Question
My cousin from West Africa has married a non-Muslim woman in the U.S.A. to enable him to obtain citizenship rights. He has a child by his wife. The child is brought up as a non-Muslim and the Muslim father has no objections. He has proposed marriage woth my sister. However, the elders here say that the marriage will not be valid because the man has become a murtad. Please advise.
Answer
If the non-Muslim woman to whom your cousin is married is a Jew or a Christian (not an atheist), then although it is not permissible to marry such a woman, nevertheless, the Nikah will be valid. If the husband allows his child to be raised as a kaafir despite having the ability to prevent this, then he too becomes a kaafir. In this case, your sister's marriage with him will not be valid.
- Source
- themajlis.co.za
- Published in
- The Majlis Vol 20 No 12
- PDF page
- 4
Appears under Questions and Answers (approximate).