Q. I was told that Muslims should only marry Muslims. I am in a relationship with a non-Muslim. Some scholars allow for it, but our local imaam does not want to do the nikah…..can a Muslim marry a non Muslim?

A. We’ll answer this question in two parts: one for believing men, and the other for believing women.

A Muslim man can marry a true Christian or Jewish woman in an Islamic country. In non-Islamic countries it would be better that such a marriage does not place. Such relationships are frowned upon and viewed as wretched actions.

A Muslims woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man. To do so would be to live under the shameful flag of adultery. To insist upon such a relationship despite knowing that one is in a state of zina, and to justify such an illicit relationship results in kuffar. Children from such a relationship would be viewed as illegitimate. The regular rules of inheritance, etc would not apply. Such relations must be severed if complete iman is to be preserved.

This is not a whimsical occurrence in Islam. It is a ruling to preserve the religious integrity of a woman and her future family.  If you would like to know the reasoning behind it, please ask us and we’ll address the whys of the situation separately.

Allah certainly knows best.

Please also see: http://islaminaction.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/intricacies-of-inter-religious-marriage