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Is it permissible to marry a woman who converted to Christianity or Islam for the sake of marriage, while she is not convinced of it?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Sacred Law permits a Muslim man to marry a chaste Christian or Jewish woman (from among the People of the Book), based on the Almighty's saying: "and the chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you." However, a woman who feigns being from the People of the Book or feigns Islam for the sake of marriage is not permissible, based on the Almighty's saying: "And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe."

It is preferable for a Muslim man to marry a righteous Muslim woman, as marrying a woman from the People of the Book carries certain reservations.

Among the conditions for polygyny is the ability to deal justly between wives, based on the Almighty's saying: "But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one." The difference in countries does not negate the obligation of justice.

It is preferable for the family to be with the Muslim man wherever he resides. It is the wife's right that her husband not be absent from her for more than six months unless with her permission.

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy