Can I Attend a Muslim Wedding Ceremony to a Hindu?

Answered by Shaykh Abdurragmaan Khan

Question: Assalam alaykum,

My cousin will be marrying a Hindu woman who does not plan to convert to Islam before the wedding. He has also agreed to have the wedding conducted according to Hindu customs and rituals.

Would it be permissible for a Muslim to attend this wedding? If not, how does one continue family ties?

Answer: Wa alaykum al-Salam

Shukran for your question.

While a Muslim male may marry a Jewish or Christian female, with certain conditions of course, none of the schools of Islamic jurisprudence permits him to marry a Hindu. The marriage is thus not valid or permissible and attending would tantamount to the intentional witnessing of haram and the tacit approval thereof as well. Consequently, it will not be permissible for you to attend such a Nikah.

This however should not be the cause for severing family ties altogether. Yes, make him aware that you disapprove of his marriage, don’t attend his wedding or wedding anniversary or any gathering that may lend support to this marriage, but still maintain contact. Pray for him and her, be a source of encouragement for them both. You may even visit them with this intention as long as this wrong doing of his does not become something that’s accepted in your family.

Regarding joining family ties with wrongdoers you may read further here: How to Avoid Cutting Ties With People and Bad Company at the Same Time?

And Allah knows best

Wassalam
[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.