Marriage of close relatives

Marriage of close relatives

Q). You stated in a recent answer that the marriage of first cousins is acceptable in Islam, but you failed to mention that it is not really desirable, while the Prophet has spoken strongly discouraging it. There is plenty of medical evidence that the marriage of close relatives may cause many problems. I hope you will quote a Hadith, which encourages marrying non-relatives.

Gent (Mrs.), Jeddah

A). There is much inaccuracy in what is normally said about the marriage of cousins. I have recently asked a medical specialist of considerable repute about it, and he tells me that there is little medical evidence to justify the popular notion that the children of cousins are weaker physically or susceptible to more illness. Nor had the Prophet spoken strongly against it. Indeed his action in marrying his daughter, Fatimah, to his cousin, Ali, belies such a statement. What the Prophet says in this regard is his advice to marry outside one's own tribe, and to marry his children outside his and his wife's tribes. But this Hadith is meant in a different vein. It provides a way to break the tribal barriers through marriage. When people frequently marry outside their immediate tribes, then the frequent marriages will bring tribes closer and encourage cordial relations within a Muslim society. By the way! the expert I have talked to about this subject has suggested that the disadvantages of marriage to close relatives are counterbalanced by real advantages. He insists that there is plenty to recommend such marriages, provided that inter-family marriages do not continue for several generations.
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Marriage with first cousins: rulings without basis

Q). During my visit to India, I met a scholar who says that marriage with first cousins is not allowed in Islam, and that a special concession was given only to the prophet. He quotes Verse 50 of surah 33, "Al Ahzab", in support of his claim. If this were true, it makes millions of marriages illegal and millions of children illegitimate. Please explain.

M.A.Khan, Buraidha

A). It is strange that this person, whom you describe as a scholar, cites in support of his view a verse which starts with the following words: "Prophet, we have made lawful to you ..." This is to say that the verse is concerned with permission, not prohibition. I would have thought that his view, which tries to restrict certain marriages, should seek in evidence a verse, which outlines prohibition of certain marriages. It is well known that prohibited marriages are outlined in detail in Verses 22, 23 and 24 of Surah 4, entitled "Women", or "An Nisaa ". The first of these verses starts with a clear order: "Do not marry women whom your fathers had married...The second begins with a simiclear prohibition: Forbidden to you in marriage are your mothers, daughters, etc. When the list is complete, the third of these verse states: And lawful to you are all women beyond these, for you to seek out, offering them of your possessions, taking them in honest wedlock, and not in fornication, etc." Moreover, such marriages are lawful according to the practice of the Prophet who married his own daughter, Fatimah, to his cousin, Ali. Had there been any restriction on the marriage of cousins, the Prophet would not have allowed such a marriage to go through. Your "scholar" is, therefore, out on a limb when he makes such a claim.

Now let us look at the verse he quotes in support of his argument. Its meaning may be given in translation as follows: Prophet! We have made lawful to you your wives to whom you have paid their dowers, as well as those whom your right hand has come to possess from among the captives of war whom Allah has bestowed upon you. And We have made lawful to you the daughters of your paternal uncles and aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles and aunts, who have migrated with you (to Madinah); and any believing woman who offers herself freely to the Prophet and whom the Prophet might be willing to wed: this being but a privilege for you, and not for other believers. We have already made known what We have enjoined upon them with regard to their wives and those whom their right hands may possess.

This verse is certainly meant to outline to the Prophet certain privileges. It may not be construed. However, as restricting to other Muslims what Allah has made lawful to the Prophet except in the case where He specifies so. It is significant that the verse tells the Prophet that his wives have been made lawful to him. This is not a superfluous statement, because Allah does not use any superfluous words. This is simply a reminder to the Prophet of the grace Allah has shown him. As for his cousins, the Prophet was allowed only those of his cousins who migrated with him to Madinah. It is reported that he could not marry Umm Hani a cousin of his who had not migrated to Madinah.

The verse certainly includes a special privilege given to the prophet and not given to any other believer. But this privilege is restricted to one case, namely, that of a woman who may offer herself freely to the prophet. He may marry her without the need to give her a dower. It should be said that several women made such an offer to the prophet, but he married none of them. Some of them he recommended to some of his companions, and such marriages went through in the normal way, with the prophet asking the prospective husband to pay a dower to the woman he is marrying and with a marriage contract made in the normal Islamic way.

When we say that this is a privilege to the prophet only, we mean that it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to offer herself freely to any man. Such a restriction is operative in order not to allow any abuse of the marriage system. If a woman makes such an offer to a believer, she does not become his wife unless a marriage contract is made between them in the presence of her father or guardian and at least two witnesses, and a dower is specified to be paid by the man to her.
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Unacceptable marriage offer

Q). I have had a relationship with a non-Muslim girl, but when I proposed marriage to her, her parents refused on account of my religion. She agreed with them. Am I in a position of deception?

(Name and address withheld)

A). I am surprised that you are more worried about a breach of a promise than an illegitimate relationship involving a cardinal sin. You should be more concerned about what you did with this woman in the past and regret it genuinely so that you may stand a chance of being forgiven by God. Now that you have a chance of a final break with her, you should revise your attitude and determine to improve your adherence to Islamic moral values. If you do not, then you may very well expose yourself to God's punishment which is severe indeed.

As far as your relationship with that woman is concerned, you have offered to marry her, but she and her family have refused. That means that you have done the honorable thing and shown your willingness to look after her. However, they have declined the offer, and you should be glad. She is not the sort of mother you want for your children.

She is neither a Muslim nor keen on morality. So you should take this opportunity and mend your ways before seeking to marry a chaste, religious Muslim woman who may be a good mother.
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Validity of Marriage

Q). Some people question the validity of the marriage of a friend of mine to a divorced woman. Her brother filled the official forms of marriage, signing himself as her eldest brother and guardian (because her father is dead) and his signature was entered in the official books as a witness. A non-Muslim friend signed as the second witness. Both the bride and the bridegroom signed acceptance. Is this marriage valid?

N.A.Razvi, Jeddah.

A) Some scholars are of the view that non-Muslims may not be called as witnesses of transactions between Muslims.

They consider that to be a witness exercise some aspects of patronage and it is not permissible that patronage over a Muslim be exercised by a non-Muslim. However, other scholars disagree, stating that being a witness means no exercise of patronage whatsoever. Hence, a non-Muslim may be a witness to any transaction between Muslims. This is probably a more accurate view.

The requirements for a marriage contract to be valid from the Islamic point of view is that it should be made in the presence of the bride's guardian and two witnesses. These two witnesses are the minimum needed for proper publicity. In this case, the guardian is present, because the woman's guardian is her eldest brother, since her father is dead. That he signed his name in the space provided for the first witness is neither here nor there, provided that there were two witnesses. These were indeed present, because one of them signed the form and the other is the officer in the Registrar's Office who received the form. It is not necessary from the Islamic point of view that witnesses should sign any form or contract, or indeed that the contract should be written. All that can be done verbally. The fact that the marriage contract was conducted in front of two people or more is sufficient for it to be valid. If there were none other than the officer in the Registrar's Office, the contract would still have been valid.
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A marriage that is against Islamic teachings

Q). I understand that I am a Christian, I cannot marry my Muslim fiancée unless I become a Muslim, while a Muslim man may marry a Christian woman who is allowed to retain her faith. May I know the reason behind this? There are several reasons, which prevent me from embracing Islam, yet I wish to marry this lady whom I have been supporting when she was studying. What happens if I require my fiancée to convert to Christianity? On the other hand, what is the likely solution if we get a civil marriage? May I further ask whether I can consider the money I have paid for her studies as her dower?

(Name and address withheld)

A). It is true that a Muslim woman may not marry a follower of any religion other than Islam. A Muslim man may marry Christian or a Jewish woman. The reason for the difference in the rules is two-fold.

Islam recognizes that it has a common area with the other two religions, and it requires its followers to respect the beliefs of other religions, Hence, if a Muslim man marries a Christian or a Jewish woman, he may not put her under any pressure to convert to Islam. Indeed he should allow her freedom of worship and respect her religious observances. It is not guaranteed that followers of other religions would do the same if they marry Muslim women. There are other considerations relating to the status of the children and the perceived weakness of women in many cultures and societies.

You are certainly entitled to maintain your faith, but you may not insist on a chaof Islamic rules to fulfill your purpose. The Islamic rules make your marriage to a Muslim woman impossible unless you become a Muslim. This must be a genuine conversion to Islam, not a mere pretension to satisfy certain formalities. If you want to contravene these rules, your marriage is not valid. Of course you can arrange for a civil marriage, and the civil law in your country may sanction such a marriage, but your "wife" would not be lawfully wedded to you from the Islamic point of view. If the woman in question converts to Christianity, she is considered an apostate. The Church may sanction the marriage, but she would remain an apostate. Her family is highly likely to disown her completely in either of these situations.

If you marry her legally, which means that you become a Muslim, you should know that Islamic marriage requires the presence of her father or guardian, two witnesses and the payment of a dower. The contract itself consists of a commitment and acceptance. The dower must be something that brings the woman a certain benefit. Your support of her studies may be offset against the marriage if that support was in the form of a loan. If it was a gift, no Muslim is allowed to claim back a gift he had given. However a dower need not be any large amount. You may agree with your future wife to give her one riyal as a dower. If this is acceptable to her, well and good.
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A marriage that is questionable

Q). My sister-in-law, who is also my maternal cousin is married to a man working abroad. All of a sudden we heard that she got married to my nephew without having been divorced by her husband and without the knowledge of their parents or relatives. Is this marriage valid?

S.R. Ali, Madinah

A).We have to separate two issues involved here: The relationship between the two persons concerned and its effect on their marriage, and the circumstances in which they got married. To start with, your nephew may marry your wife's niece who is also his cousin. As I understand, she is a more distant relative of his than your wife is related to you. Her father is the maternal uncle of his mother. So there is nothing wrong with this marriage if the two partners were free to get married and the marriage is done in accordance with the appropriate Islamic rules. However, you say that the woman is already married to someone else who is working abroad. If so, how can she get married again without a divorce-taking place first? It may be that the woman could have applied to a court of law for dissolution of her marriage to her first husband. If she has done that and got dissolution from court on the basis of her husband being away for a very long time, then we hope that the basis of the dissolution has the backing of some school of thought. I cannot tell you that without more detailed information about the case. If no dissolution had been ordered by a court and no divorce had taken place, then that woman is still married to her first husband who is working abroad. Her relationship with the other man, who is her cousin, is adulterous. She must stop it immediately.
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Marriage to a non Muslim

Q). My friend wants to marry a Hindu girl who says that she would convert to Islam after the marriage. Can he do that?

(Name and address witfiheld)

A). If your friend wants his marriage to be valid, his intended wife must adopt Islam before the marriage contract is done. Otherwise the marriage cannot go through. It is not possible for a Muslim to get married to a woman who follows any religion other than Islam, Christianity or Judaism. Since this woman does not follow any of these religions, her marriage to your friend is not valid. If she adopts Islam first, she is no longer a Hindu. She will then be a Muslim and as such, there will be no hindrance to prevent her marriage to your friend.

As for the second part of your question it is not true that consummation of the marriage must take place on the first night, I am surprised that some people would suggest that this is an Islamic requirement for the validity of the marriage. There is no such requirement.

Having said that, I may add that it is better for the bride and her family that the marriage should be consummated as soon as possible after the wedding. But this is a matter of preference, not a duty.
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Privacy in martial life

Q). A man who has two wives lives in a one-bedroom flat, and as such he and his two wives are forced to share the same bedroom. He has been advised to move to a larger house or make different arrangements so that the three do not use the same bedroom. He feels that this is not necessary because the three of them get on well together and there seems to he no need for separation. Please comment.

