Question 644: Sir, is Shaking Hand with Non-Muslim Break Wudu? I take admission in Canada University for my mtech programs in civil engineering, we have international university there which means that people from all sects weather hindu, Buddhist, Cristian, Jews, Sikhs, and all others study there. Read More
Question 081: Salaams dear Sheikh. Does any of the Maraji’ allow permanent marriage with a person from the People of the Book, what is their ruling on the purity/impurity of such persons?
Answer 081: Our maraja have different opinions regarding permanent marriage with People of the Book as follows:
Imam Khomeini: As an obligatory precaution, it is impermissible to get married to People of the Book. Of course, Imam Khumayni (rah) has said in this issue (the issue of permanent marriage with non-Muslim women who are of the People of the Book) that it is an obligatory precaution, which means those who follow him can refer to the verdict of another jurist who says such a marriage is permissible and follow him instead. Read More
Question 197: Asslamoalakum! Could we add the names of non-muslim people while mentioning the names of 40 people dead/alive in Qunoot of Witr in Namaz-e-shab (nawafilatu-layl)? Also, could we recite Sura Fatiha while passing through the graves of non-Muslims? This include mentioning name of non-Muslims among 40 names in qanoot of witr too, only if they were harmless towards Muslims right? What if that non-Muslim is alive, could we mention him/her in qunoot of Witr?
Answer 197: Given the supposition made in the answer, there is no difference between mentioning them in Qunut. According to the verses of the Holy Quran, if those non-Muslim who have not fought Muslims on the account of Religion and have not driven us out of our Homeland, Allah (SWT), the Almighty does not forbid us from doing good and regarding justice to them. Therefore, we can visit their graves and ask Allah, the Almighty for His forgiveness and pray for them. However, Allah (SWT) forbids us only from having Friendship with those who fought us on the account of Religion and Drove us out of our homeland; and helped one another in driving us out; We are forbidden to have friendly Relation with them; and whoever among us does so, then he is regarded as One of the disbelievers. Because, in the Holy Quran Allah (SWT) says: “The Prophet and the faithful may not plead for the forgiveness of the polytheists, even if they should be [their] relatives, after it has become clear to them that they will be the inmates of hell”.[1]
Our maraja have different opinions in this regards:
Sayyid Sistani: You are not allowed to pray for non-Muslim in order that Allah (swt) don’t punish them.
Makarem Shirazi: There would be no problem to recite surah al-Fatihah and pray for them if they have not fought Muslims on the account of religion.
Khameneni: There would be no problem in it per se.
Safi Golpayegani: Reciting salawat and seeking Allah (swt) for his forgiveness is not permissible.
“اللهم اغفر لفلان
“Allahumma ighfir li-fulan”.
Instead of ‘fulan’, you should mention the name of the individual whom you want to pray for. Or recite:
اللهم اغفر للمؤمنین و المؤمنات
Allahumma ighfir lil-mo’meneen wal-momeenat.
“استغفر الله ربی و اتوب الیه”
Then recite seventy times “astaghfirullah rabbi wa atubu elayh.” Then recite:
“هذا مقام العائذ بک من النار”
Haza maqamul a’eze bika minan nar.
Then say three hundred times:
“العفو”
Al-Afw. Then the following dhikr is recited:
“ربّ اغفرلی و ارحمنی و تب علیّ انک انت التواب الغفور الرحیم”
Rabbi ighfirli wa irhamni wa tub ‘alayya innka antat tawwab al-ghafoor al-rahim.[3]
For further information in this regards, please refer to the following answer:
Index: Praying for non-Muslim Parents, answer 516.
Index: Ways to Greet in Islam with Muslims and Non-Mahram, answer 369.
Index: The night prayer or Salat al-Layl (Tahajjud, Night Prayer), answer 234.
Index: Reciting Dua or Dikr in any language during the Prayer, answer 579.
[1] . Surah Mumtahina, verses 8 & 9; Surah Tawbah, verse 113.
[2] . Tabatai Yazdi, Muhammad Kazem, Urwat al-Wuthqa, vol.1, p. 544 – 545, Dar al-Tafsir.
[3] . Adopted from answer: The night prayer or Salat al-Layl (Tahajjud, Night Prayer), answer 234.
Question 576: Can a Muslim woman marry a Non-Muslim (christian or Jewish) man (interfaith marriage)?
It’s mentioned in Surah Al-Mumtahanah verse 10 “O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women, but ask for what you have spent and let them ask for what they have spent. That is the judgement of Allah; He judges between you. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.”
In this verse, it shows the marriage of muslim women to the disbelievers (Kuffar) is suspended, in which disbelievers doesn’t include the people of the book (Ahel Al Ketab, Christians and Jewish), because many verses in Quran called Christian and Jewish as Ahel Al ketab but not Kuffar (disbelievers).
Note: The maraja showing different opinions in case if a Muslim man marrying a woman from the People of the Book, are these opinions applied on Muslim women who want to marry a man from the People of the Book?
