My Nephew Married A Hindu Lady. How Do We Maintain Relations?

Answered by Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil

Question: Assalam aleykum,

My nephew got married to a Hindu lady in a civil court, as she refused to embrace Islam. How do we maintain relations with them?

Answer: Assalamualaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray this finds you well. May Allah reward you for reaching out to us.

Family ties

This is a difficult trial, and I encourage you to respond with tremendous patience and compassion.

The fiqh is clear: your nephew’s marriage contract is invalid in Islam, and any children from this union would be illegitimate. However, it’s absolutely crucial that you maintain ties with them, in the hopes that their hearts and their children’s would soften towards Islam.

Mercy

Make sincere dua for them. Visit your nephew and his partner, and invite them to your home. Serve home-cooked meals for them. Show them excellent character. Offer to babysit, when they have children. Don’t overtly call them to Islam, but do so indirectly, through excellent character.

Please see:

Is a Marriage to a Non-Muslim Woman Valid? (Shafi’i)
Can a Muslim Man Marry a Sikh or a Hindu?
Should I Maintain Ties With Family Who Openly Sin or Shun Them?

Wassalam,
[Ustadha] Raidah Shah Idil

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil has spent almost two years in Amman, Jordan, where she learned Shafi’i’ fiqh, Arabic, Seerah, Aqeedah, Tasawwuf, Tafsir and Tajweed. She continues to study with her Teachers in Malaysia and online through SeekersHub Global. She graduated with a Psychology and English degree from University of New South Wales, was a volunteer hospital chaplain for 5 years and has completed a Diploma of Counselling from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. She lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with her husband, daughter, and mother-in-law.