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:

I have been married for 15 years and I have 5 wonderful children.  My husband is an American convert. He converted to Islam before we got married and I Know that he was sincere in his faith.  We made hajj together and Umra also different times.  He was very serious with his prayers and all his religious duties.  I'am also very religious and I teach my children the Quran and I send them to an islamic school.  But lately my husband changed and he did not fast ramadan and stopped praying for about 2 1/2 months and he started drinking a lot and going out to prohibited places. 

I try to talk to him and be patient with him but he is still doing the same things and he told me that he doesn't believe any more because Islam  does not make sense to him any more.  I don't know what to do please advise me.  I told him that I shouldn't be with him if he doesn't believe and he tells me that he can not make himself believe and that he can not live a lie wich I agree with him since I want him to be a true beliver and practice islam.  Do I have to ask for divorce because I do not want to live in sin if I'am not suppose to be with him or shall I wait to see if he is going to change his mind..  I do not want divorce because I know that it will hurt my kids a lot and it might even shake their fate if they know about the reason of the divorce but I also fear God and want to do what's right so please answer me as soon as possible.

I tried to get him to talk to an iman or a friend about what's confusing him but he refuses.

Jahakum Allah khairn

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Answer:

Married to revert who turns apostate

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.

Respected sister in Islam, if your husband is disobedient to Allah Subhanah and has involved himself in sin….then he is a sinner and obviously there is always a chance that a sinner might turn unto his Lord Creator in ‘taubah’ and repent for his sins.

But if your husband has clearly declared that he does not believe in Allah, or the appointment of His Last Messenger (saws), or in Islam….or verbally declared his intention to become an apostate…..then his marriage with a believing woman would, at his declaration of apostasy, be immediately and instantly annulled in the Sight of Allah Subhanah and in the Sight of Shariah Law.

Thus respected sister, you need to be extremely sure regarding the intentions of your husband…..if he has himself not verbally declared apostasy, but is constantly transgressing the prescribed Boundaries of Allah Subhanah….it would not effect the validity of your marriage.

But if he has himself verbally and intentionally declared apostasy and disbelief in Allah, His Messenger (saws), or in Islam….your marriage with him would be instantly and immediately annulled at his declaration of apostasy in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

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