Should I Let My Daughter Spend Time With Her Non-Muslim Father?

Answered by Dr. Bano Murtaja

Question: I am a woman who embraced Islam when my daughter was 4 yrs old. She is now 14yrs old and wants attention from her non-Muslim father. She lacks understanding of being a Muslim but accepts our decision and devotion for Islam. Should I allow her to spend time more time with him? I fear that she will be exposed to situations without the proper guidance.

Answer: As salam alykum wa rahmatullahi,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

We are guided to be good to our parents, regardless of their faith. With this in mind, it is important your daughter is able to maintain a strong and healthy bond with her father.

Given that your daughter’s father accepts the faith of you and your daughter, you could speak with him about the parameters that he should maintain around her. InshaAllah a joint approach to parenting will also provide a more stable environment for your daughter also.

Given that your daughter is now 14 you may also consider discussing the appropriate parameters with her. Presumably her upbringing in the US will already have given her a good understanding of how to navigate parameters between her Islamic faith and spending time with those who have a different belief.

One of the SeekersGuidance family, Br. Anik Misra is a convert, and shares some of the things he has learned about dealing with non-Muslim parents here, that may help your daughter.

A Convert Dealing With Non-Muslim Parents

May Allah grant you ease and facilitate the best for you, your daughter and her father.

Ma’salam
Bano