Fatwa n° 456

Category: Fatwas about Family - Marriage Contract - Engagement

The ruling concerning the continuity of a relation
with a Scripture woman for the purpose of calling her to Allah

Question:

A brother asks about the ruling concerning the continuity of his relation with a young Scripture girl from Europe. He mentions that she has good morals and it remains only her embracement of Islam. So, May he continue with her, then marry her and invite her to Islam? Benefit us with your advice, may Allah bless you.

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers until the Day of Resurrection:

You have to know- may Allah guide you to the good- that calling to Allah سبحانه وتعالى must not be an excuse to commit prohibitions and offenses. The principle of calling to Allah عزّ وجلّ is showing the religion for all people in general. Also, the one who calls to Allah has to enlighten the path with what he carries from religious knowledge, with his devotion and righteousness of morals and with his sincerity with Allah عزّ وجلّ in calling to Him with the insight and argument. Indeed, he who makes telephone calls and is pleased during the conversation with the exchange of words that arouse the desire and incite the instinct; this does not bear any relation to calling to Allah عزّ وجلّ. This is from one side.

Concerning the Scripture woman, she cannot be so until she becomes a righteous worshiper in her religion and does not take secret lovers (companions). These things are in fact forbidden for a Muslim woman, and to get married to a Muslim adulteress is undesirable, what about the woman of the Scripture if she is from this kind. Allah تعالى says:

﴿ ٱلزَّانِي لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوۡ مُشۡرِكَةٗ وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَآ إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوۡ مُشۡرِكٞۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ [النّور:3].

The meaning of the verse:

The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or a polytheist, and none marries her except a fornicator or a polytheist, and that[marriage to such person] has been unlawful to the believers ﴿[An-Nûr: 3]. Verily, Allah forbids to the believers to get married to prostitutes and adulteresses. He سبحانه وتعالى says:

﴿  ٱلۡخَبِيثَٰتُ لِلۡخَبِيثِينَ وَٱلۡخَبِيثُونَ لِلۡخَبِيثَٰتِۖ وَٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَٱلطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَٰتِۚ [النّور:26].

The meaning of the verse:

Evil women are for evil men, and evil men are for evil women and good women are for good men and good men are for good women ﴿[An-Nûr: 26].

That is why Allah عزّ وجلّ required among the conditions to get married to a Scripture woman that she has to be from the people of decency and chastity, far from immorality and obscenity. Whoever’s matter is fornication and immorality is not desirable to be married by a righteous believer but by a man who is like her. Indeed, Allah required men to be chaste, not disclosing fornication and not taking lovers as He required for women the same thing, i.e. [the verse talks about the prohibition of] lovers either for men and for women; so, the meaning wanted is lovers (be it male or female). Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

﴿ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ حِلّٞ لَّكُمۡ وَطَعَامُكُمۡ حِلّٞ لَّهُمۡۖ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ إِذَآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحۡصِنِينَ غَيۡرَ مُسَٰفِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِيٓ أَخۡدَانٖۗ [المائدة:5].

The meaning of the verse:

And the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them. And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you have given them their due compensation, desiring chastity not unlawful sexual intercourse or taking [secret] lovers ﴿[Al-Mâ’ida: 5].

Hence, if he remarks that she accepts religion, has the qualification of chastity and that she can take benefit from guidance, then he is allowed to marry her. But if she belongs to the other type, he must stay away from her and stop these phone calls wherein the Call to Islam is used as a means to violate the Islamic texts (rulings). These relations are very dangerous on the religion of the person, especially in a country full of depravity and dissoluteness.

That is my advice for you at first; being chaste by getting married to a pious and decent Muslim woman is more beloved for us than a Scripture woman, for Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:   

﴿ وَلَأَمَةٞ مُّؤۡمِنَةٌ خَيۡرٞ مِّن مُّشۡرِكَةٖ وَلَوۡ أَعۡجَبَتۡكُمۡۗ [البقرة:221].

The meaning of the verse:

And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you ﴿[Al-Baqara: 221]. And for the hadith of the Prophet صَلَّى الله عليه وآله وسلم: “Marry the religious woman you gain(1). The religious woman is the righteous woman who is obedient to her husband and guarding him, as Allah تعالى says:

﴿ فَٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتُ قَٰنِتَٰتٌ حَٰفِظَٰتٞ لِّلۡغَيۡبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ ٱللَّهُۚ [النّساء:34].

The meaning of the verse:

So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard ﴿[An-Nişâ’: 34].

 

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ; and our last prayer is all the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers of Allah are to Muhammad and his Family, Companions and Brothers until the Day of Resurrection.

 

Algiers on: Rabî‘ Ath-Thânî the 30th, 1426 H

Corresponding to June the 07th, 2005 G.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



(1) Narrated by Al-Bukhârî (5090) and by Muslim (1466) from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه.

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