My daughter is a Christian and wants to marry a Muslim man in Singapore without changing her religion. It has been said that Islam prohibits such a marriage. Is their marriage permissible according to Islamic Sharia, with her remaining a Christian? And is it permissible for the Muslim husband to participate in a wedding ceremony according to Christian traditions after the Islamic marriage? We seek the Islamic ruling to resolve this family issue.

Islam permits marriage to a chaste Christian woman, based on the noble verse in Surat Al-Ma'idah. However, it forbids marriage to an unchaste woman, whether she is Muslim or from the People of the Book, in order to preserve marital life and lineage. It also forbids a Muslim husband from attending Christian wedding ceremonies due to the presence of forbidden things therein, such as free mixing, music, and alcohol. It is reported in the hadith that one is prohibited from sitting at a table where alcohol is served.