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:

If someone is marrying outside of Islam but they are doing a nikaa, does the non muslim have to covert to Islam before the nikaa ceremony is done?

(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:

Nikaah and conversion to Islam

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) 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 an unbelieving woman even though she allure you. Nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe: a man slave who believes is better than un unbeliever even though he allure you. Unbelievers 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.

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

In light of the above clear guidance of the Glorious Quran, it is absolutely forbidden for a believing woman to marry an unbelieving man, unless he first declares belief; and similarly it is absolutely forbidden for a believing man to marry an unbelieving woman (except a Jew or a Christian), unless she first declares belief. Allah Subhanah has permitted the believing men to marry chaste women from amongst the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), even if they don’t declare belief.

Your Question: If someone is marrying outside of Islam but they are doing a nikaa, does the non muslim have to covert to Islam before the nikaa ceremony is done?

If a believing woman wishes to perform her ‘nikaah’ with a man who is a disbeliever, then it is a precondition that the man must declare belief and convert to Islam before the Nikaah ceremony.

If a believing man wishes to perform ‘nikaah’ with a woman who is a disbeliever (except if she is a Jew or a Christian), then it is a precondition that the woman must declare belief and convert to Islam before the Nikaah ceremony.

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