Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salam Aleykum,

Are you able to answer the following questions?

3)Is it true that women dont have to repeat adzan when they are going to pray?

8)I have a personal question.I'm a 26 year old woman and I have been married have a child of another father and at this moment I'm married and have a child from this man as well.I found out we are not allowed to marry someone who doesnt pray.We are married now for 4 years and at the time we met I didnt have this information I did pray myself but wasn't living my life correctly,the last two years this started to change drastically and I started to dislike the fact that my husband doesnt pray.Now tell me am I really supposed to divorce this man because he doesnt want to pray or is there another option? I dont know how to influence him cause he doesnt want to listen to me.I know only Allah(swt) can lead him to the right path and I dont feel like divorcing again because I have been in several relationships and I feel sorry for my children that they will have to grow up without a (step)father.The shig where we got married told me I'm not supposed to sleep with him untill he comes to his senses but what about my

Thanks alot for all your efforts may Allah(swt) reward you here and in the hereafter!

Your sister from

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Husband does not pray

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: Is it true that women dont have to repeat adzan when they are going to pray?

It is indeed true that it is not obligatory for a believing woman to repeat the adhaan or call to prayer when they are going to pray.

Q-2: I found out we are not allowed to marry someone who doesnt pray.

There is a distinct difference between a legal muslim in this world; and a real and true muslim in the sight of Allah Subhanah.

One who is born to muslim parents, or one who testifies the ‘kalima’ or testimony of faith that there is no god except Allah Alone, and Mohamed (saws) is His Messenger; will be considered a legal muslim in the sight of the believers, society and Shariah. Unless he openly declares that he is an apostate, no matter what he does or says, or does not do or say; he will remain a legal muslim in the sight of Shariah. He will be eligible to marry a believer, he will inherit from his believing relatives, his believing relatives will inherit from him, his will be given a muslim burial, and all the rights that are due to a muslim will be accorded to him.

If the ‘legal’ muslim has short-comings in his practicing the deen; he will be accountable to Allah Subhanah on the Day of Judgement, Who Alone will Judge, who amongst the believers were true believers, and who were not!

The best example for the difference between a ‘legal’ muslim in the sight of Shariah, and ‘true’ muslim in the sight of Allah Subhanah is given by the All-Knowing Lord Himself in the Glorious Quran! Allah Subhanah Himself calls the hypocrites amongst the people of Medina ‘kaafirs’; but because they verbally had declared the testimony of faith, all the rights that were due to a believer were accorded to them by the believers. They married amongst the believers, they inherited from their believing relatives, their relatives inherited from them, they were given muslim burials, etc. Every right that was given to a believer was given to them, even though Allah Subhanah has Himself declared them ‘Kaafirs’ in the Glorious Quran!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verses 85:Nor let their (the hyprocrites’) wealth nor their sons dazzle thee: Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in this world, and that their souls may perish in their ‘kufr’ (denial of Allah.)

Thus the decision of who amongst the believers are true and sincere believers in Allah and the Last Day, will only be decided by the One Who is All-Knowing, All-Seeing, and All-Mighty on the Day of Judgement! We as human beings do not have the right to ex-communicate any person who is born of muslim parents, or who declares the testimony of faith; unless and until he himself declares his apostasy openly. Unless and until he openly declares his apostasy, he will remain a ‘legal’ muslim in the sight of the world and of Shariah, and all the rights that are due to a muslim will be accorded to him.

And if one thinks deeply for a moment, he will realize the Mercy and Grace of Allah Subhanah on the Ummah! If we were given the right to ex-communicate every person who we thought had short-comings in his practicing of the deen, there would be absolute chaos and dis-order amongst the muslims! Everyone with an opinion would ex-communicate the other for any small thing, which is exactly what is happening in some ignorant segments of the muslim society today! Some ignorant Shias call the Sunnis ‘kaafirs’, some ignorant Sunnis call the Shias ‘kaafir’, some ignorant Hanafis call the Shafeis ‘kaafir’, etc.

But the true believers, whom Allah Subhanah has blessed with knowledge and guided them to the Straight Path and vastness of the Truth of Al-Islam acknowledge every person who is born of muslim parents, or who declares the ‘shahaadah’ even only once as a muslim and his brother-in-faith; and leaves the Real Decision to the One Who is All-Knowing, All-Seeing.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2526 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

The Prophet (saws) said: “Three things are the roots of faith: to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah" and not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any action.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2527 Narrated byAbu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said: “Striving in the path of Allah (jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious; the prayer is obligatory on you behind every believer, pious or impious, even if he commits grave sins; the (funeral) prayer is incumbent upon every Muslim, pious and impious, even if he commits major sins.”

Thus, if one has married a person who is a believer, the marriage will be considered legal and valid in the sight of Shariah.

Q-3: Now tell me am I really supposed to divorce this man because he doesnt want to pray or is there another option?

Of all the options available, divorce should always be the absolute last option the believers must take to solve a situation. First, you must, with extreme patience and politeness try to instill the fear of Allah Subhanah into your husband and remind him of the invaluable hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Jabir reports that the Prophet (saws) said, "Between a person and disbelief, is discarding prayer."

Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

Buraidah reported that the Prophet (saws) said, "The pact between us and them is prayer. Whoever abandons it is a disbeliever."

Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, anNasa'i and Ibn Majah.

You must be patient, and humbly and politely try to bring your husband to read the Holy Quran with understanding, so that he may fear the Day when everyone will be called to account for his deeds in the Presence of the All Mighty Lord and Creator.

Be patient and give your husband time to realize his grave error in abandoning his prayer, and with extreme humility and politeness constantly remind him of his duties to his Creator. And constantly and earnestly supplicate the Merciful Lord to have mercy on your husband and guide him to the Straight Path.

But if, and only if, you have done everything in your ability to convince him; and he still refuses adamantly to submit to his Lord and Creator in worship; you should even think of the divorce option! In such a situation, if you did seek divorce from such a husband who disregards his prayers intentionally, there will be absolutely no sin upon you.

But there is absolutely no ruling in Islam, whereby it becomes obligatory on the wife to divorce her husband if he refuses to pray. In the Court of Allah Subhanah, you will be accountable for your deeds, and your husband will be accountable for his deeds.

Q-4: The shig where we got married told me I'm not supposed to sleep with him untill he comes to his senses

The ‘shekih’ or scholar who says that it is forbidden for a believing wife to enjoy conjugal relations with her husband who does not pray, must be asked to produce his evidence for his ruling from the Quran and Sunnah!

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.460 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "If a husband calls his wife to his bed (i.e. to have sexual relation) and she refuses and causes him to sleep in anger, the Angels will curse her till morning."

As a God-fearing wife, you must fulfill all the duties and responsibilities of a believing wife towards your husband. If your husband disregards his obligatory prayers, it is he who will have to account for his deeds in the Court of Allah Subhanah; and you will be redeemed of the sins he has committed.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan