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Fatwa CenterMarrying Christians
Question
I wish to know if the Christians are regarded as non-believers when they say they believe in “the father, the son and the holy spirit". If it is the case, does a Muslim man have the right to marry with a Christian woman and a Muslim woman with a Christian man?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Allah does not accept any religion except Islam. Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.}[3:85]. He also Says (interpretation of meaning): {Truly, the religion with Allâh is Islâm….}[3:19]. In a third verse Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {…This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion….}[5:3]. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "By him in whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst the community of Jews or Christians hears about me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be but one of the denizens of Hell-Fire."
The above evidences explicitly prove that Christians are non-Muslims because of their false claim to believe in the Son, Holy Spirit, and other faiths that are contrary to the teachings of Divine religions.
The marriage of a Muslim man with a Jewish or Christian woman is permissible provided she is chaste. Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {…foods, which Allâh 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, ….}[5:5].
But the opposite marriage of a Muslimah with a Jew or Christian is strictly forbidden according to the consensus of Muslim scholars. Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {…And never will Allâh grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.}[4:141].
Generally, a woman is more emotional than a man and she is more inclined to follow her husband than a husband to follow his wife. Also, the children follow the religion of their father very often.
Allah knows best.
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