Interfaith marriages

[Awesome]

The last para is of the obvious interest. So marrying another religions person is for those who do not have faith in islam. So does the muslim person continues his/her normal life and the non-muslim partner continues her/his non-muslim character, without any legal problem. But my important question is, is the marriage sanctioned and what is the status/options of religion for the child

Yaar marriage will be sanctioned by the state law. But it (probably) won't be in the eyes of God...

About the child again, the Muslim parent is Islamically obligated to indoctrinate the child towards Islam. But if he/she themselves weren't much into it, then its unlikely that the child would be. Options are open nonetheless, anyone can become a Muslim if he or she chooses to.

yes, there are social consequences everywhere, which was not I was referring to. I was more interested in the legal standings and the consequences/punishments there of, i.e. essentially the first part. I also understand that most of you are not ulemas and as such I need to have an amount of caution.

See these things are opinion based. Mind you different laws might still go against the person. Sex out of wedlock is forbidden in Muslim countries, anyway. Although the women empowerment bill introduced by Musharraf makes it near impossible to prove pre-marital, extra-marital sex, but if you are living together as husband and wife without a marriage certificate then it is easily provable.

Muslim Family laws dictate:

(1) Every marriage solemnized under Muslim Law shall be registered in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance.

(2) For the purpose of registration of marriage under this Ordinance, the Union Council shall grant licenses to one or more persons, to be called Nikah Registrars, but in no case shall more than on Nikah Registrar be licensed for any one Ward.

(3) Every marriage not solemnized by the Nikah Registrar shall, for the purpose of registration under this Ordinance be reported to him by the person who has solemnized such marriage.

(4). Whoever contravenes the provisions of such-section (3) shall be punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extent to three months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.

(5). The form of nikahnama, the registers to be maintained by Nikah Registrars, the records to be preserved by Union Councils, the manner in which marriage shall be registered and copies of nikhanama shall be supplied to parties, and the fees to be charged thereof, shall be such as may be prescribed.

(6) Any person may, on payment of the prescribed fee, if any, inspect at the office of the Union Council the record preserved under sub-section (5), or obtain a copy of any entry therein.

Again if the non-Muslim is agreeing to Nikah, then he/she is agreeing to become Muslim as well.

I think you would have to conclude that it is technically possible by fooling the law, but legally and in the eyes of God it is invalid.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I think this verse finalizes what I've been trying to say. Religiously its not permissible by anyone to marry a non-Muslim.

I believe you are wrong about that Asim.

The verse you quoted only refers to not marrying "idolaters" - it does not restrict marriage to Muslims only.

002.221
YUSUFALI: Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe: A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allures you.

In the following verse, the Quran expands upon who is permissible to wed.

005.005
YUSUFALI: This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time,- when ye give them their due dowers, and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues if any one rejects faith, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good).

"chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time" quite clearly opens up marriage to, at the very least, Jews and Christians.

 

[Awesome]

I believe you are wrong about that Asim.

The verse you quoted only refers to not marrying "idolaters" - it does not restrict marriage to Muslims only.

Actually we, as the all knowing geniuses added (idolators) the Arabic word is mushrik. Note, if it was Kafir we could've understood that to be idolators and atheists as Kafirs reject Allah. But Mushrik on the other hand is someone who associates partners to God, which is common theme throughout Christianity and it's concept of Trinity.

Judaism too has some very questionable worshiping methods however to a lesser extent anyway, they reject Allah.

In the following verse, the Quran expands upon who is permissible to wed.

"chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time" quite clearly opens up marriage to, at the very least, Jews and Christians.

That is only a partial quote. The Quran starts off:

This day are [all] good things made lawful for you. The food of those who have received the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And so are the virtuous women of the believers and the virtuous women of those who received the Scripture before you [lawful for you] when you give them their marriage portions and live with them in honor, not in fornication, nor taking them as secret concubines. Whosoever denies the faith, his work is in vain and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter. (5:5)

I believe this does give permission but if you note the language used it seems more like an exception to the norm to me. First of all it says "This day". Then it talks about concubines. It seems to me that this was declared to be the rules laid down upon people after a conquest.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

I would like to mention that For Men it is allowed in Islam to Marry with a Women which is from a religion (i.e. Jewishism and Christianity). For Women it is not allowed.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

This is of course the Logic that a man has greater influence than a women and the people who are engaged in this sort have a greater chance of conversion to Islam. If you are a true potrait of Islam with your actions the women has a greater chance to except and convert.

