Should I Marry a Man Who Converted to Marry Me?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Can I marry my fiancé, who converted to Islam for our marriage but hasn’t learned about Islam properly yet? He’s unwilling to pray or fast but says he’s open to learning with a teacher. I’m worried if choosing him as a husband is a sin. Can I marry him and help him with his spiritual journey?

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for considering a suitor only after he is converted to Islam. However, you should not marry him until he properly practices and wants to practice.

Marriage

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “A woman is married for four things: for her wealth, for her lineage, for her beauty or her piety. Select the pious, may you be blessed!” [Bukhari & Muslim] This hadith applies to both genders.

It is dangerous and foolhardy to marry a man who does not pray and practice Islam. Please don’t consider it at all until you see that he loves Islam and wants to learn and practice. It doesn’t matter that he converted to marry you. We are talking about your life and your children’s future; you must not marry him until you have good reason to. As he is now, he is not Muslim marriage material. If you do, you might be setting yourself up for a lonely life of heartbreak, lack of spirituality, and blessings in your home.

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.