Can a Christian Woman Repent for Previous Actions While Remaining Christian To Become Chaste Again and Marry a Muslim?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Suppose a Christian woman has committed fornication (zina) or maybe not committed fornication but kissed men before.
Can she ask God for forgiveness, not Jesus, while remaining Christian and become permissible for marriage again for me if she never does those actions again? Does kissing make a woman no longer chaste, or is it just fornication?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
She will be considered chaste. However, one has to constantly think about long-term marriage with a Christian woman in terms of faith, having children, and the influence on them. For this reason, Muslim men are discouraged from marrying Jewish and Christian females – despite the general permission in the Quran – due to the evident harm that can arise.
Ask Allah and Consult Other Scholars
Consult other local scholars, take advice from righteous Muslims, and look at the implications of the marriage even by speaking to the potential woman. This is to avoid harm and emotional issues between yourselves in the future.
Allah Most High, destine what is good for you. Pray istikhara for guidance on this issue and ask Allah Most High to decide what is good (khayr) for you.
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.
Check the related answers:
What is Islam’s Stance on Muslim Men and Women Marrying Non-Muslims? – SeekersGuidance
Can I Marry an Atheist? – SeekersGuidance
Is It Allowed to Marry a Christian Woman? (Shafi’i) – SeekersGuidance
Will Someone Be Considered a Virgin If They Commit Fornication and Then Repent? (seekersguidance.org)
Love, Marriage and Relationships in Islam: All Your Questions Answered (seekersguidance.org)
Getting Married: Shaykh Faraz Rabbani (Part One) – YouTube
Why Marriage Contracts & Agreements Matter Seminar by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani (youtube.com)
How Does One Perform The Prayer Of Need (salat al-haja)? – SeekersGuidance
Istikhara: The Prayer of Seeking Guidance – SeekersGuidance
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org), like from the Islamic Studies Curriculum (seekersguidance.org) or Youth Islamic Studies Curriculum (seekersguidance.org), building your way up doing each course?
I pray this helps answer your question.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
