What should a Muslim woman do who is married to a non-Muslim man who does not wish to convert to Islam, and she fears for her children, while she cannot easily separate from him, and what are the procedures for divorce in this case?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
A Muslim woman marrying a non-Muslim is forbidden and invalid. She must separate from him and repent to Allah. A -compliant divorce is not required for the original marriage to be invalid, but she must confront the man about her mistake: either he embraces Islam and remarries her with a new contract, or he separates from her and officially divorces her to regularize her legal status. If he refuses, she should resort to the judiciary to obtain an official divorce. She should not marry anyone else until after one menstrual cycle to ensure she is not pregnant. It is advisable to seek help from an Islamic center.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/6541
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 6541
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy