Can a Hindu Man Marry a Muslim Woman Under Special Marriages Act?

Answered by Shaykh Abdurragmaan Khan

Question: Assalam alaykum,

A friend of mine is interested in a muslim girl but she told him that caste (religion) is the problem. She also told him that she likes him very much. Both work in the same organisation and have known each other for 2 years. She is confused as she can’t go against her family. She even told him that they have to separate as marriage would create problems among the two families. What could be a good solution to their problems?

Answer: Hi

Islam respects all human beings, irrespective of their background or religious inclination. In addition, Islam emphasizes maintaining good and peaceful relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims in so far as socializing, business dealings and all other interactions are concerned. Our Prophet Muhammad sallaLlahu alayhi wasallam returned home one day and found that they were gifted a lamb. He then enquired from his family saying with concern, “have you gifted some of the meat to our Jewish neighbour?” He repeated the same question thrice and said, “Gabriel continued advising me to maintain good ties with neighbours that I thought he would declare the neighbour as an heir.”

Nonetheless, despite the love and care Muslims should show all other religious denominations, it is not allowed in our Sacred Law for a Muslim female to marry a non-Muslim male.

Thank you for your query and may God bless you.

And Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Abdurragmaan Khan

Shaykh Abdurragmaan received ijazah ’ammah from various luminaries, including but not restricted to: Habib Umar ibn Hafiz—a personality who affected him greatly and who has changed his relationship with Allah, Maulana Yusuf Karaan—the former Mufti of Cape Town; Habib ‘Ali al-Mashhur—the current Mufti of Tarim; Habib ‘Umar al-Jaylani—the Shafi‘i Mufti of Makkah; Sayyid Ahmad bin Abi Bakr al-Hibshi; Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf; Shaykh Mahmud Sa’id Mamduh; Maulana Abdul Hafiz al-Makki; Shaykh Ala ad-Din al-Afghani; Maulana Fazlur Rahman al-Azami and Shaykh Yahya al-Gawthani amongst others.