What is the ruling on a Muslim woman marrying a man who does not pray and commits some sins, such as speaking with non-mahram women and smoking, given that the father is forcing his daughter into this marriage? Would she be legally excused if she marries him out of fear of her father?
If a person abandons prayer while denying its obligation, he is, by scholarly consensus, considered an apostate (kafir), and his marriage to a Muslim woman is not valid. However, if he abandons it out of negligence, the majority of jurists do not deem him an apostate, but they consider him a transgressor (fasiq) who is not suitable for a righteous Muslim woman. A girl is not obliged to obey her father in marrying a fasiq. According to the Hanbalis, who consider him an apostate, marriage to him is neither permissible nor valid. If a marriage does occur, the validity of a transgressor's marriage to a righteous woman is a matter of dispute, and most scholars affirm its validity.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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