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Can I marry such a lady?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

Salam. I (31 years old) am muslim from Asian muslim country. I like one Chinese girl (27 years old) and she also like me. We met each other in some non-muslim Asian country for studies. I am not good practicing muslim but I am muslim Alhamdulillah, I consider Prophet Muhammad PBUH as a role model and Islam as best system of life for myself and for whole world. My friend and her family has no religion and she has not been taught about any religion before. She is traditional educated Chinese but very open minded.

I gave dawa to my friend and tried to made her understand about Islam and its relationship with previous religions. Two (2) years have passed I started relationship with her, my intentions was only to make her muslim and if she wants I can make her my wife. As I am not good practicing muslim and also due to worse condition of muslims (politically, economically, peacefully), I think she has not been much motivated to accept Islam.

Now she say that she believes in God, before she had no concept of God. In addition to this, she want to marry me and she wanted to accept Islam for marriage. She agree with few things in Islam and she do not agree with few things, I do not know all differences and I could not mention all here what I know. But some of  major things she mentioned for marriage are 1) She told me that she want to accept islam like some of Chinese muslims who are not strict in practicing islam, her chinese friend also married to Chinese muslim man but they have not done Nikah. So she wanted to marry without Nikah. 2) She told me that after marriage she will never fast in Ramadan, and I should not force her to fast. 3) She also told me that I will not force her for daily prayers after marriage. 4) She told me that if we have children after marriage then we will not teach them Islam and children should decide about their religion when they become young. 5) She is not very happy about freedom of women in muslim countries. 6) She told me many times that there is too much cultural difference between China and asian muslim countries. 7) She do not want to live in any muslim country. Its Ok for me I can live in any country with her if we get married because I have no bounding in my own country and family. 8) sometimes she say that ”she do not believe in hereafter because she do not have enough knowledge about it”. But recently she said that she knows if she believe in God then she has to believe in hereafter. 9) Sometimes she say Islam should update itself with modern world. She thinks current downfall of muslim countries is because of Islamic teachings. Means because of Islamic teachings muslims could not catch up with modern world in economy, science and technology and development.

My experience says she is nice, natural, good heart girl but due to living in china and her company she could not understand about reality of life, world, God, hereafter, islam etc. Also nobody has taught her so. She has been very busy in her research but she has tried to understand about Islam after meeting me from internet and without any scholar or proper dawah. I am also not good practicing muslim and not well knowledgeable person but I tried my best. But I try to pray 5 times and believe in Islamic social, political and economic system and world peace, universal brotherhood etc.

She wanted to marry me, recently she said twice that I am best man for her in world J. Personally I also wanted to marry her. Sometimes I think she is innocent and she will learn more about islam with time but sometimes I think she is not accepting islam from her heart and she only want to accept islam for marriage.

I have explained briefly about her and now I need your opinion that should I marry her or not, keeping in mind my and her future life and hereafter?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

As-salaamu `alaykum wa-ramatullahi wa-barakatuh.

In principle, it is not permissible to marry the Chinese woman until she truly accept Islaam and the fundamental beliefs of Islaam. The fundamental beliefs of Islaam are the following;

  1. Belief in the existence of Allah.
  2. Belief in the Oneness of Allah and His great attributes.
  3. Belief in the angels and the previous books given to the previous prophets.
  4. Belief in the Quraan as the speech of Allah revealed to Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa sallam.
  5. Belief in Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa sallam as the last prophet.
  6. Belief in life after death, jannah and jahannum.[1]

The religion of Islaam has a natural and logical approach.

Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa sallam has said;

 كل مولود يولد على الفطرة[2]

“Every new born is born on a natural disposition”

The woman in reference has been brought up in an un-islamic environment, with no proper knowledge of Allah and Islaam. If she was brought up in a pure environment, she would have understood and accepted Islaam.

You may consider identifying a suitable Muslim woman who is educated on Islaam and related issues to explain her about Islaam. She will not get a satisfactory understanding of Islaam through her own research on the internet.

We take note of your inclination to the woman and your desire to marry her. You should first be sensitive to safeguard your Imaan before being sympathetic to the woman. If she wants to marry you, make it clear that she has to truly accept the fundamental beliefs in Islaam. You could assure her that practicing on Islaam is easy and enjoyable and that you will give her all the necessary support to understand Islaam and to practice on Islaam. You should also explain to her that there is difference between Islaam and Muslims. The practice of some Muslims and Governments do not necessarily represent the correct practice of Islaam, she should not be afraid and reluctant to accept Islaam.

And Allah Ta`ala Knows Best.

Hussein Muhammad.

Student Darul Iftaa

Arusha, Tanzania

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

_______


[1]

شرح الطحاوية – ط الأوقاف السعودية (ص: 276)

قوْلُهُ: (وَنُؤْمِنُ بِالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ، وَالْكُتُبِ الْمُنَزَّلَةِ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى الْحَقِّ الْمُبِينِ).

ش: هَذِهِ الْأُمُورُ مِنْ أَرْكَانِ الْإِيمَانِ، قَالَ تَعَالَى: {آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ} (2) – الْآيَاتِ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {لَيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ} (3) – الْآيَةَ.

فَجَعَلَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى الْإِيمَانَ هُوَ الْإِيمَانَ بِهَذِهِ الْجُمْلَةِ، وَسَمَّى مَنْ آمَنَ بِهَذِهِ الْجُمْلَةِ مُؤْمِنِينَ، كَمَا جَعَلَ الْكَافِرِينَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بِهَذِهِ الْجُمْلَةِ، بِقَوْلِهِ: {وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا} (4). وَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فِي الْحَدِيثِ المتفق على صحته، حديث جبرائيل وَسُؤَالِهِ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ، فَقَالَ: «أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ». فَهَذِهِ الْأُصُولُ الَّتِي اتَّفَقَتْ عَلَيْهَا الْأَنْبِيَاءُ وَالرُّسُلُ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَسَلَامُهُ، وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِهَا حَقِيقَةَ الْإِيمَانِ إِلَّا أَتْبَاعُ الرُّسُلِ

 

شرح الطحاوية ت الأرناؤوط (2/ 401)

قَوْلُهُ: (وَنُؤْمِنُ بِالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ، وَالْكُتُبِ الْمُنَزَّلَةِ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى الْحَقِّ الْمُبِينِ) . ش: هَذِهِ الْأُمُورُ مِنْ أَرْكَانِ الْإِيمَانِ، قَالَ تَعَالَى: {آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ} [الْبَقَرَةِ: 285] الْآيَاتِ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {لَيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ} [الْبَقَرَةِ: 177] الْآيَةَ.

 

[2]

مستخرج أبي عوانة ط الجامعة الإسلامية (20/ 272)

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