Registering Marriage Officially In Britain: Christian Woman Living With A Muslim Outside Of Marriage

Islamic Rulings - Living Shariah Verdicts

Islamic Questions & Answers

I live in England a country once know to be a Christian nation, but today it is a completely secular country with no state religion, furthermore nearly all ceremonies are carried without invoking the name of Allah. My question is that if a Muslim couple marry in one of this country's registration marriage offices, for the purpose of being recognised by the state as a married couple would it be considered a valid nikah despite it being conducted by a
kafir and without Allah (SWT) name being mentioned?


Praise be to Allaah.

There are four essentials in the marriage ceremony (nikaah), as stated in the following guidelines:

"Any marriage ceremony in which four people – the husband, the (wife's) guardian and two witnesses – are not present, is null and void."

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no nikaah except with a walee (guardian) and two witnesses." (See question #2127).

If the wife is Muslim and the husband is Muslim, the walee must also be Muslim, because a kaafir cannot be the walee of a Muslim. The person who is in charge of the Muslims' affairs in that country can take the place of a walee. The marriage contract must be conducted in accordance with the Islamic sharee'ah, then there is nothing wrong with confirming it through official channels in order to prevent any problems and avoid any embarrassment. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Christian woman living with a Muslim outside of marriage

I am a 46 year old catholic who loves a 62 year old Muslim . We have been together for 15 years. We were once married and after the divorce, we got back together but never remarried. He is presently in Mecca for the Muslim Pilgrimage Mecca Ritual. Once he comes back from Mecca, what will happen to our relationship? We would like to grow old together. Do we have to get married? Can our relationship stay the same? If we have to marry, can he marry me as a Christian woman? I am not a virgin as I have been with him for the last 15 years. I have never been unfaithful to him. I do not want to convert as I am comfortable as a Christian. I respect the Muslim religion and I love him for being so religious and a good person. Please help us guide us in the right direction. Thank you.

Praise be to Allaah.

The best thing for you to do is to become Muslim, because Allaah created mankind to worship Him as He wants. He wants us to worship Him in the Islamic way. The Christian religion was right in its own time (when it first came), but it has been distorted, then Allaah abrogated it with Islam. The Muslims recognize the religion of the Messiah, may peace be upon him, but it was followed before Islam came, by a small group of people. Then Islam came and abrogated it, so it is not right to follow it now.

After man dies, he will have another life. Either he will be blessed (in Paradise), if he worshipped Allaah as Allâh wants, or he will be doomed (in Hell) if he went against the commands of Allaah Who created him and gave him his provision. So how can you worship Allaah by following an abrogated religion? We advise you to read good Islamic books, and you will be guided to the truth, by the permission of Allaah. Do not be deceived by the large numbers of Christians around you, or by the fact that it is the religion of your forefathers, or by the influence of the media. You have a mind of your own, so use it and do not live according to what others think.

If you insist on remaining Christian, then in Islam it is permissible for a Muslim to marry a Christian woman, if she is chaste and does not engage in forbidden relationships. It is not permissible for him to live with her outside of marriage. If he does that, then he is a sinner who has disobeyed Allaah by committing a serious major sin, and he deserves punishment in this world and the next.

We ask Allaah to guide you and him, to make you strong and to grant you a good end. Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.


Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

 

©  EsinIslam.Com

Add Comments