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:

when a woman converts to Islam and is married to a Christian who refuses to accept and convert to Islam , what is the status then of her marriage to him since a muslima can`t marry a non-muslim man? 

(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:

Christian woman married and reverts

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.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 221:

221 Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters) until they believe; a slave woman who believes is better than a disbelieving woman even though she allures you. Nor marry (your girls) to disbelievers until they believe: a man slave who believes is better than a disbeliever even though he allures you. Disbelievers do (but) beckon you to the Fire. But Allah beckons by His Grace to the Garden (of Bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind: that they may celebrate His Praise.

It is indeed categorically prohibited and unlawful in Shariah for a believing woman to marry a disbeliever.

If the couple were both disbelievers at the time of their marriage, and subsequently the Lord blessed one amongst them to accept Islam as their way of life, the believing spouse should invite and ask the disbelieving spouse to accept Islam. If the disbelieving spouse does not accept their invitation to accept Islam, that marriage would be considered null and void in the Sight of Shariah Law and in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

A believing woman can neither marry a disbeliever, nor can a believing woman remain married to a disbeliever in Shariah Law.

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