I want to marry Russian girl but in our city there isn't any (Shaikh) or any Islamic mosque and I have to marry in the court. Is my marriage legal or not and what should I do?

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 is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

A Muslim is recommended in all circumstances to only marry a pious and religious woman who is known to have a good character. The Prophet said: "A man marries a woman for four reasons: For her wealth, for her lineage, for her beauty or for her piety. Select the pious, may you be blessed". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

No doubt, a righteous wife brings happiness, peace of mind to the conjugal life and brings up a good generation.

Allaah the Lord of the Heavens and Earths has forbidden marrying a polytheist woman. Allaah says (what means): {And do not marry Al-Mushrikat (idolatress, etc.), till they believe. And indeed a slave women who believes is better than an idolatress even though she pleases you. ………}[Qur'an 2:221].

Allaah also prohibited marrying adulteresses. Allaah says (what means): "The adulterer marries not but an adulteress or a Mushrikah and the adulteress none marries her except an adulterer or a Muskrik means that the man who agrees to marry (have a sexual relation with) a Mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan or idolatress) or a prostitute, then surely he is either an adulterer, or a Mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater, etc.) And the woman who agrees to marry (have a sexual relation with) a Mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater) or an adulterer, then she is either a prostitute or a Mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan, or idolatress, etc.)]. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers (of Islâmic Monotheism)."[24:3].

Allaah permitted marrying a Muslim woman or a woman from the People of the Book provided she is chaste. Allaah says (what means): {Made lawful to you this day are At­Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods, which Allaah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, etc., milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits, etc.). The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals, etc.) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them. (Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time, when you have given their due Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage),…}[Qur'an 5:5].

The person who intends to marry a Jewish or Christian girl should have strong faith in Islam in order to avoid being drawn towards his wife's faith. If he accepts his wife's faith then he will become an apostate and if he does not repent from his apostasy he should be sentenced to death in Islam, and will dwell eternally in Hellfire in the Hereafter if he dies on that sate.

Moreover, the one who marries a Jewish or Christian girl should take care of his children, teaching them Islamic legislations since they should not be influenced by their mother. In addition, one should make sure about the faith of the girl he is going to marry since many people in Christian countries have adopted atheism and are no longer following their original religion.

In light of the above details we say: if the Russian girl is Muslim then you may marry her. The marriage should be with the consent of the woman's guardian and in the presence of two trustworthy witnesses. If she does not have any guardian then the Muslim ruler becomes her guardian, if there is no Muslim ruler, as in your case, then a trustworthy person among the Muslim community carries out her marriage contract.

A disbeliever whether he is a guardian of the girl or a ruler does not have any right to complete the marriage contract of a Muslim woman according to the consensus of the Muslim scholars.

Allaah says (what means): {And never will Allaah grant to the disbelievers a way over the believers.}[Qur'an 4:141].

Therefore, the Russian court is not an Islamic court thus you should avoid completing your marriage contract in such a court is invalid.

If the Russian girl is Jewish or Christian then her guardian or ruler, whether he is a Muslim or not, can complete her marriage contract. If there is no such person then any person belonging to her religion can marry her after her consent. This is as per the saying of Allaah: "And those who disbelieve are allies to one another, ……….." [Qur'an 8:73].

Allaah knows best.