A Hindu female who has accepted islam from heart and is practicing for quiet a long time has not taken 'shahada'(Due to this fear that her family will be angry). Is she a muslim as she is prcticing islam? Also is it allowed for her to marry a hindu male who (according to her will accept islam afterwards) does not believe in any religion. Please answer my query in description.

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.

It is very easy to embrace Islam as this does not need any religious ceremony as in the case when embracing other religions, because this is acting upon one's Fitrah (natural disposition upon which Allaah created mankind). It is confirmed that the Prophet said: ''Every child is born on the Fitrah.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] So, if a person utters the two testimonies of faith, which is to say: "Ash-Hadu Allaa Ilaaha Illallaah Wa Ash-Hadu Anna Muhammadun Rasoolullaah" (I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah), if one says this secretly to himself while acknowledging its content, then he is a Muslim, and it is something at the disposal of everyone. Also, when one says this secretly to himself, then no person whom one fears to be harmed by would know about it. It is not a condition that this declaration be said in front of the people or before a judge and so forth.

Therefore, if this woman has uttered the two testimonies of faith even secretly [without the presence of anyone] while she is, as mentioned in the question, abiding by the apparent religious rites, like the prayer and so forth, then she is a Muslim. We advise her to learn the matters pertaining to her religion, attend circles of knowledge held in Islamic centres and elsewhere, and be keen on keeping company with her Muslim sisters so that they would help her in doing good.

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 89664 and 89563.

As regards her marrying the man who is mentioned in the question, then it is not permissible since he is a non-Muslim, because it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim until he embraces Islam, and it is not a sound excuse for her to marry him on the grounds that he will become a Muslim later.

For more benefit in this regard, please refer to Fataawa 89770 and 83101.

Also, there is no harm if she seeks the help of her Muslim sisters and their husbands in looking for a pious Muslim husband to marry her.

Finally, it should be noted that a person is ruled to be a Muslim by three things:

1-   Uttering the two testimonies of faith.

2-   Having a Muslim parent, in case of children.

3-   Doing acts which are peculiar to the Muslims, like performing ablution, the prayer and so forth.

Allaah Knows best.