MUSLIM
MEN CAN MARRY JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN WOMEN, WHILE MUSLIM WOMEN CAN NOT MARRY NON-MUSLIM
MEN
by Syarif Hidayat
It goes without saying that the marriage of a Muslim woman to a non-Muslim man remains to be one of the main hot issues in debates about interfaith marriage according to Islam.
According to a broad consensus religiously sterile, a Muslim woman is formally forbidden to marry a non-Muslim man regardless of his religion, while a Muslim man is allowed to get married to a non Muslim woman, mainly a Christian or a Jew, considered by the Islamic schools as “People of the Book”.
What does the Qur’an say about this issue and how does it deal with the marriage of Muslim men and women to non-Muslims?
Interfaith Marriage in Islam
Al-Qur’an lays out clear guidelines for marriage. One of the main traits you should look for in a potential spouse is a similarity in religious outlook. For the sake of compatibility, and the upbringing of future children, it is most recommended for a Muslim to marry another Muslim.
However, in some circumstances it is permissible for a Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman who belongs to “the People of the Book” (Jewish or Christian).
Muslim Man and Non-Muslim Woman
In general, Muslim men are not permitted to marry non-Muslim women. In the Qur’an, there is only one verse that clearly tackles this issue. It is absolutely the main verse that states a provision on marriage with a category of non-Muslims.
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
وَلَا تَنكِحُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكَـٰتِ
حَتَّىٰ يُؤۡمِنَّۚ وَلَأَمَةٌ۬ مُّؤۡمِنَةٌ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّن مُّشۡرِكَةٍ۬
وَلَوۡ أَعۡجَبَتۡكُمۡۗ وَلَا تُنكِحُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ حَتَّىٰ
يُؤۡمِنُواْۚ وَلَعَبۡدٌ۬ مُّؤۡمِنٌ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّن مُّشۡرِكٍ۬ وَلَوۡ
أَعۡجَبَكُمۡۗ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِۖ وَٱللَّهُ
يَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلۡجَنَّةِ وَٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِ بِإِذۡنِهِۦۖ وَيُبَيِّنُ
ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. “And do not marry Al-Mushrikât (idolatresses, etc.) till they believe (worship Allâh Alone). And indeed a slave woman who believes is better than a (free) Mushrikah (idolatress), even though she pleases you. And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al-Mushrikûn[] till they believe (in Allâh Alone) and verily, a believing slave is better than a (free) Mushrik (idolater), even though he pleases you. Those (Al-Mushrikûn) invite you to the Fire, but Allâh invites (you) to Paradise and Forgiveness by His Leave, and makes His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) clear to mankind that they may remember.” (Al-Qur’an 2:221).
An exception is made for Muslim men to marry chaste or pious Jewish and Christian women, who are referred to as “People of the Book.”
This comes from the understanding that Jews and Christians share similar religious outlooks – a belief in One God, following the commandments of Allah, a belief in revealed scripture (Books), etc.
ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ
ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتُۖ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ حِلٌّ۬ لَّكُمۡ
وَطَعَامُكُمۡ حِلٌّ۬ لَّهُمۡۖ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَـٰتُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ
وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَـٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ
إِذَآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحۡصِنِينَ غَيۡرَ مُسَـٰفِحِينَ
وَلَا مُتَّخِذِىٓ أَخۡدَانٍ۬ۗ وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلۡإِيمَـٰنِ فَقَدۡ
حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ ۥ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرِينَ
“Made lawful to you this day are At¬Tayyibât [all kinds of Halâl (lawful) foods, which Allâh has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits). The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals,) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them. (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, when you have given their due Mahr (bridal – money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), desiring chastity (i.e. taking them in legal wedlock) not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girl-friends. And whosoever disbelieves in faith [i.e. in the Oneness of Allâh and in all the other Articles of Faith, i.e. His (Allâh's), Angels, His Holy Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection and Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments)], then fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.” (Al-Qur’an 5:5).
