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

i really appreciate the answers you have provided to fellow muslim brothers and sister.

My question i am trying to become a practising muslim in everyway possible i have a husband and 3 daughter(by the grace of allah subhanattalah) although my husband likes to call himself a muslim he does not practise his religion in any way- no prayers, listens to music and complains his life is very busy he has no time. He has a good heart but i know he purposfully oes not wish to practise his religion he can make time for other things ie. gym 5 times a week. What should i do if i try and say to him don't listen to music he says i am nagging i don't want to do that a persons imam  is there responsibility isn't it?? but i don't want his bad habits to rub off on the children.

can u advise plz.

jazakallah may allah reward u for ur efforts inshallah

(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:

Impious husband

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.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3090 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, 'When someone with whose (practice of) religion and character you are satisfied with asks your daughter in marriage, accede to his request. If you do not do so, there will be temptation on earth and extensive corruption.'

Respected sister in Islam, the time to thoroughly satisfy oneself with the character and the practice of religion of one’s husband is before one agrees to marry such a person, nor after one has married him! If you or your guardians did not take the required striving to investigate or had prior knowledge of your husband’s negligence in his practice of the ‘deen’, and you still chose to marry the person ….then obviously you have chosen to put yourself in a trial with your own hands and you have no one to blame but yourself.

Respected Sister, if you believe that your husband fears Allah and the Last Day in some corner of his heart, but for whatever reason is negligent in fulfilling even his obligatory duties unto his Lord Creator….and you have hope that in due time he would one day turn back to his Lord Creator in repentance and amend his conduct….then it would only be prudent that you strive your absolute utmost, with extreme patience and wisdom, at every given opportunity to instill the fear of Allah Subahnah into him…..and thus save your marriage.

But if after your best striving there is absolutely no change in the conduct of your husband, or you have totally lost hope that he will ever turn to his Lord in ‘taubah’ and amend his conduct, or you find that his non-practice of the religion puts your own belief and your own practice of religion on trial ….you are obviously well within your rights, as an absolute last option, to initiate a separation from him through the institution of divorce.

But as long as you have hope of that your husband might one day turn unto his Lord Most Merciful in ‘taubah’ and amend his conduct, and as long as you choose to remain united with him in the sacred bond of marriage…..you as a woman who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day must make sure that you fulfill all the rights of your husband in full. If you have done the necessary striving in reminding him to fear his Lord and amend his conduct, rest assured that he alone will be responsible for his deeds in the Presence of his Majestic Lord on that Tumultuous Day of Judgment.

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