Is he muslim or not?

[ShahnazZ]

:salam2: I hope you're all doing well inshAllah,

I haven't been online recently as life has been handing me quite the curveballs lately lol. Alhamdulillah, I'm fine though and I needed to vent on a recent event that occurred in my family.

I just recently learned that my 17-year old cousin (who I prided on being a wonderful muslimah and hijabi) went and had a nikkah done with an 18-year old guy a month ago. Now, there would be no problem on my part about that had the guy been MUSLIM. See, she was in love with this boy for an entire year prior to this (didn't commit any haram though alhamdulillah) and when her family learned about this and asked her to stop seeing him, she told them that she couldn't give him up. Now her parents aren't the best of parents and feel guilty about alot of mistakes they made while raising their children so I guess you could say they were "guilted" into letting her stay with him. However, they asked that she make it halal and have a nikkah done with him so that any relationship between them would be justified in the "eyes of Allah." So prior to the actual nikkah, this guy said the shahada in front of my cousin and her entire family and then their nikkah was performed. As of now, she currently resides at home with her family and he with his but they see and visit each other as a couple normally would.

My issue with this is that this guy clearly became Muslim in order to marry my cousin and not for himself or Allah. Others are telling me to tell her to divorce him immediately; however the situation is not as easy as it seems and there's no way she will give him up. She's also already faced enough opposition and literally has no one to help her and I fear that if I were to voice my concern it would push her away from me and thus, she wouldn't listen to any voice of reason. I would like to know if this boy is genuinely considered a Muslim in the eyes of Allah, even if he said the shahadah in order to marry this girl. Although I personally believe that he is not, others have told me in the past that only Allah knows what is in the hearts of those who say the shahadah and that I should not judge. Wallahu alam.

JazakAllah Khair.

 

[samiha]

Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatullah

I looked up on this and the answer seems to be that IF the person follows up their Shahadah with correct actions and seems to be following Islaam then they have to be accepted as a Muslim and left alone, since we are told not to judge what is in the hearts but what is apparant by the actions. The following quote shows that:

Question: I was told that if a person was to become a Muslim, to get married to a muslim girl for example, even if not truly out of faith, then it is still accepted by God. Since this way one more person is becoming a Muslim, and especially that his children would be Muslims instead of Christians for example. So what do u say about that?

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

The basis of faith is in the hearts, and so the intention plays a major role in Islamic sharee’ah. This is indicated in the hadeeth which the scholars regard as half of the religion of Islam, and with which many scholars begin their books, such as al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) in his Saheeh. He narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Actions are but by intention and each person will have but that which he intended. So whoever migrated for some worldly purpose or for the sake of a woman whom he could marry, his migration was for the purpose that he intended.” (al-Bukhaari, 1). According to the version narrated by Muslim, “So whoever migrated for the sake of Allaah and His Messenger, his migration was for the sake of Allaah and His Messenger, and whoever migrated for some worldly purpose or for the sake of a woman whom he could marry, his migration was for the purpose that he intended.” (Muslim, 2530). Based on the above, this matter may be examined from two angles:

The first has to do with the acceptance of this person’s Islam by Allaah. The hadeeth indicates that it will not be accepted if this (marrying a woman) is the only intention that he has and faith has not entered his heart.

The second has to do with applying the rulings of Islam to him. If this person utters the Shahaadatayn and follows the teachings of Islam, and does not do anything that would nullify his Islam, then he should be treated like any other Muslim, and his marriage to this Muslim woman may be accepted. That is because we are commanded by sharee’ah to deal with people according to how they appear to be; we are not commanded to enquire into what is in their hearts. It says in the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: I was not commanded to enquire into what is in people’s hearts or to find out their secrets.” (al-Bukhaari, 4004; Muslim, 1763).

Perhaps if this person enters Islam, even if it is with this intention, he will look at the perfection of Islam and be encouraged to form a sincere intention, so he will become sincere towards Allaah and become a good Muslim, and Allaah will accept his Islam. Those who are in touch with this person can advise him to make sure that his intention is primarily to seek the pleasure of Allaah and to enter into Islam truly, and his marriage will then be a consequence or a means of his entering into the blessing of Islam, and not an aim in and of itself. This girl could make marriage to her a means of encouraging him to become Muslim, as happened in the case of Umm Sulaym (may Allaah be pleased with her) and her marriage to Abu Talhah (may Allaah be pleased with him). It was narrated that Anas said: “Abu Talhah married Umm Sulaym, and the dowry between them was Islam. Umm Sulaym had become Muslim before Abu Talhah. He proposed marriage to her and she said, ‘I have become Muslim; if you become Muslim I will marry you.’ So he became Muslim and that was the dowry between them.” (al-Nasaa’i, 3288; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa’i, 3133).

With regard to the reason for accepting him – as mentioned in the question – being to increase the number of Muslims, this is not correct, because increasing the number of Muslims, even though this is something good and desirable, is not a reason for accepting anyone who claims to be a Muslim but does not really believe in Islam, because Islam is concerned with quality as well as quantity, it is not concerned only with quantity. One person who sincerely believes in the religion is better than a thousand who are lying about it.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

So they say even though the intention at the onset my have not been correct - it may become clear, but the only basis on which we can judge them is by their actions. So you both / all could check his actions after this, as in does he pray? Does he try to learn more about Islaam? Is he really trying to be Muslim? Many people accept Islaam from a haraam relationships but later do become good Muslims, sometimes even better than the one for whom they became Muslim.

If this young man declares his Islam and you fear that he is not sincere in his Islam, remember what Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them; Allaah knows best as to their Faith, then if you ascertain that they are true believers send them not back to the disbelievers. They are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers nor are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them.” [al-Mumtahinah 60:10]

So he could be tested by asking him about Allaah, His religion, and His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and about the religion that he claims to have left.

You could also make sure of his Islam by watching to see if he persists in the obligatory acts of worship, such as prayer – especially if there is a mosque nearby – and fasting.

If a person – especially a new Muslim – is really serious about Islam, this will also manifest itself in other ways, such as whether he bothers to ask questions about the rulings on halaal and haraam.

He will also be concerned about changing the way he is, such as ridding himself of kaafir rituals and giving up things that are munkar and haraam that he used to do before he was Muslim.

Whether he is truly Muslim will also be seen from the way he hates the kufr that he used to follow before. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three things, whoever attains them will find the sweetness of faith: when Allaah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than anyone else; when he loves a person and loves him only for the sake of Allaah; and when he would hate to return to kufr after Allaah has saved him from it, as he would hate to be thrown into the fire.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 21).

We also want to be sure that there is no forbidden relationship, because a Muslim woman is not permitted to do this. She should not touch or be alone with a non-mahram man (one to whom she is not married or related by close blood ties). We ask Allaah to choose good for you and to decree it for you and to keep you safe from all evil. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Source

At the same time I think she should realize that the action was wrong. I dont know how that realization would be brought though. I mean Allah knows best, but she too should also realize that what went on before was Haraam. It doesnt matter whether now it is halaal or not, because it seems she would have been willing to continue with the Haraam perhaps had she not been told otherwise. Allah knows best. I'm not in the position to say anymore so that's all my input.

wasalam

 

[amirah80]

:salam2:

Even though he was not muslim at first and took the shahadah prior to marrying your cousin cannot be intrepretated as him only accepting Islam to marry her. He could have been thinking about converting and decided to make it official at that time, Allahu Alim. So, what his intentions were when he took the shahadah cannot concern you because that is between him and Allah. Instead of trying to figure out what his intentions are try focusing on the importance of him accepting Islam and your cousin no longer being in a haram relationship. I would not recommend going to your cousin to say divorce him because the point you would reference has no bases being you could never be certain whats in his heart. Allah guides who he wills and he can guide them at whatever time he pleases. Just try to be happy for your cousin and make Du'aa for her and her relationship with her new muslim husband.

Wasalam Amirah

 

[boymuh]

:... this guy said the shahada in front of my cousin and her entire family and then their nikkah was performed. ...

... others have told me in the past that only Allah knows what is in the hearts of those who say the shahadah and that I should not judge. Wallahu alam.

JazakAllah Khair.

The quote above, that's your answer. No one knows what lies in hearts or how its going to be.
Please, continue your dakwah on your new cousin in law, your cousin, her family, etc., etc. ...
Don't give up & never give up!

Wallahu'alam.

Wassalaam.

 

[cmelbouzaidi]

:salam2: agree 100%, we cannot judge another's heart intention Insha Allah, the young man will begin to love ALLAH and Islam for the right reasons, this is the case with many reverts who may enter Islam initially to please another person but then do their research and become better Muslims than one would have thought possible, Alhamdulillah. So, don't sweat it and be a good role model for the young man, please

 

[Al-Kashmiri]

As-salaamu `alaykum.

Allaah knows best, this isn't the first or second instance of this. One point that must be stressed, is that we do not make takfeer of anyone, even in these situations as we don't know what went through the man's heart, if he actually believes in the shahaadah or said it for the sake of marriage. Perhaps the reality will be presented in the couple's married lives. Jazaak Allaahu khayran for the fataawaa.