His family wants him to end his relationship with a girl
Fatwa No: 89194

Question

Still in confusion about where to start with what all I can say. If anything in this finds un-Islamic I sincerely ask pardon from you brothers and Allah and requesting you to pin point and clear my errors. May Allah include us in the people of paradise?
I was in love with a Hindu girl. But when I left India seeking a job in Qatar I dropped this relation too. To be frank she really loved me but I wasn’t serious. After I reach Qatar we were in contact through phone and she used to send letters. The thing is when n I was India I didn’t care her letters or mails which she used to send me frequently.
I wasn’t more religious even I prayed most of obligatory prayers Al-Hamdu Lillaah. But Qatar life taught me who is a real Muslim and Al-Hamdu Lillaah now ‘am improving a lot.
I received a letter from her 4 months before and I could realize that she has changed a lot and she asked me in that “why I spoiled her innocent character?” These words really affected me and it started disturbing my thoughts that if she says this during Day of Judgment what will be my situation then. I met a scholar here and he advised me to use some materials for Da'wa. Because before I tried to explain her about Islam but she didn’t take anything serious. I send video cassettes, books audio cassettes and more over I call her frequently (daily).
One day she called me and she was crying by reading a book and thinking about Day of Judgment. From my enquiries I understood that if a person embraced Islam his\her all past sins will be forgiven by Allah. She told me what all she did in her past after she realized I didn’t need her. Another guy came into her life and he was sincerely ready to marry her and his family also knew this. They committed Zina also. But when she knew all this are sins she started to Da'wa to this guy too but he didn’t show interest on this instead this guy mail me and told my why I make this girl a mad character because she is always talking about Islam is good, it not as we thought, like that. She gave some books to him too but he didn’t show interest on this.
But what happened on other side is we started our old relation so deeply. She told her elder sister that she is going to embrace Islam and it wasn’t for me as we weren’t in love and just friends and she was doing Da'wa to that guy. She said Shahada her own and she tried to fast during Ramadan but her mom caught and she had to stop.
But now problem is my mom, dad or none in family accepting this they are opposing strongly this matter. My mom is looking for a good Muslimah for me. Please advise me what I have to do in this situation. To be frank now I really like this girl and if I marry her I will be doing against my mom’s wish. They fear that fanatics will make this a great issue and it will create big problems for my family. IS there any authentic Hadeeth about marriage saying that we have to look status of family (she\he noble family, etc?)
Am sure I couldn’t write all the problems here but already I wrote a lot. I request you to advise me in this situation.

Answer

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.

 

First of all you have to know that it is not permissible for a Muslim to establish a relationship with a marriageable woman outside marriage arrangements even if she is a Muslim let alone if she is not a Muslim. If she did not utter the two testimonies of faith with her tongue then she is not a Muslim and it is not permissible for a Muslim man to marry her. The scholars agreed in a consensus that it is not permissible for a Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman who is not from the people of the book. However, if she had uttered the two testimonies of faith with her tongue, then she is a Muslim. If it had become evident that she sincerely embraced Islam and has a good moral conduct, then it becomes permissible for a Muslim to marry her. Nonetheless, we think that it is more appropriate for you not to marry her, and it is not permissible for you to marry her without the consent of your parents, as you are obliged to obey them within what is permissible. It is not an obligation for you to marry this specific woman. Indeed your parents have expressed a benefit which is that they fear for themselves, and this is a considerable benefit. You have to give up thinking about her and ask Allaah to bless you with a better wife. It is confirmed in Islam that a man has to seek a wife of good family lineage but this is conditional on her being a religious woman. The Prophet said: "The woman is married for four things: her wealth, her honourable lineage, her beauty and her religion. Choose the religious one, you will prosper (otherwise you will be a loser)." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] So this is in general, as regards your particular case, i.e. getting married to this woman, even if she is of good family lineage and religion, then the matter is as we have stated that it is not permissible for you to marry her for the reasons we have already provided.  

Allaah knows best.

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