The children of such a union are always to be raised in the faith of Islam. This should be discussed thoroughly by the couple before they decide to marry.
Muslim Woman and Non-Muslim Man
Under no conditions is a Muslim woman permitted to marry anyone but a Muslim man. The same verse cited above (2:221) mentions, “And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al-Mushrikûn[] till they believe (in Allâh Alone) and verily, a believing slave is better than a (free) Mushrik (idolater), even though he pleases you….”
No exception is given for women to marry Jews and Christians, so the law stands that she may only marry a believing (Muslim) man. As head of the household, the husband provides leadership for the family. A Muslim woman does not follow the leadership of someone who does not share her faith and values.
Islam allows a man to marry a woman from the People of the Book, that is, Christians and Jews, however they must be chaste. The early jurists of the most prominent schools of Islamic jurisprudence ruled in fiqh law that the marriage of a Muslim man to a Christian or Jewish woman is makruh (disliked) if they live in a non-Muslim country.
Caliph Umar (634–644) denied interfaith marriage for Muslim men during his command of the ummah. In the Quran, it is said, 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).
{Surah 5:5} Islam generally forbids Muslim women from marrying non-Muslim men. If a non-Muslim woman is married to a non-Muslim, and she converts to Islam, the marriage is suspended until her husband converts to Islam, and she could in theory leave the non-Muslim husband and marry a Muslim one (analogous to the Pauline privilege among Catholics).
If the non-Muslim husband does convert a new marriage is not needed. In Al-Quran, it is said,
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ
إِذَا جَآءَڪُمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتُ مُهَـٰجِرَٲتٍ۬ فَٱمۡتَحِنُوهُنَّۖ
ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِإِيمَـٰنِہِنَّۖ فَإِنۡ عَلِمۡتُمُوهُنَّ
مُؤۡمِنَـٰتٍ۬ فَلَا تَرۡجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى ٱلۡكُفَّارِۖ لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّ۬
لَّهُمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّۖ وَءَاتُوهُم مَّآ أَنفَقُواْۚ
وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ
أُجُورَهُنَّۚ وَلَا تُمۡسِكُواْ بِعِصَمِ ٱلۡكَوَافِرِ وَسۡـَٔلُواْ مَآ
أَنفَقۡتُمۡ وَلۡيَسۡـَٔلُواْ مَآ أَنفَقُواْۚ ذَٲلِكُمۡ حُكۡمُ
ٱللَّهِۖ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ۬
“O you who believe! When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them, Allâh 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. But give (the disbelievers) that (amount of money) which they have spent [as their Mahr[]] to them. And there will be no sin on you to marry them if you have paid their Mahr to them. Likewise hold not the disbelieving women as wives, and ask for (the return of) that which you have spent (as Mahr) and let them (the disbelievers) ask back for that which they have spent. That is the Judgement of Allâh. He judges between you. And Allâh is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” {Al-Qur’an 60:10}
One of
the main taboo issues in debates on Islam
It goes without saying that the marriage of a Muslim woman
to a non-Muslim man is one of the main taboo issues in debates on Islam.
According to a broad consensus religiously sterile, a Muslim
woman is formally forbidden to marry a non-Muslim man regardless of his
religion, while a Muslim man is allowed to get married to a non Muslim woman,
mainly a Christian or a Jew, considered by the Islamic schools as “People of
the Book”.
What does the Qur’an say about this issue and how does it
deal with the marriage of Muslim men and women to non-Muslims?
In the Qur’an, there is only one verse that clearly tackles
this issue. It is absolutely the main verse that states a provision on marriage
with a category of non-Muslims.
