In traditionalist interpretations of Islam, the permissibility for Muslims to engage in interfaith marriages is outlined by the Quran: it is permissible, albeit discouraged, for a Muslim man to marry Non-Muslim women as long as they are identified as being part of the "People of the Book" (Christians, Jews, and Sabians) and it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a Non-Muslim man.[2] Thus, traditional interpretations of Islamic law do recognize the legitimacy of a Muslim man's marriage (nikaah) if he marries a Non-Muslim woman, but only if she is Jewish or Christian.[3] On the other hand, a Muslim woman may not marry a Non-Muslim man.[3][4] Additionally, it is required in Islam that the children of an interfaith marriage be Muslim.[5][6]
The tradition of reformist and progressive Islam, on the other hand, permits marriages between Muslim women and Non-Muslim men;[7] Islamic scholars opining this view include Guyanese-American professor Khaleel Mohammed, American activist Daayiee Abdullah, and Sudanese politician Hassan al-Turabi, among others.[8]
In some societies outside of Muslim-controlled territory, interfaith marriages between Muslims and Non-Muslims are not uncommon, including marriages that, in Sunni Islam, contradict the historic understanding of ijmāʿ (the consensus of fuqāha) as to the bounds of legitimacy.[9]
- ^ a b Ahmed, Akbar S. (11 January 2013). Postmodernism and Islam: Predicament and Promise. Routledge. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-134-92417-2.
The Quran speaks favourably of the people of the Book. For example, Surah 3, verse 199, carries a universal message of goodwill and hope to all those who believe, the people of the Book irrespective of their religious label--Christian, Jew or Muslim. Muslims can marry with the people of the Book,
- ^ John L. Esposito, ed. (2014). "Ahl al-Kitab". The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195125580.001.0001. ISBN 9780195125580.
- ^ a b Leeman 2009, p. 755.
- ^ Elmali-Karakaya, Ayse (2020). "Being Married to a Non-Muslim Husband: Religious Identity in Muslim Women's Interfaith Marriages". In Hood, Ralph W.; Cheruvallil-Contractor, Sariya (eds.). Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion: A Diversity of Paradigms. Vol. 31. Leiden and Boston: Brill Publishers. pp. 388–410. doi:10.1163/9789004443969_020. ISBN 978-90-04-44348-8. ISSN 1046-8064. S2CID 234539750.
- ^ Umarji, Osman (16 January 2020). "Will My Children Be Muslim? The Development of Religious Identity in Young People". Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ Ijaz, Helene (15 November 2018). "When Muslims Intermarry". The Interfaith Observer. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ Leeman 2009.
- ^ Jahangir, Junaid (21 March 2017). "Muslim Women Can Marry Outside The Faith". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ Ghouse, Mike (8 February 2017). "Can A Muslim Woman Marry A Non-Muslim Man?". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 31 October 2020.