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What is the ruling on a Muslim woman marrying a non-Muslim, when she is forced to do so?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A Muslim woman is not permitted to marry a non-Muslim, and such a marriage is invalid, based on the Almighty’s saying: (And do not marry polytheistic men [to your women] until they believe) and (If you ascertain that they are believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [as wives] for them, nor are they lawful [as husbands] for them). Being forced into such a marriage does not justify her submission, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "There is no obedience to a creature in defiance of the Creator." This marriage is considered null and void, and any sexual intercourse within it is considered unlawful sexual relations (zina).

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

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