Allah says: “Do not marry idolatresses (al mushrikāt)
till they believe; and certainly a believing maid is better than an idolatress
even though she would please you; and do not marry idolaters (al Mushrikīn)
till they believe (hata yūminū), and certainly a believing slave is better than
an idolater, even though he would please you. These invite to the Fire, and
Allah invites to the Garden and to forgiveness by His grace, and makes clear
His revelations to mankind so that they may remember.”Qur’an 2:221.
Through this Qur’anic order, the verse clearly forbids the
marriage of the believing men and women to polytheists, called at the time
“mushrikīn”.
We should be aware of the fact that this order made sense
because it was revealed at the time when polytheists (al-mushrikīn) were
engaged in a merciless war against the believing Muslims. It is also worth reminding that polytheists
were belonging to an aristocratic class of obscene wealth and indecent conduct,
and whose lifestyle was reconsidered by the new social values of fairness and
equity of Islam.
While the Qur’an acknowledges the possibility of a mutual
attraction between a believer, man or woman, and a polytheist, it strongly
recommends against such alliance. The verse seems to urge Muslim men and women
to choose the modest believing slaves over the rich arrogant polytheists even
if the latter would look more attractive than the poor slaves.
This allusion to “slaves” (men and women) is quite
indicative of the moral values that the Qur’anic Revelation tended to inculcate
in people. On the one hand, the Qur’an showed “Tolerance” towards the fact of
slavery that was universally common at the time; on the other hand, it sought
to break the first chains of social hierarchy by preferring these “poor”
believing slaves to those wealthy people who formed the elite then.
By getting married to slaves regardless of their social
hardship, Islam encouraged Muslims to value people on other basis than their
social class, and henceforth; find a balance between the differences
established by the ethnic-tribal system at that time.
Furthermore, the new believers needed to be protected from
polytheists’ abuse who considered this new religion of Islam as a threat to
their own interests.
The Qur’an urges Muslim men and women to get married to
believers who had, like them, such faith awareness and were conscious of
justice on earth. The purpose was to absolutely avoid the marriage of Muslims
to polytheists who made every effort to stand against a religion that was
defending the most vulnerable people on earth.
Muslim men and women were, therefore, encouraged to get
married to those who believe, like them, in one God symbolizing a monotheism
purified from all other divinities and injustice.
Thus, the said verse stipulates that Muslim men and women
are allowed to contract marriage with believers (mu’minīn) and prohibited to
marry polytheists (mushrikīn). It is worth mentioning that the the Qur’anic
verse clearly stresses the totally egalitarian approach in favor of both men
and women and which is not confusing at all. The Qur’anic order is addressed to
both men and women on an equal footing.
Nevertheless, the concept of the believing man and woman to
whom Muslim men and women are allowed to get married is still a matter of
debate and is not clearly defined in the Qur’anic verse.
What kinds of “believers” are referred to? Does it refer
only to people who have just embraced Islam? Or does it imply the act of
believing in its broad meaning, believing in One God and a monotheistic
Revelation, which includes obviously believers of other monotheistic religions?
Obviously, the said verse is open to interpretation.
However, irrespective of any interpretation, it is clear that this Qur’anic
order applies to Muslim men and women equally. Yet, none of the different
Islamic exegeses allude to this.
In fact, by perusing the different classical
interpretations, you get astonished to discover that this concept of the
“believing men and women” is unanimously perceived differently depending on
whether we refer to Muslim men or Muslim women.
Besides, all of the classical interpretations focused on the
first part of the verse which is addressed to Muslim men. And the different
debates shed light on the concepts of the “believing woman” and “polytheist
woman” whom a Muslim man is legally allowed to marry.
The exegete Ibn Kathir begins his interpretation of the said
verse by defining “polytheists” as people who worship idols (‘abadatu al
assnām)[3].
Most of the classical and contemporary exegetes carried out
an in-depth analysis of the first part of this verse addressed to Muslim men,
while they gave less importance to the second part that concerns Muslim women
on the same issue.
The commentators, henceforth, stipulate that Muslim men are
allowed to marry women belonging to “People of the Book” (ahl al kitāb), i.e.
