Can I Remain Married to My Husband Who Left Islam?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
My husband accepted Islam but later left the religion, says bad things about Muslims, and lives in sin. Can I remain married to him and pray for his return to Islam, or must I separate until he accepts Islam again?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
Thank you for reaching out with this painful question. May Allah ease your difficulty, guide you to the best decision, and bring peace and faith to your home.
It is unlawful in Islam for a Muslim woman to be married to a non-Muslim man. Allah Most High says:
“They (the believing women) are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers, nor are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them.” [Quran, 60:10]
Apostasy Nullifies Marriage
When a husband abandons Islam, may Allah protect us, the marriage is nullified by that very act. Continuing to live together as husband and wife would therefore be sinful.
Simply put, there is no valid marriage, and therefore, you must separate from him until he sincerely returns to Islam. Your waiting period would have started when he left the faith, and you should determine whether it has elapsed. Still, praying for his guidance to return to faith remains praiseworthy, but you must do this while living away from him.
Invite Him Back With Wisdom
As a suggestion, consider sending some trusted family members or elders, and at least one Islamic scholar, to speak with him wisely and invite him back to Islam. If you facilitate this sincerely and with patience, Allah may open his heart again, as guidance is ultimately in His Hands.
May Allah Most High guide your husband back to faith, strengthen you with patience, and grant you a beautiful outcome in this life and the next.
And Allah knows best.
Related
- How Should I Deal With Family Members Who Have Left Islam?
- Can my Father Remarry His Ex-Wife, Who Left Islam?
- What Should I Do If My Husband Has Left Islam After Converting? – Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
