help

sal12

Junior Member
Assalamu alikum
Today a christian woman was asking em questions about marriage in Islam and when I told her that Islam allows men to marry christians and jews she asked me why women arent allowed to marry christian's and jews and I didn't know how to answer that. I've asked a similar question on tti before and was recommended a link to view about this issue and the article in the link basically said that it's because a man is more dominant and women tend to be more compromising so she may convert to christianity or judaism and also she may bring her kids up as non-muslims which would be haraam and also if a woman was to marry a non-muslim man then she may have to witness him consuming alcohol and pork etc.

However my point from this is that this could happen even if a muslim MAN married a christian or jewish WOMAN so in my opinion it's just not a strong argument.

The 1st point about the different nature in men and women isn't such a strong point either as this may not be true for everyone so how could I explain the reasons behind this topic to my christian friend?
 

ShyHijabi

Junior Member
Salaam,

I can't provide the link but will try to return later and do so. I read a fatwa where a scholar explained that we can demand the Muslim male to protect and treat his wife a certain way. So even if she is a Christian or Jew she still is entitled to the rights of a wife according to the Shriah law. This includes monetary support, responsibility to allow her to practice her religion without interference, and the limitations commanded to the man within marriage.

If the man is a non-Muslim we cannot demand he abide by the laws of Shariah in marriage. So in effect we are not protecting the Muslim woman by letting her marry a non-muslim male. He does not owe her a maher, he can demand she support the family while he lazes about, and there is nothing we as Muslims can do about it. There are many other reasons given by the scholars but this one really made sense to me in this modern day.

Wasalaam

~Sarah
 

gazkour

Junior Member
Assalamo alikom ra harmato Allah wa barakato

Just my view,

I think it's important to understand firstly the different roles women and men play in Islam. The man is to be the 'head', not just providing the material, but is the 'spiritual head' as well ( at least he should be). That is a very serious and vital role. He should be the one guarding his household from going astray in any manner. He should be the one giving a good example for his familiy to follow, and that applies to Christianity as well.

The rest should be common sense. Now think: if a muslim woman is married to a non muslim, the spiritual head is going to lead his family to which way? Which religion?Which rituals? He, most likely would want his kids to be his religion. He might respect the religion of his wife, but that's different; that's not enough for Allah. Allah has put men as heads, leaders, for our own protection, not humiliation. It depends on with which eyes you look at it.

What I heard is that muslim brothers can marry JUST chaste and pure women from the people of the Book, not just any person(which unfortunately happens a lot!). So it would be so haram to marry a woman that's going to be drinking and eating pork. Also one of the conditions of the marriage is that she should respect Islam and bring her kids up as muslims.

Allah knows best.

Assalamo alikom wa rahmato Allah wa barakato
 

massi

Junior Member
What I heard is that muslim brothers can marry JUST chaste and pure women from the people of the Book, not just any person(which unfortunately happens a lot!). So it would be so haram to marry a woman that's going to be drinking and eating pork. Also one of the conditions of the marriage is that she should respect Islam and bring her kids up as muslims.

Allah knows best.

Assalamo alikom wa rahmato Allah wa barakato
:salam2:
baraka Allaah o fika
i just want to make the matter more clear about woman who you can married from ppl of the book


Who are the women of the People of the Book whom Muslims are permitted to marry?

Question:
Thanks for answering my question. I want to know what you mean with marrying a Jew or christian who should had chastity? Does touching and kissing forbidden before marriage occurs? I have read in your anwers that you tell muslim that the woman should be chaste. Is this only with jew or christian girl or also, muslim woman? Does touching and kisssing are included when you refer to chastidy? What should be the advice given to a muslim boy that thinks touching is necessary before marriage?
I appreciate this to be confidencial. Thanks so much for helping me.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jareer al-Tabari gave a definition of muhsanah in Jaami’ al-Bayaan ‘an Ta’weel Aayi’l-Qur’aan (8/165):

“Muhsanah means the woman who is chaste and pure … one who is chaste and protects her private parts from committing immoral acts, as in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And Maryam, the daughter of ‘Imraan, who guarded her chastity…’ [al-Tahreem 66:12], meaning that she kept herself above suspicious actions and protected herself from immoral conduct.”

Then he discussed the interpretation of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): ‘… (lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time…’ [al-Maa’idah 5:5]

He said that some others said that what was meant by this aayah (‘… (lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time…’) is chaste women from both groups, whether they were slaves or free. Those who were of this opinion considered it permissible to marry slave women who were Jews or Christians who practised their religions, because of this aayah, but they considered it haraam to marry promiscuous women, whether they were Muslims or from the People of the Book. Then he mentioned reports to support this opinion.

He also said: ‘There was some dispute among the scholars about the interpretation of the phrase and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time…- was this general or specific in application? Some said that it is general and applies to all chaste women, because muhsanaat means chaste women, and a Muslim is allowed to marry any woman of the People of the Book, free or slave, from a country whose people are engaged in hostilities with Islam or from a community which is living under Islamic rule. They use as evidence for this the apparent meaning of the phrase and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time… - taking muhsanaat to mean any chaste woman, whoever she may be. This is the opinion of those who take muhsanaat to mean “chaste women” in this context.

Others say that it refers only to the women of Jewish and Christian communities who are living under Islamic rule. As regards those living in regions that are hostile to Islam, Muslims are not permitted to marry such women.

He mentions an important condition for marrying a woman of the People of the Book, which every Muslim who wants to marry such a woman in a non-Muslim country should pay attention to. This condition is that he should be in a position where he is not afraid that his child will be forced into kufr.

One of the obvious implications of this in our time is that a Muslim should not put himself in a position where he will be forced to raise his child as a kaafir in a non-Muslim country, where a child may be forced to study something about Christianity, for example, or he may be taken to church on Sundays, or the law may be on the side of the non-Muslim woman, allowing her to take her child wherever she wants and raise him in her family’s religion, etc. We ask Allaah to keep us safe from all that and we seek refuge with Him from being forsaken.

Shaykh al-Sa’di said in his Tafseer (commentary on the Qur’aan), 1/458:

“‘… (lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women – i.e., free and chaste - from the believers and chaste women –free and chaste - from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time…’ i.e., from among the Jews and Christians. This is adding specific details to the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And do not marry al-mushrikaat (idolatresses, etc.) till they believe (worship Allaah alone)…’ [al-Baqarah 2:221].”

As for promiscuous women, those who do not keep themselves chaste and free from immoral sexual conduct, it is not permitted to marry them, whether they are Muslims or from among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), unless they repent, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Let no man guilty of fornication or adultery marry any but a woman similarly guilty, or an unbeliever: nor let any but such a man or an unbeliever marry such a woman: to the Believers such a thing is forbidden.” [al-Noor 24:3]

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=2527&dgn=3
 
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