Christian or Jewish women who are considered by the majority of the same
commentators as believers. Most of the exegetes defend their opinion by
referring to another verse that legitimates the first verse and proves that
Muslim men are allowed to marry Christian or Jewish women who are not included
in the concept of disbelief or Kufr as stated by other scholars.
Indeed, this Qur’anic verse that many commentators allude to
says: “As to marriage, you are allowed to marry the chaste from among the
believing women and the chaste from among those who have been given the Book
before you (are lawful for you); provided that you have given them their
dowries, and live with them in honor, not in fornication, nor taking them as
secret concubines.”Qur’an (5:5).
For the majority of the exegetes, this verse closed the
debate on “the disbelief” of Christians or Jews concluding that they are
neither disbelievers nor polytheists (Mushrikīn).
As to the exegete Ibn Achour, he went further in his
interpretation by assuming that the verse absolutely prohibits the marriage of
Muslim men or women to polytheists (al mushrikīn) while people belonging to
other monotheistic religions are not explicitly mentioned. He added that the
concept of polytheist is not clearly defined though he agrees with other
scholars in giving authorization to Muslim men to marry Christian and Jewish
women.
For the second part of the said verse that seems to be
addressed to both Muslim men and women and to grant both of them the same authorization,
we can affirm that Muslim scholars and jurists unanimously agree on the fact
that marriage of a Muslim woman to a non-Muslim man, whether he is polytheist,
Christian or Jew, is strongly prohibited.
Ibn Achour assumed the inexistence of a religious text that
allows or forbids the marriage of Muslim women to Christian or Jewish men. He
added that scholars agreed to forbid such marriage for several reasons related
to the analogy (al quiyāss) and consensus (Ijmā’), while they confess that
there exist no specific reasons of this prohibition in the religious texts. As
far as this scholar is concerned, forbidding the marriage of a Muslim woman to
a Christian or a Jewish man is not based on any Qur’anic text or saying of the
Prophet, but rather on a mutual agreement of scholars of all eras.
The majority of scholars do not give enough explanation as
to this prohibition that seems to contradict the general meaning of gender
equality implied in this Qur’anic verse.
Yet, other commentators tried to justify this prohibition by
providing another verse that assumes the following: “O you who believe! When
believing women come to you as fugitives (Muhājirāt), examine them
(famtahinūhuna). Allah is best aware of their faith. Then, if you find them to
be believing women, do not send them back to the disbelievers (kuffār). They
are not lawful for them (the disbelievers), nor are they (the disbelievers)
lawful for them.” Qur’an 60:10.
The revelation context and the general meaning of this verse
are not, however, associated with the case of marriage to non-Muslims. The
classical interpretation states that this verse was actually revealed when two
polytheist men from Quraish asked for their sisters to be back, Oum Kelthoum
and Bint Aqabah, after they had converted to Islam and migrated to Medina in
order to join the Muslim community.
It is worth reminding that the Prophet signed at that time
an agreement called Al-Hudaybya Treaty with the opposing tribe of Quraish to
stop the war for ten years. This
agreement stipulated, among others, that any Quraychit woman who would join the
Prophet in Medina without the permission of her legal tutor should be sent back
to Mecca.
Oum Kelthoum, who was the only one to convert to Islam in
her family, and who escaped from one of the most hostile environments, begged
the Prophet not to repatriate her to her tribe so as not to be exposed once more
to their unfair treatment.
The verse above mentioned was then revealed to prevent the
extradition of women who converted to Islam and avoid the vengeance of their
respective families. For this reason, the Prophet refused to send back the
exiled women to the enemies, while the agreement was maintained for men.
The explanation of the verse above mentioned shows that it
does not tackle in any way the marriage to non-Muslims, but was rather revealed
to meet some strategic requirements of protecting women who converted to Islam
against the will of their family and who voluntarily asked for the Prophet’s
protection.
The contradiction that we highlight in these classical
interpretations concerns the fact that according to these scholars, Muslim
women are not allowed to marry “disbelievers” including Christian and Jewish
men, while for the case of Muslim men, Christian and Jewish women are
considered as believers. How can we consider, in the same Christian or Jewish
community, that men are disbelievers while women of the same communities are
believers?
In the absence of any proof that justifies the prohibition
of the marriage of Muslim women to the followers of other monotheistic
religions, the contemporary scholars justify their attitudes by “the natural
weakness” of Muslim women who may go astray under the “bad” influence of their
Christian or Jewish husbands. They added that it will adversely affect the children’s
education. But the Muslim man is able to dominate his Christian or Jewish wife
and protect his children’s and own faith. This generalized idea is not always
true and the “strength” or the “weakness” of the religious belief is not
associated with the gender but rather with the person’s personality and
character.
In fact, the argument is not convincing because if the said
verse forbids the marriage between a Muslim woman and a Christian or Jewish man
as it is unanimously interpreted today, so such marriage is also forbidden for
the Muslim man. Nevertheless, according to various Qur’anic verses and the
Islamic ethics, Christians and Jews are considered unanimously as believers
belonging to religions revealed by Allah regardless of the existing differences
in terms of the dogma and the theological philosophy.
As a result, the analysis of this verse shows that the
Qur’an prohibits the marriage of both Muslim men and women to polytheists.
The Qur’anic verse, tackling the marriage of Muslim men or
women to believers of other religions, set some rules using an egalitarian
language. But it is worth mentioning that scholars agree unanimously on the
prohibition of the marriage of a Muslim woman to a Jewish or Christian, while
no part of the Qur’an provides for such prohibition that justifies this
discrimination.
The question raised in this regard is how can we today, in
the current conceptual, cultural and globalized situation, categorize people
according to their faith, religious or cultural backgrounds? How can we
recognize a person to be Muslim, believer, Christian, Jew or polytheist? What
can we say about those people who do belong to a religious culture, many of
whom are Muslims, yet still admit to be atheist or agnostic?
What can we say about people from the same Muslim culture
who are married together but who, religiously speaking, inherit no more than
the family name and some cultural customs? While a non-Muslim man who wants to
get married to a Muslim woman should often prove his Islam “in appearance” in
order to “save his face”, while the rest is just lies and outward show.
It is true that marriages called “mixed” can be more exposed
to misunderstanding due to the cultural or religious differences that may, at
any moment, lead to marriage instability. However, this concerns all marriages,
but the most important is to have a common interest at the intellectual and
spiritual levels strengthened mainly by mutual respect.
Despite all the differences and the problems that may arise
during a marital life, it is fundamentally the mutual respect which will spread
shared serenity and the harmony of love whose strength lies once again in the
respect that one shows to the other’s beliefs and traditions.
This article is not meant to encourage young Muslim women,
who wisely would like to preserve their family spiritual inheritance, to
disregard traditions, but rather to overcome the taboos and the hypocritical
social practices that turn out to be sometimes unfair.
It is high time to have the intellectual courage to tackle
such topics while debating Islam to avoid the moral suffering and the feeling
of guilt experienced today by many young Muslims, mainly, those who live in the
West and are more likely to meet non-Muslim partners in their personal life.
At the moment of choosing a partner, young Muslim men and
women have to do it under their full responsibility with serenity, clarity and
wisdom.
Such debate is missing in our contemporary Muslim societies
where unfamiliar ideas and the social conformism replaced the intellectual and
spiritual honesty. Therefore, we should no more hide behind an unconvincing
bastion of identity, but rather face the reality and admit that the world has
deeply changed. We should also know that to preserve the spirituality of the
heart, it would be necessary to override the hypocrisies and the social
duplicity that eroded our current way of life.
We should go back to the meaning, the purposes and the moral
of the Qur’anic verse that talks about the interreligious marriage through a
dispassionate debate that goes beyond emotions. We should review the real and
deep meaning of some concepts in our globalized and multicultural societies
such as “the believing men and women” and “People of the Book” … We should
stress the main value and the initial spiritual trend that underlie this verse
that calls for honesty, decency and the mutual respect as the pillars of any
marriage.
Allah
is the Best Knower.
*« People of the Book » or ahl al-kitāb are people belonging
to a religion in which a Book was revealed as the Torah or Bible. Muslims are
compelled to believe in these books since they were revealed by the same
Creator. The Qur’an, the last revelation, is the follow-up of the same
universal spiritual message addressed by God to all humans by means of His
successive prophets.
Interfaith
marriage in Islam
Islamic Law has different regulations on interfaith
marriage, depending on which of the two spouses is Muslim. It permits a Muslim
man to marry up to four non-Muslim women from the People of the Book (that is,
Christians and Jews) however they must be chaste and all of the children must
be brought up Muslim. In addition to is seen as "makrooh" (disliked)
by Muslim scholars for Muslim men to marry outside the religion because the
rightly guided Caliph, Umar, banned interfaith marriages for Muslim men. Furthermore,
Quran verse 4:25 tells Muslims to marry Muslims
Marriage
of Muslim women to non-Muslim men
Islamic scholars generally forbid Muslim women from marrying
non-Muslim men. This prohibition serves to preserve the Islamic faith from
dilution and expand it, within societies which are patriarchal but multi-faith.
It effectively ensures that over many generations, providing that the society
is patriarchal, Islam would naturally gain in adherents relative to other
co-existing religions, through its ability to secure the adherence of all
offspring from mixed marriages. In effect, all children of any mixed-marriages
involving Muslims are guaranteed to be raised as Muslim.
This systemic method
of expanding the Muslim community in any multi-religious society is assisted by
the ability for Muslim men to marry more than one non-Muslim wife (a
possibility usually not available to non-Muslim men) and therefore secure all
of their offspring for the Islamic faith - provided that the society is
sufficiently patriarchal that the husband can have the final say on the
children's religion. There also exists a
minority view that does permit convert women to remain with non-Muslim spouses
as an exception to the general rule.
Conversion
to Islam of one spouse in a non-Muslim marriage
In Islamic law, if a non-Muslim woman is married to a
non-Muslim, and she converts to Islam, the marriage is suspended until her
husband converts to Islam. She could, in theory, leave the non-Muslim husband
and marry a Muslim one (analogous to the Pauline privilege among Catholics). If
the non-Muslim husband does convert a new marriage is not needed. In the Quran,
it is said,
O ye
who believe! When there come to you believing women refugees, examine (and
test) them: Allah knows best as to their Faith: if ye ascertain that they are
Believers, then send them not back to the Unbelievers. They are not lawful (wives)
for the Unbelievers, nor are the (Unbelievers) lawful (husbands) for them. But
pay the Unbelievers what they have spent (on their dower), and there will be no
blame on you if ye marry them on payment of their dower to them. But hold not
to the guardianship of unbelieving women: ask for what ye have spent on their
dowers, and let the (Unbelievers) ask for what they have spent (on the dowers
of women who come over to you). Such is the command of Allah. He judges (with
justice) between you. And Allah is Full of Knowledge and Wisdom. {Surah
60:10}
Modern practice
In practice, many Arab countries allowed interfaith marriage
Muslim men to Christian or Jewish women but not Muslim women to non-Muslim men.
Turkey allows marriages to non-Muslim men through secular laws. In Malaysia a
non-Muslim must convert to Islam in order to marry a Muslim. The offspring of
such unions are automatically Muslims and all Malaysian Muslims are legally
prohibited from leaving Islam.
Interfaith marriage especially between Hindus and Muslims
often have been the bone of contention and have resulted in communal riots in
India. (HSH)
Sources:
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