Should I Disclose My Previous Heart Attack to a Potential Bride?


Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I am male, 36 years old. I was divorced recently and was also COVID positive, due to which I suffered a heart attack. Alhamdulillah, I am fine now, and the tests also confirmed my health to be fine. Now my family is insisting on marriage. While looking for proposals, my friend who knew about my health condition disclosed my issue to the girl’s side and they rejected the proposal. So my family is insisting on not disclosing in the future.

My health issue which is resolved does not affect my life both physically or spiritually. Therefore what should I do? Should I disclose or not?

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for wanting to be honest and plain and fearing God regarding your future spouse.

Transparency

It is preferable for you to disclose this information to your future spouse, and it is deception to hide it. How can one expect to have an open and loving relationship if one lies from the outset? How can she support you if she is not mentally prepared for it beforehand? How can you expect her to stay with you if she can’t handle a future health problem? Don’t fear people, but rather fear Allah and place your trust in Him. Your honesty toward a prospective bride will ensure that you find the right girl for you. Please see details in the links.

Honesty

Please look at the importance of honesty in this hadith: “When Allah wants to destroy a person, He takes away modesty from him, you will only see him with the wrath of Allah upon him, and he will be hated by people. When you only see him with the wrath of Allah upon him and hated by people, then honesty will be taken away from him, and when honesty is taken away from him, you will only see him as a traitor who is called such by others. When you only see him as a traitor who is called such by others, then mercy will be taken away from him, and when mercy is taken away from him, you will only see him as rejected and accursed, and when you only see him as rejected and accursed, then the bond of Islam will be taken away from him.” [Ibn Majah]

Please see these links as well:
Disclosing Health Concerns to Prospective Spouse
Should I Inform My Potential Spouse That I Am a Carrier for a Genetic Disease?

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.