Answer 576: According to the following verses of the Holy Quran, traditions and fatwas of our maraja, a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man.
Verses of the Holy Quran:
Traditions:
The followings are some highly valuable guidelines and models presented by the Infallibles (pbuth) for us to have a good spouse and a healthy marriage:
Fatwa:
Imam Khomeini: A Muslim woman cannot marry a Kafir whether permanently or temporarily[10]
Fadhil, Safi, Makarem: A Muslim woman cannot marry a man from Ahle Kitab.[12]
If a non-Muslim woman, who got married to a non-Muslim man, converts to Islam:
Khamenei: She must separate from him and there is no need for the divorce contract.
Sistani: There is no need for the divorce contract and she must separate from him as soon as she embraces Islam.
Makarem: In the case asked about, if her husband does not embrace Islam, she will separate from him.
Saafi: [The woman] needs to finish the waiting period; if her husband embraces Islam by then, the marriage will hold, but if he doesn’t, then the wife separates from him without the divorce contract and the marriage is terminated.
For further information in this regards, please refer to the following answer:
Index: Rules regarding temporary or permanent marriage with people of the book, answer 080.
[1] . Surah al-Nisa, verse 141.
[2] . Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, Pg. 348.
[3] . Surah al-Mumtahinah, verse 10.
[4] . Sheikh Hurr Ameli, Wasael al-Shia, Vol. 14, Pg. 424, chapter 10, Abwab ma Yohramo Bil Kufr, H. 4.
[5] . Surah al-Baqarah, verse 221.
[6] – Rayshahri, Muhammad, Mizanul Hikmah, vo.4, pg.280, Darul Hadith Publication.
[7] – Nahjul Fasahah, pg. 37, hadith No.193.
[8] – Hurr Ameli, Muhammad bin Hasan, Wasail al-Shi’ah, vol.20, pg.79, Aalulbayt Publications.
[9] . Wasael al-Shia, Vol. 20, Pg. 534, H. 4, # 26275.
[10] . Tahril al-Wasilah of Imam Khomeini, Vol. 2, Kitab al-Nikah, Pgs. 254-258.
[11] . The official website of the office of Sayyid Sistani, Marriage » Questions and Answers.
[12] . Tawzih al-Masael (annotated by Imam Khomeini), Vol. 2, Pg. 468. The official website of the office of Ayatollah Makarem.
Question 080: Salaams dear Shaykh. What is the ruling of the Maraji’ regarding temporary or permanent marriage with people of the book?
Answer 080: Our maraja have different opinions regarding permanent marriage with People of the Book as follows:
Imam Khomeini: As an obligatory precaution, it is impermissible to get married to People of the Book. Of course, Imam Khumayni (rah) has said in this issue (the issue of permanent marriage with non-Muslim women who are of the People of the Book) that it is an obligatory precaution, which means those who follow him can refer to the verdict of another jurist who says such a marriage is permissible and follow him instead.
Ayatollahs Golpaygani and Safi: The permissibility of marriage with People of the Book isn’t devoid of strength [this is a jurisprudential term meaning that it is permissible], but in the case of one being able to marry a Muslim woman, it is greatly makruh (abominable), as a matter of fact, in such a case, precaution should be observed.
Ayatollahs Khoei and Tabrizi: As a recommended precaution one shouldn’t permanently get married to them and some sects such as the Khawarij, Ghulat and Nawasib who consider themselves Muslims have the same ruling as kafirs and can’t be married to by Muslim women and men, neither permanently nor temporarily.
Ayatollah Noori Hamedani: Marrying them permanently is permissible according to the stronger fatwa, but precaution should be observed in not getting married to them permanently in the case of them being able to get married to a Muslim woman.
Ayatullah Zanjani: The Muslim man cannot get married to the Magi or a non-Muslim who is not of the People of the Book, neither permanently nor temporarily, and apparently, permanent or temporary marriage with Jewish or Christian women isn’t void, but it is makruh and against recommended precaution, especially if the marriage is permanent.[1]
Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani: The Muslim man cannot be permanently married to kafir women, even if they are Jewish or Christian as an obligatory precaution, nevertheless temporary marriage is permissible with Jewish and Christian women.
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi: The Muslim man cannot get permanently married to kafir women as an obligatory precaution, but temporary marriage with People of the Book such as Christians and Jews is permissible.
Ayatollah Bahjat: The Muslim man cannot get married to other than People of the Book and Magi [from the kafirs], neither permanently, nor temporarily, and apparently, temporary marriage with Jewish and Christian women, both temporary and permanent, isn’t void although it is makruh and against recommended precaution, especially in permanent marriage.
[1] . Tawdih al-Masa’il of the maraji’ (annotated), vol. 3, p. 468.
[2] . Tawzih al-Masael of the maraja’ (annotated by Imam Khomeini), vol. 2, pg. 468; Ibid, pg. 469; Hakim, Muhammad Saeed, Minhajul-Salehin, vol. 3, pg. 33.
[3] . The official website of the office of Sayyid Sistani (ha), rules concerning Marriage, q&a.