 

[aryan2007]

Well, here's one reason not to date a Sikh woman..and you wonder what's that they keep in their turbans..

BTW I am a Sikh though I don't have a turban neither do Sikh Women wear a turban and even if they do they don't hide anything in their turban..

Pregnant Muslim teenager 'stabbed to death by Sikh love rival' was disappointed with her arranged marriage | the Daily Mail

Mostly a poor society I guess. a marriage at 16 b/w cousins and subsequent impregnation... and an engagement at 8... I think it was a crappy neighbourhood they lived in.. esp considering it was UK.. so I think they were very very backward..

visited a Sikh forum once....the way they spoke there it seems it's more common to see interfaith marriages than others.

Yep in Sikh Societies at least in urban areas it is more common now to marry people from different faiths and castes.. earlier marriages used to take amongst Sikhs and Hindus but caste consideration was always there but now it is mostly done away with...

 

[aryan2007]

There is no reason they shouldn't be accepted from a societal point of view - they are however a true test of the flexibility of two individuals, and as such should not be entered into lightly - without taking into account serious issues such as the faith of the children, the type of upbringing you envision for them etc. and of course whether or not you expect the spouse to conform to your expectations of how he/she should behave after marriage.

I don't agree at all with either side asking the other to convert - the marriage is between two people who care for each other, not between one person and the other persons religion. To ask your spouse or would be spouse to convert is being extremely disrespectful of her beliefs and upbringing. Honestly, if one has that big of an issue with the other persons faith, they should not be considering any sort of permanent union. What people tend to forget while trying to "convert" the other, is that your significant other's original faith, beliefs, experiences and upbringing make them the person they are, and the person that you care about enough to consider marrying. How does asking them to give up all of that make sense?

Its all about being open with each other, realizing there will be differences and deciding what sort of give and take will occur. It is a personal decision, and if two individuals feel comfortable with it, we should respect their decision.

As far as the "allegation", thats hogwash. I am personally aware of a couple of guys at the uni. here who want to marry American girls they are dating, but their condition is that the girls convert. Thats fine, I may not agree with it, but at least their conditions are upfront. Now if the girl chooses to convert, why blame the men for it? Are the girls not adults who can think for themselves? That kind of nonsense is propoganda by Islam detractors.

Of course I have also heard Muslims say that Christian men marry Muslim women to do what you mentioned. Its simply ignorance on both sides.

I agree mostly to your posts.. I think interfaith marriages are a fantastic way of bridging divides.. As it is I don't feel that there is a divide between Sikhs, Hindus or Muslims or Buddhists as such in India esp Middle class Urban India... I mean I regularly see at times more Hindus than Sikhs(Incl Cut surds) in Gurudwaras..


Faith cannot be thrust upon anyone and wife and husband should follow their own faiths and as well participate in each other's faith.. I mean you don't have to believe but you can respect each other's beliefs... Marriage for conversion I think is wrong.. Conversion after marriage to me if unthrust is justifiable.. but actively working to convert one's partner is wrong..


Children should be made to respect both parents religions and this will I think help them turn out to be better individuals and the faith that they follow primarily should be left to them to chose when they are adults... I see no problem if a Hindu goes to a Dargah or a Sikh goes to a Church or a Muslim goes to a Gurudwara etc...

 

[Awesome]

I agree mostly to your posts.. I think interfaith marriages are a fantastic way of bridging divides.. As it is I don't feel that there is a divide between Sikhs, Hindus or Muslims or Buddhists as such in India esp Middle class Urban India... I mean I regularly see at times more Hindus than Sikhs(Incl Cut surds) in Gurudwaras..


Faith cannot be thrust upon anyone and wife and husband should follow their own faiths and as well participate in each other's faith.. I mean you don't have to believe but you can respect each other's beliefs... Marriage for conversion I think is wrong.. Conversion after marriage to me if unthrust is justifiable.. but actively working to convert one's partner is wrong..


Children should be made to respect both parents religions and this will I think help them turn out to be better individuals and the faith that they follow primarily should be left to them to chose when they are adults... I see no problem if a Hindu goes to a Dargah or a Sikh goes to a Church or a Muslim goes to a Gurudwara etc...

On the flip side interfaith marriages occurring between Muslims will not really lead to bridging divides since the Muslim quite obviously is ready to break Islamic norms. It is my guess that such unions don't occur between practicing members of any faith.

 

[HK-47]

Who talked about muslim males lacking or anything like that, I asked if a muslim man/woman likes a non-muslim and both want to marry, what will be the consequences. and where did I talk about a particular sex? Get over your complexity dude.

the question wasn't aimed at you only.In fact not to you at all.
anyways I once came across a Muslim girl who dumped her Muslim boyfriend because in her words he was a control freak and hooked up with an American Non-Muslim instead.
and increasingly I am seeing more and more BD women marrying foreign Non-Muslim men.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

HK -47, what ever muslim women think (i.e. their rights and all) aas per Islam only Men are allowed to marry Non-muslim women but must be from a religion who have the book of GOD . i.e Jews and Christians

 

[salman nedian]

I don’t believe in interfaith marriages if religion doesn’t permit what is the need to do such act? There are other ways to increase interfaith harmony but these acts would simply create differences and hatred.

 

[Awesome]

HK -47, what ever muslim women think (i.e. their rights and all) aas per Islam only Men are allowed to marry Non-muslim women but must be from a religion who have the book of GOD . i.e Jews and Christians

Apparently that's a common misconception. Men or women both can't inter-marry. Men were allowed, so as to prevent them from taking concubines after a conquest. That is an exception, not the norm. That's from where this theory of domination came from, that somehow you have dominate your non-Muslim wife and it's okay then.

And to further complicate matters, Jews and Christians are arguably following books that are man-made, i.e. The New Testament and The Old Testament. The old testament is no longer the Towrah we recognize as being sent down to the Prophet Moses and neither is the New Testament, the Injeel revealed onto Jesus.

Both the bibles were a recreation by man. The old was compiled by Hezeckiah and the new one as we famously know were mixed with pagan religions to suit the Roman Empire's flavor at the Council of Nicea by Constantine.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

Apparently that's a common misconception. Men or women both can't inter-marry. Men were allowed, so as to prevent them from taking concubines after a conquest. That is an exception, not the norm. That's from where this theory of domination came from, that somehow you have dominate your non-Muslim wife and it's okay then.

And to further complicate matters, Jews and Christians are arguably following books that are man-made, i.e. The New Testament and The Old Testament. The old testament is no longer the Towrah we recognize as being sent down to the Prophet Moses and neither is the New Testament, the Injeel revealed onto Jesus.

Both the bibles were a recreation by man. The old was compiled by Hezeckiah and the new one as we famously know were mixed with pagan religions to suit the Roman Empire's flavor at the Council of Nicea by Constantine.

Correct non the less but its not true that this is the reason for Domination or something, you misinterpreted my post.

Anyhow its not so hard once the person you are marrying wants to take an insight of ISLAM. I myself married a Turkish women originally Christian but she accepted Islam without knowing Islam but now she is learning Islam and trying to adopt all the teachings by her own wil.

 

[HK-47]

well that's forceful conversion IMO;if she converted solely due to marriage.

 

[Awesome]

well that's forceful conversion IMO;if she converted solely due to marriage.

Come on man, that's kinda rude.

You can't really comment about what's in someone's heart.

He didn't say that he forced her into it anyway. She just showed some Blind faith and accepted Islam and she has obviously followed through and studying the religion. Blind faith is not uncommon amongst many of our believers anyway.