(Name and address withheld)

A). It is certainly bad to sleep with the two wives in the same room, because there is a special intimacy between a man and his wife, which they would rather keep to themselves. When such intimacy is exposed to another person, although she may stand in the same position to the man as his other wife, the element of modesty, which is a virtue in the Islamic sense of values, is lost. It is far more preferable that this person should change the arrangement in his home so that his two wives use separate bedrooms. If his home is too small for that, he may convert the sitting room at night to a bedroom for one of them. That is much better for everybody concerned.

Having said that, I wish to add that if there is no possibility whatsoever of the man being able to provide such an arrangement for his two wives, and he can only afford to have only one room, then he must observe a strict code of conduct in his martial relationship with his two wives.

Of course he must always treat his wives fairly, giving each the same standard of living as the other. It is acceptable that he cannot do much about that because feelings are not always within our control, but fairness is required in everything a person can control and determine.
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A marriage that can never be

Q). A friend of mine has been involved with young man who is a Hindu. She has not been able to resist her feelings despite her repeated attempts to do so. I have tried to persuade her to end this relationship, but despite all efforts their relationship is getting stronger. She is a good believer in Islam, and she has told me repeatedly that even if she marries him, she would never change her religion. Please advise.

(Name and address withheld)

A). Has this friend of yours ever asked herself whether the young man in her life really cares for her? How serious is he about their relationship? Does he think of her half as much as she thinks of him? Reading your letter, I feel that the answer to all these questions is in the negative. What is happening in her case is that she is placing herself at his feet and he is looking at her with contempt. Why should he not do so when she is defying her family, society and her faith for his sake?

It may be that your friend has not received an elementary religious education. Nevertheless, she should have known that it is not possible for a Muslim woman to marry any man who is not a Muslim, it is not enough that she says that she would never change her religion even if she gets married to him. Such a marriage can never be. It may be that she can get the marriage legally recognized in a European country or in India, or in a non-Muslim country. But that "legality" does not make the marriage lawful. It is not open for any authority to change God's law. Nor is it possible for any authority to make lawful what God Himself has forbidden. God simply does not accept that a Muslim woman could marry a non-Muslim regardless of the religion he follows. So, if she wants to get married to him she has to look for some other way to make such a marriage lawful.

That other way is for the man to adopt Islam and for the change of religion to be recognized as serious, based on conviction, not merely on the desire to get married to a Muslim woman? When such a change occurs this friend of yours may get married to her man, if her famiapprove of this marriage.

That is because in Islam, it is the girl's father or guardian who acts for her at the time when her marriage contract is made. Whether the man is willing to adopt Islam or not is entirely up to him. However, from what you have told me, I think he is hardly likely to do so. It may be that he looks at his relationship with your friend as a flirting matter. When the going becomes serious and he is called upon to change religion, he is likely to cry off.

Perhaps the best thing your friend could do is to put him to the test. She should explain to him that their relationship could only be solemnized into a proper marriage if he is willing to accept Islam. She should also suggest to him that the two of them should start reading about Islam, trying to understand its basic beliefs, concepts and values. When they have acquired sufficient knowledge of the Islamic faith, he should make up his mind whether he believes in Islam as the final message from God to mankind. If the answer is in the affirmative, then he should declare himself a Muslim by stating that he believes in no deity save God and he believes in Muhammad as God's final messenger to mankind.

Only when this has taken place can the marriage between your friend and her man is valid.
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Inter faith marriages

Q). May I ask whether Christianity and Judaism are the only religions with which inter faith marriage is allowed in Islam. In India there are many religions, and because of the proximity, many young Muslims find it sometimes suitable to marry women who may belong to these faiths. They arrange that the girl convert to Islam for the marriage. It is often the case that the girl does not know anything about Islam, and she only converts nominally to get married. Is this allowed? Is the marriage valid?

H. Masthan, Jeddah

A). It is permissible for a Muslim man to marry a Christian or a Jewish woman without the need for the woman to convert to Islam at any time. Although this is permissible, it is not to be encouraged because interfaith marriages are likely to run into problems. A Muslim woman may not marry anyone other than a Muslim. As for other religions, it is not permissible for a Muslim man or woman to marry their followers. This applies to all religions of the Indian subcontinent.

If a follower of such religion wants to marry a Muslim, he or she must become a Muslim first. I understand that this condition is what causes women who get to know Muslim men and want to many them to convert to Islam. They may think that conversion to Islam is easy since it involves only the declaration that one believes m the Oneness of God and that Muhammad is His messenger. They utter this declaration without even thinking about its meaning. Such an action is not a conversion to Islam. It is mere expedient. It does not make the woman did not concern a Muslim nor does it make her a lawfully married wife to a Muslim. She needs to understand Islam and its principles. If she is convinced that it is the religion of the truth, and she declares her belief in it she is a Muslim. In this case, she may be married to a Muslim. If she merely utters the declaration without conviction, she is technically a Muslim, and we must accept her word. But that does not make her a Muslim in God's sight. Her husband should know her real attitude and determine his position accordingly.
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Converting ones non Muslim wife

Q). Muslims are allowed to marry Christian or Jewish women. Is the woman so married to be converted to Islam before or after her marriage? If this permission is granted on the basis of Christianity and Judaism being religions preached by messengers from Allah, is the permission still valid, despite the fact that Christians now believe in the Trinity?

A). I should admit that I find the question about converting a woman because of her marriage rather strange. It is contradictory to Islamic values and principles. Islam states very clearly that "no compulsion is admissible in matters of faith." How then, can anyone contemplate that a woman must be converted to Islam in order for her marriage to be legal. Such a requirement is not acceptable. Islam either permits a marriage or forbids it. If it approves of a Muslim marrying a Christian woman, then it stands to reason that it allows that woman to retain her faith. Indeed, the husband should not pressure his wife in any way to accept Islam. What he should do is to make Islam known to her and to tell her that Islam is the final message from Allah to man, therefore, people are called upon to accept it. She must retain her freedom whether to do so or to maintain her faith. If she decides to remain Christian or Jewish, the marriage can continue, with the husband being required to allow his wife to practice her religion. The children are, by necessity, Muslims, since the Islamic rule is that children follow the higher of their parents' religions. Since Islam is the highest of all religions, then they are Muslims.

The point about the doctrine of the Trinity as practiced by Christians and the permission to marry a Christian woman is frequently raised. Some people suggest that since Christians have come to believe in the Trinity, they are no longer believers in the Oneness of Allah. Therefore, they cannot be classified as "people of the Book", or, as perhaps more accurately translated, "people of earlier revelations." l am afraid that this is not quite correct. The doctrine of Trinity was introduced into Christianity long before the advent of Islam.

At the time when the Qur'an was revealed, Christians had the same beliefs as they have today. The doctrine of the Trinity was already introduced and practiced. To us, it represents a distortion of Christianity and its fundamental principles. However, the doctrine is mentioned in the Our'an and Allah describes those who say that He is one of a Trinity are "unbelievers.'' Nevertheless, He calls them as "Ahl-Kitab", or "People of earlier revelations.'' Since the permission to marry Christian women has come subsequently to the introduction of the doctrine of Trinity in Christianity, then that permission remains in force. Once again, no coercion or pressure should be exercised to make a Christian wife adopt Islam. If she adopts it, she must do so by her own free will.

We have already established that it is permissible for a Muslim man to marry a Christian woman or a Jewess. The question remains whether it is advisable. It may happen that a certain thing is permitted so as to serve as a last resort, or as a sound solution to a particular problem. It does not follow that it is to be treated as recommended or desirable. In this particular case, inter-faith marriages are permitted within certain limits to help solve problems, which may be encountered by individual Muslims. An inter-faith marriage cannot be treated on the same footing as a marriage between a Muslim man and a Muslim woman. Let us take the following example from the time of the first generation of Muslims, i.e. the companions of the Prophet. Huthaifah ibn Al Yaman was one of the commanders Umar ibn Al Khatab sent to Persia. Subsequently, Umar learned that Huthaifah had married a Jewish woman. He wrote to him asking him to divorce her. Huthaifah wrote back saying that he would not comply with Umar's request unless Umar stated first whether his marriage was permissible or not. Umar wrote to him that it was permissible. However, he supported his request to Huthaifah to divorce his Jewish wife by two arguments: that if Muslims married non-Muslims, who would marry Muslim women? In this connection, we should remember that a Muslim woman could only marry a Muslim. The other reason expressed by Umar was that foreign women had an element of attraction, which may lure Muslims away. Huthaifah found both arguments sound and he divorced his wife. Both arguments are still sound today. Indeed more so. The companions of the Prophet were better believers than we are and yet Umar expressed his misgivings about interfaith marriages, by as a distinguished figure of them as Huthaifah, an Ansari who could be trusted witthe command of a large Muslim army.

One more point needs to be added in this connection. If a Muslim who is living in a non-Muslim country marries a local Christian woman, then he places himself under very great pressure. His wife will be living among her people and within her own cultural background. She finds no reason to modify her social behavior in order to be more accommodating to Islamic principles.

In fact, all the compromises that will inevitably be necessary will have to be made by her husband, who is an outsider coming into her society. The case is different if she is to travel to his home country. It is she who finds herself in a position of having to make compromises in order to adjust to her new environment. All this is of great importance

The best way is not to have an inter-faith marriage, unless one has no choice. To marry a Muslim woman is by far better than marrying any Christian or Jewish woman.
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Invalid Marriage

Q). A Muslim man or woman gets married to a follower of a pagan religion, with the condition that each of the two partners shall follow his or her own religion. Do such people remain Muslim? Is it permissible for the Muslim community to maintain cultural and matrimonial relationships with their offspring? Is either of them allowed to enter the Haram in Makkah or the prophet's Mosque in Madinah?

A.H.Alnoori, Makkah.

A). We are speaking here of a marriage between a Muslim and a person who believes in a religion which speaks of the existence of more than one God. The reader has spoken of idol worshipers but I phrased the question so that it is more general in its import. A marriage between a Muslim and a follower of any such religion is invalid. There is a clear instruction in the Qur'an which tells Muslim men not to marry pagan women and tells Muslim women not to marry pagan men. Marriage with a slave is described in Verse 221 of Surah 2 as better than such a marriage, provided that the slave man or woman is a believer in God.

It is then established clearly that such a marriage is not valid. A relationship between a man or a woman who claims to be a Muslim and a partner, who worships idols or follows a pagan religion, believing in more than one God, is adulterous. It cannot be legitimized unless the pagan partner declares that he or she believes in Islam, and then the marriage between the two is made in accordance with Islamic rules.

Although this is a major offense and a cardinal sin, the perpetrator of such a marriage is not considered to be a nonbeliever. He or she remains a Muslim if they declare themselves to be so. How can they do that and explain their marital situation is beyond my comprehension, but the technical verdict is that they remain Muslims.

The Muslim community should indeed maintain a good relationship with the offspring of such a marriage in order to get those children to realize where they belong. The general rule is that the offspring of an inter-faith marriage, or relationship in this case are deemed to follow the higher religion of their parents. Islam is the highest of all religions in such a ranking order, followed by Christianity and Judaism. Moreover, the Muslim community has an interest in such offspring. They should try to teach them about Islam to enable them to choose their position when they become adults.

No one can stop such people from visiting the two mosques in Makkah and Madinah as long as they declare themselves Muslims. It may be that such a Visit will trigger in their minds a review of their Situation and may lead to the mending of their ways. The Muslim community should continue to tell them how serious their offense is and try to get them to bring their action in line with Islam.
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Is this marriage Valid?

Q). My friend's father has two wives. His first wife's brother got married to the daughter of his second wife. This couple got a daughter who got married to the son of the first wife of my friend’s father.

The village committee, which wields power in our district, maintains that this last marriage is not valid from the Islamic point of view and the couple have been chased away from their village. They also say that the children of this marriage should be murdered. Other people suggest that this marriage is valid. Could you please comment?

A.Bukhari, Al-khobar.

