Fatwa #220087 April 2019United States of America
Marriage to Non-Muslim Man
Question
If a muslim women is married to a non-muslim man through a civil ceremony in America, does she need to be legally divorced through the court system or through sharia before she can remarry?
If she is divorced according to sharia, can the husband, even though he is not muslim, do so by means of talaaq or must it be done through another means?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, a Muslim woman cannot be married to a non-Muslim man. The marriage is invalid. Thus, she does not need to be divorced before she can marry a Muslim man.[1]
However, it is advisable to wait one monthly cycle before remarrying.[2]
And Allah Ta‘ālā Knows Best.
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
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[البقرة: 221]
{وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكَاتِ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنَّ وَلَأَمَةٌ مُؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشْرِكَةٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ وَلَا تُنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنُوا وَلَعَبْدٌ مُؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشْرِكٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ أُولَئِكَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيُبَيِّنُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ (221)}
بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (٢/٢٧١)
فلا يجوز إنكاح المؤمنة الكافر؛ لقوله تعالى: {ولا تنكحوا المشركين حتى يؤمنوا} [البقرة: 221]
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (٣/٥٠٣)
(قوله: فلا عدة لزنا) بل يجوز تزوج المزني بها وإن كانت حاملا، لكن يمنع عن الوطء حتى تضع وإلا فيندب له الاستبراء ط