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:

Assalaamalaium. i'm 21 years old. i did a very shamefull act i.e zina, i'm so afraid from the punishment of ALLAH. Now i'm praying everytime that i get married with that person only, he assured me that he'll marry me but the problem is that he is christian. everyday i'm praying that he should become muslim, a believer of ALLAH then i can marry him. Can i pray like that? I cannot marry any other man because i'm ashamed of myself and feel that every man wants his wife to be pure and good but if i marry any other man it would be like betraying him.

That christian boy loves me and is very good by nature, respects me and understands me well and helps others alot. The only and big problem is that he is not a muslim. Many non-muslims have become muslim by the grace of almighty so i was thinkin if i pray for him ALLAH may make him his believer. I'm very stressed regarding this please help me and pray for me.

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Answer:

Zina marry 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 Statement: i did a very shamefull act i.e zina, i'm so afraid from the punishment of ALLAH.

Respected sister in Islam, whatever deeds one might have done in one’s past, if one turns to Allah Subhanah in sincere ‘Taubah’ and seeks forgiveness, Allah Subhanah has promised in the Holy Quran that He will forgive all the sins of such a repentant believer, even if one has committed the gravest sin of all: ‘Shirk’! Not only that, our Lord is so Merciful and Generous, that He not only will forgive the sins of such sincerely repentant believers, He will change their evil deeds done into good deeds!

The conditions or ways to seek sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:

• One is aware that he has sinned, and feels sorry and ashamed at his sin.
• Makes a solemn covenant and promise with Allah that he will not repeat his sin again.
• Turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness, before he has met with his appointment of death.
• Is a believer and does righteous good deeds thereafter.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:

(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

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!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:

The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth. When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them, they say, “Peace to you”; (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord, save us from the torment of Hell, for its torment is killing! It is an evil abode, and an evil resting place”. (And those) who, when they spend are neither extravagant, nor miserly, but keep the golden mean between the two extremes. (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone, nor kill a soul unjustly, which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin, and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy; EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER THOSE SINS), AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. For then, Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds, and He is very Forgiving and Merciful. In fact, one who repents and does righteous deeds, returns to Allah as one rightly should!

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."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant's repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2339 Narrated by Abu Sa'id

Allah's Messenger (saws) said that the Shaytaan said, "By Thy Might, my Lord, I shall continue to lead Thy servants astray as long as their spirits are in their bodies!" The Lord, Who is Great and Glorious, replied, "By My Might, Glory and Exalted Station, I shall continue to pardon them as long as they ask My forgiveness!"

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6499 Narrated by Abu Dharr Ghaffari

Allah's Messenger (saws) said that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stated: “He who comes with goodness, there are in store for him ten like those and even more than those; and he who comes with vice, it is only for that that which he is called to account. I even forgive him as I like, and he who draws close to Me by the span of a palm, I draw close to him by the cubit; and he who draws close to Me by the cubit, I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands; and he who walks towards Me, I rush towards him; and he who meets Me in the state that his sins fill the earth, but not associating anything with Me, I would meet Him with the same (vastness) of pardon (on My behalf)."

Respected sister in Islam, if you are indeed sincere in seeking repentance for your transgressions, it is expected that you will find your Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Your Question: Now i'm praying everytime that i get married with that person only, he assured me that he'll marry me but the problem is that he is christian. everyday i'm praying that he should become muslim, a believer of ALLAH then i can marry him. Can i pray like that?

Respected sister in Islam, there is absolutely no harm if a believer supplicates their Lord to guide a disbeliever to the Truth of Al-Islam.

Your Statement: …..I cannot marry any other man because i'm ashamed of myself and feel that every man wants his wife to be pure and good but if i marry any other man it would be like betraying him.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

My dear and respected sister, if you turn back to your Lord in ‘taubah’ and seek sincere forgiveness for all your sins….rest absolutely assured that your Lord will completely purify you from your sins and erase those evil deeds from your ‘book of records’….rest absolutely assured that the sincere repentance of your sins will make you as pure as you were on the day you were born!

Your Question: I'm very stressed regarding this please help me and pray for me.

Respected sister in Islam, rather than making such a ‘rash’ decision that you will not marry anyone except the one who chooses to disbelieve in Allah and the Last Day, dishonored you, and committed the heinous sin of ‘zina’ with you…..it would only be prudence, piety and righteousness on your part that you distance yourself from such a person, keep your full trust and faith in your Lord, and beseech Him and Him Alone to provide you with what is pure and lawful for you.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 216:

216 ……But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah Knows and ye know not.

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