A). You have omitted to mention one piece of information, which makes all the difference with regard to the validity of the last marriage. In the two marriages which branched out of the family of your friend's father, one party to the first marriage is the daughter of his second wife and in the second marriage the son of his first wife. To make the answer simple, I say that if either of these two had a father other than your friend's father, then the second marriage, i.e. the one in dispute, is valid. Since both are children of your friend's father's two wives (the woman is the daughter of his second wife and the man the son of his first wife), then if your friend's father is also their own father they are brother and sister. The marriage of a man to his sister's daughter is forbidden in Islam. But I suspect that at least one of them, if not both, had a father other than your friend's father. That appears to be the case from the way you have phrased your question. If this is the case, then the last marriage is perfectly valid. I will explain why.

What we are talking about here is a marriage between the son of the first wife and the granddaughter of the second wife. If the man, or the bridegroom, is born to his mother by an earlier marriage, then he is not related at all to his wife despite his mother's marriage to your friend's father. She is certainly his cousin, since her father is his maternal uncle. Marriage between cousins is allowed in Islam.

Similarly, if the second wife's daughter had a father other than your friend's father, then her daughter, who is involved in the disputed marriage, is not related to her husband through the marriages of your friend's father. As has already been said, she is her husband's cousin and marriage between cousins is allowed in Islam.

As you see, it all depends on the relationship between your friend's father and the son of his first wife or the daughter of his second wife who are party to these two marriages. If either of them is not your friend's father's own child, then the last marriage is perfectly valid.

I am both amazed and horrified at the suggestion that the children born through this last marriage should be murdered, because, according to some people the marriage is invalid. Let me say clearly that this suggestion is not only monstrous, but is, from the Islamic point of view, criminal. How on earth could anyone suggest that a child born to any woman should be murdered? What Islam teaches us is that no one bears any responsibility for the sins of another. A child born into an illegal marriage is not responsible for the action of his parents. Not even a child born to an adulteress by the man who has committed adultery with her is not held responsible for his parents' action. Moreover, if a Muslim woman marries a non-Muslim, her marriage is absolutely illegal. If she gives birth to any children, then her children are not responsible for her action. Nobody should touch them in any way. Therefore, if anyone in your village banns the children of this last marriage on the assumption that the marriage itself is illegal, then that person should be punished for his crime. If he kills any of these children and he appears before an Islamic court and the charge of murder is proven against him, he will be sentenced to death.
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Inter faith marriages

Q). May I ask whether Christianity and Judaism are the only religions with which inter faith marriage is allowed in Islam. In India there are many religions, and because of proximity many young Muslims find it sometimes suitable to marry women who may belong to these faiths. They arrange that the girl convert to Islam for the marriage. It is often the case that the girl does not know anything about Islam, and she only converts nominato get married. Is this allowed? Is the marriage valid?

H. Masthan, Jeddah

A). It is permissible for a Muslim man to marry a Christian or a Jewish woman without the need for the woman to convert to Islam at any time. Although this is permissible, it is not to be encouraged because interfaith marriages are likely to run into problems. A Muslim woman may not marry anyone other than a Muslim. As for other religions, it is not permissible for a Muslim man or woman to marry their followers. This applies to all religions of the Indian subcontinent.

If a follower of such religion wants to marry a Muslim, he or she must become a Muslim first. I understand that this condition is what causes women who get to know Muslim men and want to many them to convert to Islam. They may think that conversion to Islam is easy since it involves only the declaration that one believes m the Oneness of God and that Muhammad is His messenger. They utter this declaration without even thinking about its meaning. Such an action is not a conversion to Islam. It is mere expedient. It does not make the woman did not concern a Muslim nor does it make her a lawfully married wife to a Muslim. She needs to understand Islam and its principles. If she is convinced that it is the religion of the truth, and she declares her belief in it she is a Muslim. In this case, she may be married to a Muslim. If she merely utters the declaration without conviction, she is technically a Muslim, and we must accept her word. But that does not make her a Muslim in God's sight. Her husband should know her real attitude and determine his position accordingly.
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