Assalaamu alaykum. A 19-year-old Melbourne girl is in love with a Sikh boy. Everyone forbade her this, but she does not want to hear anything. Now her parents talked to that boy, and he said, “That is OK. I will embrace Islam just for the wedding; after that we will go to India, and then we will marry according to the Sikh religion and my kids will be Sikh as well.” My question is whether the marriage would be valid or not in this situation given that he would not accept Islam for God but would embrace Islam just for the wedding. And what is the fatwa for those people who would be present at that wedding?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

According to what you mentioned, that boy is still following his religion and is willing to say the Shahaadah (the two Testimonies of Faith) only to be accepted as a husband for that Muslim girl. If this is the case and he did not truly embrace Islam, then it is not permissible to let him marry a Muslim woman, because the scholars stated that among the conditions of 'Laa Ilaaha illa Allah' (there is none worthy of worship but Allah) is 'certitude that negates doubt' (that the person embracing Islam has firm belief in Allah without any doubt). The evidence for this is the saying of Allah (which means): {The believers are only the ones who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah. It is those who are the truthful.} [Quran 49:15]

On the other hand, the scholars defined Islam as surrendering to Allah as the only true God, obeying Him, and disassociating oneself from polytheism and its people; Allah says (what means): {So whoever disbelieves in Taaghoot (false gods) and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.} [Quran 2:256] The interpreters of the Quran stated that ‘the most trustworthy handhold’ means the word of Tawheed (pure monotheism) – Laa Ilaaha illa Allah.

For more benefit, please refer to fatwas 262615 and 83101.

This girl must repent to Allah and end her relationship with that boy. Her guardian must be strict with her, as she is a trust in his hands and he will be held accountable for her before Allah. He must prevent her from reasons of corruption. Allah says (what means): {O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones.} [Quran 66:6]

As-Sa’di said, “Meaning, your children – O parents – are trusts with you whom Allah instructed you about so that you would fulfill their religious and worldly interests; you should teach them, discipline them, and prevent them from corruption...”

Also, the Prophet said, “Every one of you is a guardian and is responsible for the people under his guardianship ... and a man is a guardian in his house and is responsible for the people under his guardianship...” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Allah knows best.