Home » Hanafi Fiqh » Muftisays.com » Can I marry a Muslim man without divorcing my American husband for legal status?

Can I marry a Muslim man without divorcing my American husband for legal status?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Muftisays.com
Assalamu alejkum,

In order to get legal status in the USA I have married to an American man. I pay him money for that and never had any intimate relationships with him, and I live far away from him. I converted to Islam half year after this marriage. So our marriage had nothing to do with Islam because I was not Muslim and my “husband” was and is not a Muslim. Now I would like to marry a Muslim guy (who doesn’t have any legal status) and wonder if I have to divorce this person I am married to now. I want to know is it halal or haram for me to marry (in mosque or in other country) without divorcing this man now. It’s been a year now since we’ve got married with him and I’ve got my first legal paper (I am in legal status now for the following 2 years if I don’t divorce). Staying married is the only way for me to be able study and to visit my family (they all are far away, back in my country), and if I divorce, I may not be able to see them for many years…

Assalam alajkum warahmatullahi wa baraketuh.

Answer
9th Rajab 1427 – 3rd August 2006
Bismihi Ta’aalaa

If three menstrual cycles have passed since your conversion to Islam you will be considered as divorced. You can now marry a Muslim man without obtaining an official divorce from your first husband.
(Radd-ul-Muhtaar Page 363, Vol 4 – Dar-ul-Kutub, Beirut)

Allah (SWT) Knows Best.
(Mufti) Abdullah Patel

————————————–
(Mufti) Abdullah Patel
Halal Food Guide

Original Source Link

This answer was collected from MuftiSays.com, based in London (UK). It is one of the fruits of Darul Uloom London. Many ‘ulama are involved in answering the Q&A on the site, including: Shaikul Hadeeth Mufti Umar Farooq Sahib, Mufti Saifur Rahman Sahib, Mufti Abdullah Patel Sahib, Maulana Qamruz Zaman Sahib, Mufti Abu Bakr Karolia Sahib.

Read answers with similar topics: