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:

Assalamalaikum warahamatullahi wabarakatahu.

Ive been receiving emails, sharing your knowledge Allah(swt) has given you with us. I am trying to seek help from you in regards to my Marriage. Long story short, i got married to my wife who had embraced islam 3yrs prior to my marriage. We were married for 4yrs when she decided to go back to live with her mother who lives in a another state. She has always been controlled by her mother who is non muslim. We moved to another state to live a better life and where my wife could be more close to islamic atmosphere. From our marriage we have a son who is 3 1/2 years. My wife is currently living with her parents and has filed for disolution of marriage and has taken my son. My wife after having a baby had stopped practicing islam, i tried to talk to her but would shut me off. For her talking to her parents comes first than offering her prayers. My son lives with his mother and non islamic grandparents. Im scared that he is following the wrong path.

Is there anyway my marriage could be stopped from falling apart....pls pls need help. I was reading your email about ""Challenge status of women in Islam" and after reading i thought inshaAllah if i could be helped.

JazakAllah.

(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:

Marriage to apostate woman

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.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2173 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘Of all the lawful acts’ the most detestable to Allah is divorce.’

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2172 Narrated by Muharib

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘Allah did not make anything lawful more abominable to Him than divorce.’

Respected brother, Islam has recognized that two human beings who at one time in their lives intended and committed to unite in the sacred institution of ‘nikaah’, might not get along for any reason and may wish to go their separate ways…..thus as detestable and disliked such a separation might be in the Sight of Allah Subhanah, separation through the institution of divorce is indeed considered lawful in Islam.

If the husband for any reason has made up his mind to divorce his wife, there is very little one can do to change his decision; similarly, if a wife for any reason has made up her mind to seek a divorce in the marriage, there is very little one can do to change her decision!

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.27 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet (saws) said, "A woman is married for four things, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religion. So you should marry the religious woman (otherwise) you will be a loser."

The time to thoroughly satisfy oneself with the quality and depth of her faith and the practice of her religion is before one agrees to marry the woman, not after four years into the marriage!

Respected brother in Islam, if your wife has stopped practicing Islam, and has herself initiated a ‘dissolution’ or divorce in the marriage…..it would only be piety and righteousness on your part that you accept her decision and free yourself from such an impious and non-God-fearing woman, and seek to marry another woman with whose quality of faith and practice of religion you are thoroughly satisfied with.

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