Back to search

What is the ruling on a Muslim woman living with a non-Muslim man without a legitimate marriage, and what is the ruling on their children from him? Are they attributed to him and do they inherit from him? Can she marry him with a new contract? And are their children born before the man's conversion to Islam considered illegitimate?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

This relationship is forbidden in Islamic law. The children resulting from it are considered children of zina (fornication/adultery) and are attributed solely to their mother, having no relation to the fornicator. It is not permissible for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man, and her forbidden relationship with him is a grave sin. If the man converts to Islam and his Islam is good, and the woman repents, then it is permissible for them to marry through a valid Islamic contract that fulfills all its conditions and pillars. This reprehensible act must be changed by advising the woman and clarifying the unlawfulness of her deed.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy