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To marry a Christian woman, or to wait for a Muslim woman?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

Asalamu alaikum I have been searching for a Muslim woman for marriage but unfortunately i have not found one that pleases me. In the process i have met a Christian woman who i do like. She doesnt believe that Jesus (pbuh) is the son of God and she doesnt drink alcohol and she is chaste. Should i wait and pray to Allah to help me find a Muslim wife or should i propose to the Christian woman?

Answer

Kindly refer below marriage to ‘Ahlul Kitaab’.

If you have the patience, we advise you exercise restraint and seek a Muslim
woman as compatibility in marriage is necessary to maintain a balanced
marriage life.

and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.

It is not permissible for a Muslim female to marry a non-Muslim male.
However, a Muslim male may marry only Christian or Jewish female. It is not
permissible for a Muslim male to marry any other non-Muslim female.

The reason it is permissible for the Muslim male to marry a non-Muslim
female is that he would be able to easily convince the Christian or Jewish
wife into accepting Islam. There is a possibility of the non-Muslim male
convincing his Muslim wife into abandoning Islam. Therefore, Islam has
considered her feminine nature and protected her correct beliefs from being
a victim of abuse from the male dominance.

The Muslim husband is not obliged to pressurise his Christian/Jewish wife to
accept Islam. He may apply wisdom and diplomacy and only influence her to
Islam. In Islam, a female is equally respected as a male, however, due to
the different masculine and feminine natures, Islam believes in separation
of roles. It is obvious that there are many things a male can do, which is
not easily possible for a female and vice versa.

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This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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