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:

Dear Brother In Islam

Assalamu wa alalilkum wa rahmattullah hi wa barkatuhu

I enjoy reading and learning from your question and answers.  Please answer this question.  I am a convert - I believe Allah guided me to this religion because I had been intensely praying for quidance.  But when I had my nikkah I was a few weeks pregnant.  I would like to know if my son can lead prayers.  He is a very religous boy.  What I have heard is that I should not have had nikah during pregnancy and that my nikah is invalid.  I know I commited sin and ask for Allah forgives as much as possible, I was not aware of these things.  In fact I was ignorant of a lot of things which I learnt after getting married and becoming a Muslim.  I feel bad that my child should be punished for my sins.

(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:

Pregnant before nikaah

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.

Your Statement: I am a convert - I believe Allah guided me to this religion because I had been intensely praying for quidance.

May Allah Subhanah bless and grace your reversion to the Truth of Al-Islam, and make it a source for your success in this world and the hereafter.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 29 Surah Ankabut verse 69:And those who strive in Our (Cause) We will certainly guide them to Our Paths: for verily Allah is with those who do right.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verses 125-126:So (the fact is that) whomever Allah wills to guide aright, He makes his breast wide open to Islam. And whomever He wills to let go astray, He makes his breast narrow and squeezes it so tight that (at the very idea of Islam) he begins to feel as if his soul were climbing up towards the sky. Thus Allah puts the wrath over those who do not believe, whereas this Way is the Straight Way of your Lord, and We have made its Signs quite clear for those who are open to advice.

Your Question: But when I had my nikkah I was a few weeks pregnant.  I would like to know if my son can lead prayers. He is a very religous boy.

Conversion to Al-Islam wipes out all the sins prior to the conversion! Besides, if you sincerely sought repentance from the Merciful Lord for your act of sin, you will Insha Allah, find the Merciful Lord Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Your son will not bear any responsibility nor be discriminated for any of your actions, and his leading the prayers has absolutely no bearings on whether you were pregnant or not before your nikaah. If he is chosen as the ‘imam’ to lead the prayers, his and the prayers of the believers who pray behind him are absolutely valid and legitimate.

Your Question: What I have heard is that I should not have had nikah during pregnancy and that my nikah is invalid. I know I commited sin and ask for Allah forgives as much as possible, I was not aware of these things.  In fact I was ignorant of a lot of things which I learnt after getting married and becoming a Muslim.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

If one commits a sin in ignorance, and subsequently seeks sincere repentance from the Merciful Lord and amends his/her conduct; it is expected that the Merciful Lord will wipe out their sins completely. It is obvious from your statements that you are sincerely repentant for your deeds done in ignorance in the past and have sought forgiveness from the One Who Forgives all sins. May Allah Subhanah accept your repentance and reward you generously in this world and the Hereafter.

Whether or not one is pregnant at the time of nikaah, has absolutely no bearing on the legality and validity of the nikaah. If the nikaah met all the conditions of Shariah like proposal and acceptance, the determination of mehr, and the presence of two witnesses to the contract, etc.; the Nikaah will be deemed valid and legal in the sight of Shariah. The woman being pregnant at the time of nikaah has absolutely no bearing on its validity.

P.S. : Beloved sister in Islam, we have obviously assumed that you were pregnant with the child of the same person whom you subsequently married and our answer is based on that assumption.

If you were married to a person and were pregnant with his child, and subsequently did nikaah with another person, then the legal ruling and implications will be completely different!

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