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:

Assalaamoalaikum,

It has always been a pleasing and enlightening experience to access your website for various useful information and guidance with respect to Islam. I have today a very critical question to ask :

If a man converts to Islam at the age of 50 and has a wife and quite old adult children who are non believers (in this case Christians), what are the obligations of this man towards his non-believing wife and children ? if he tries to convince them about converting to Islam with all his efforts in vain, what should be his further course of action with respect to his life and bond with them. As this man has become a believer with all his heart and soul and has engaged himself totally in following Islam, in order to move forward with his Islamic life and Islamic ways, seeking a true Islamic partner he has married a believing Lady who is helping him now and teaching him the Islamic ways of life. what does Quran say about having relationship and oblgations towards a man`s non-believing wife and children ?

Awiating your guidance in the matter.

(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:

Revert marriage to christian

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: what does Quran say about having relationship and oblgations towards a man`s non-believing wife and children ?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 5:

5 This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers but chaste women among the People of the Book revealed before your time when ye give them their due dowers and desire chastity not lewdness nor secret intrigues. If anyone rejects faith fruitless is his work and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).

Dear and beloved brother, a marriage between a believer and a chaste woman from amongst the ‘People of the Book’ (Jews or Christians) is considered an absolutely valid and lawful marriage in the Sight of Shariah Law, even if the wife does not accept Islam and chooses to follow her own religion.

Thus if one who was formally a ‘Christian’ and Allah blesses the person to accept Islam, his acceptance to the fold of Islam does not effect the validity of his marriage to his Christian wife in the least.

The believing husband is well within his rights to maintain the sacred bond of marriage with his Christian wife, even if she does not accept his call to become a muslim and intends to practice her own religion. The believing husband should fulfill all the rights and duties that are due from him unto his wife and his children, and strive his best to invite them to the Truth of Islam until Allah Decrees death to separate them.

The acceptance of a man who was formally a Christian does not effect the validity or legality of his prior marriage to his Christian wife, for it is considered lawful in Islam for a believer to marry a woman from amongst the ‘People of the Book’ (Jews and Christians).

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan