Marriage Between the Religious and Non-Religious
Question:
What is the position of a man who prays and marries a woman who doesn’t, and a woman who wears Niqab etc and marries a man who shaves the beard, for example?
Answer:
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) himself explained that the primary consideration in choosing a spouse should be their Deen.
In a Hadith recorded by many Hadith scholars, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said:
“A woman is married for four reasons: For her wealth, lineage, status and Deen. Choose the one who is religious.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
“Deen” is a very comprehensive word. It does not only mean praying and fasting. Rather, it relates to one’s entire conduct of life.
Therefore, it covers:
1) Belief (Aqidah)
2) Outward worship (Ibadaat)
3) Good character and manners (Akhlaq)
4) Good dealings with others (Mu’amalaat)
5) Turning to Allah in all affairs (Suluk)
Therefore, these are things one needs to consider when marrying someone. This is why one of the conditions for a legal match is that the Deen of the man be comparable to the Deen of the woman and her father.
If a religious woman married herself to an irreligious man without the consent and permission of her guardian, the Nikah will not be valid. However, in the visa-versa situation it will be valid. (See Radd al-Muhtar of Ibn Abidin).
And Allah Knows Best
[Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam
Darul Iftaa
Leicester , UK