Marrying An Agnostic

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

I have a weakness for a man who is a born Muslim but became an agnostic. He still has respect for Islam, and he agrees to pray salah and tells that he will try to follow Islam gradually. Is it permissible to marry him?

Answer

I pray you are well.

No, it is not permissible to marry this man. Unfortunately, he does not believe in Islam for  he is an agnostic. A Muslim believes that whatever the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) taught is true. Not having certainty in this places one outside of Islam.

I advise you to send him to a reliable local scholar. Perhaps learning the religion and its proofs or having certain issues addressed will leave him more open to accepting Islam. As it is your marriage would not be valid. There’s a lot of harm that could come to your own faith and that of your children through such a marriage. (Ibn al-Humam, Fath al-Qadir)

You may have feelings for him, but don’t let those feelings lead you down a road that leaves you full of regret and remorse down the road.

I pray Allah guides him and gives him deep certainty in the truth of Islam.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.