
I wanted to find out if a Muslim man is allowed to marry a Christian/jewish woman?
Answer:
In our current climate, marrying a christian/jewish woman is considered to be impermissible and sinful.
The reason why such a marriage is considered to be sinful and impermissible is because of the prevalent harm to the husband’s Imaan and that of any children born of such a marriage. In many cases, the husband’s Imaan is challenged by the beliefs of the wife especially when celebrating christian/jewish festivals like Easter and Christmas.
Children born from such a marriage will likely grow up to be confused as each of their parents has drastically different beliefs and values. The greatest danger occurs if the couple gets divorced and custody is granted to the mother. In such circumstances, it is extremely difficult to ensure the Imaan of the children.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Moosa Salie
Mufti Taahir Hansa
(The answer hereby given is specifically based on the question asked and should be read together with the question asked. Islamic rulings on this Q&A newsletter are answered in accordance to the Hanafi Fiqh unless otherwise stated.)
Fatwa Department
Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
Council of Muslim Theologians
223 Alpine Road, Overport
Durban, South Africa
Tel : +27 (0) 31 2077099
Email: fatwa@jamiat.org.za
Fax : +27(0) 31 2074163
Website : www.jamiat.org.za
