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Is it permissible for my non-Muslim European wife to pray in English, and what is your advice to us regarding her fasting in Ramadan and her current refusal to wear the hijab?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A Muslim man is only permitted to marry a Muslim woman or a woman from the People of the Book. The acts of worship of a woman from the People of the Book are not valid before her conversion to Islam. If she embraces Islam, she is obligated to fulfill all Islamic duties, such as wearing the hijab. She must learn the individual obligatory duties and can attend Islamic centers to learn what she needs. Her prayers are not valid in English if she is capable of learning Arabic. However, before she is able to learn, it is permissible to translate the adhkar (remembrances). As for Al-Fatiha, a dhikr should be recited in Arabic in its stead; if she is unable to do that, then in her own language; and if she is unable to do that, then she should remain silent for the duration of its recitation. The husband should take care of his wife, encourage her towards Islam, and teach her about it, for the husband is responsible for his flock.

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

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