My sister met a man from University he came to my parents stating he was Christian but willing to become Muslim we were pleased for her and him. Therefore, my parents allowed her to get married to him. Then one day we whilst speaking he accidentally slipped in his conversation and we found out he had been attending church on a regular basis. We questioned him about his religion he refused to answer and declared he does not want to speak about religion anymore because this is his personal belief.
They have no children together; he does not pray or attend the mosque to any degree for any event despite we invite him. My sister loves him and is also keeping quiet when asked about his religion she maintains he is a weak muslim. She also knows in order for her to remain married to him he must be muslim and has been caught lying before.
Should we continue to give him the benefit of the doubt to please my sister and keep family peace since we do not know what is in his heart ?
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, one may marry a person who has converted to Islam. Such a person is now a Muslim and one should not doubt the Islam of a convert.
However, a Muslim is not permitted to conceal his faith unnecessarily. Iman is not merely a matter of personal belief. Verbal acknowledgment of faith upon inquiry is an essential aspect of Islam.
Accordingly, if the convert in reference has apostatized, his marriage to your sister is invalidated. Your sister should be advised with wisdom to separate from him immediately. She should be advised of the grave consequences of living with a man out of wedlock.
Ask Allah to inspire your sister to live according to His commands and to guide the man to the true path.
If the man repents and reverts to Islam, then the nikah will have to be performed again.
It is also important to educate him about Islam. He should be advised that as Muslims, there is no concept of dual faith. A Muslim must have singular faith in Allah and His Messenger. The essence of converting to Islam is to submit to Allah’s commands while renouncing all other faiths and beliefs. If a person does not renounce beliefs contrary to the teachings of Islam, he has not submitted to Allah, and he cannot be considered Muslim.
And Allah Ta‘ālā Knows Best.
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.