His wife wants to embrace Islam just to have a Muslim certificate Fatwa No: 119003
- Fatwa Date:10-3-2009
Assalamu 3alaikom wr wb; I'm married with a non-muslim woman, and she lives abroad; I want her to come and live with but to do so, she'll have to make her "shahada"without trully believe in islam, just to have a muslim certificate; So, my question is...if she do so, have I any responsability in what she'll do after her shahada?(not wear hijab,not pray,and more then everything..Responsability in helping her to lie, and make her self a muslim when she is not? Shukran
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, it should be mentioned that it is not permissible to marry a non-Muslim woman unless she is of the People of the Book, and is free and chaste. The woman whom you mentioned in the question –as well as every non-Muslim –is obliged to embrace Islam and utter the Two Testimonies of Faith, which is to say: "Ash-Hadu Allaa Ilaaha Illallaah Wa Ash-Hadu Anna Muhammadan Rasoolullaah" (I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah), while believing in it and acting according to it. As regards uttering this declaration without believing in its meaning, but just for a worldly benefit, then this is hypocrisy, and it will not benefit her in the sight of Allaah.
You should also know that if she utters the Two Testimonies of Faith without believing in them, she remains a non-Muslim in reality even though she is apparently considered as a Muslim.
At the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, there were hypocrites in Madeenah and Allaah informed him of the names of some of them; despite this, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to deal with them as Muslims in regard to the rulings of this world, such as marriage, inheritance, etc.
In conclusion, such a woman is ruled to be a Muslim but if she does not act according to the Two Testimonies of Faith, like establishing the prayer, she will be ruled to be an apostate and the Hadd (i.e. the corporal punishment determined by the Islamic Law) for apostasy should be applied to her. Moreover, your marriage contract with her becomes void because it is not permissible to continue the marriage with an apostate woman, and it is not permissible for you to allow her to cheat the Muslims if you know that she lies and insists on disbelief.
Furthermore, her receiving a certificate as being a Muslim, while in reality she is not, may lead her to abusing various religious rulings because becoming a Muslim involves many Islamic rulings, like inheritance and so forth. In addition to this, allowing her to deceive the Muslims, is in reality allowing her to become a hypocrite and misuse the religion. Therefore, we advise you to endeavour to call this woman to Islam so that she embraces Islam with true belief and sincerity. However, if she insists on disbelief and you know this from her, then it is not permissible for you to bring her to that country as a Muslim while in reality she is not.
Allah Knows best.