Why marry the people of Hell?
Question
If Christians and Jews are people of the Hell, then why did Allah allow Muslim men to marry them? Why didn't Allah allow men to marry the Hindu women who is also going to go to Hell? Do all of the Islamic Scholars agree that Christians and Jews will go to Hell? What is going to happen to a Jew who dies for the sake of Allah?
Answer
It is not permissible for a Muslim female to marry a non-Muslim male. However, a Muslim male may marry only Christian or Jewish female. It is not permissible for a Muslim male to marry any other non-Muslim female. This is the law of Allah Ta'ala and, as Muslims, we express submission by simply obeying Allah without questioning his order. However, every order of Allah Ta'ala is full of wisdom.
The reason it is permissible for the Muslim male to marry a non-Muslim female is that he would be able to easily convince the Christian or Jewish wife into accepting Islam as she believes in a heavenly revealed. This is not so for a Hindu or an adherent of any other religion. There is a possibility of the non-Muslim male convincing his Muslim wife into abandoning Islam. Therefore, Islam has considered her feminine nature and protected her correct beliefs from being a victim of abuse from the male dominance.
The Muslim husband is not obliged to pressurise his Christian/Jewish wife to accept Islam. He may apply wisdom and diplomacy and only influence her to Islam. In Islam, a female is equally respected as a male, however, due to the different masculine and feminine natures, Islam believes in separation of roles. It is obvious that there are many things a male can do, which is not easily possible for a female and vice versa.
and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.
- Answered by
- Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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