Can a Muslim Man Marry a Catholic Woman Without Wanting Children?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Is it valid in Islam for a Muslim man to marry a Catholic woman if they agree not to have children?

We are seeking clarity on whether such a marriage is permissible and pleasing to Allah, without seeking loopholes.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

Permissibility

According to the Hanafi School, a Muslim man may marry a Muslim woman or a woman from the People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab). People of the Book are defined as any religious community that believes in a legitimate prophet of God or a legitimate scripture revealed by God, even if their understanding of that prophet is skewed or the scripture has been adultered.

With this definition in mind, a Catholic woman would be permitted for a Muslim man to marry as she believes in Jesus (peace be upon him) and the Gospel.

Pleasing to Allah

Now that we have established that such a marriage is legally permitted, whether it is pleasing to Allah depends on many criteria. In general, a legal marriage is a good thing, sanctioned by Allah Most High in the Quran.

Other considerations would relate to the bride herself. Is she a person who respects her husband’s religion, defers to him to guide the family in ways pleasing to Allah, and if there are children, would she be okay with him raising his children to be Muslim? If so, then the marriage meets these criteria.

Advice

It is best for a Muslim man to marry a Muslim woman. This is due to the encouragement of the Prophet Muhammad, “Choose based on religion, you will be successful.” [Bukhari; Muslim]

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.