The issue of interfaith marriage has arisen again this week among several Islamic leaders, reflecting a tug of war inside Islam and renewed efforts to keep Sharia provisions rigidly in place. Supremacism and expansionism are central to Islam, while mass Muslim migration, globalism and the Internet have had impact not only upon Western countries, but upon the Muslim world as well, creating new threats to the umma from within, beginning with the family unit.
Several days ago, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia (DUM)’s advisory council of scholars determined that “most interfaith marriages result in a number of problems…pointing to possible disagreements over raising children and ‘absolutely different worldviews, cultures and education.’”
Given the intolerance of normative Islam to the influence of kaffirs, such differences pose a significant problem.
DUM subsequently sparked a backlash from senior Muslim clerics across Russia when it broke with tradition and banned Muslim men from marrying non-Muslim women. The Ulema was forced to amend its ruling in response to that backlash. It ultimately ruled that Muslim men may marry non-Muslim women in Russia after all, as long as the kaffir women “respect Islamic canon and don’t prevent husbands from raising children in Islamic traditions.”
Islam has specific traditional laws on marriage: it is forbidden for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man, but a Muslim man can indeed marry a non-Muslim woman from the “People of the Book” — a Christian or a Jew — and the children must be raised Muslim. Sunni and Shia marital law allows Muslim men (in accord with Qur’an 4:3) to marry up to four women. Again, this doesn’t apply the other way around. A Muslim woman can be part of a harem, but may not have more than one husband.
And now the issue of interfaith marriage has arisen again. This time in Egypt, involving Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the world’s most prestigious university for Sunni learning:
Statements made by Al-Azhar’s Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb in 2016 refute the controversial statements made this week by Azhar University Professor of Islamic Thought and Philosophy Amena Nosair on the marriage of Muslim women to non-Muslim men. Nosair had sparked a fierce debate among social media users after stating in an interview that nothing in Islam prevents a Muslim woman from marrying a non-Muslim man.
Nosair is also a member of the Legislation Committee at Al-Azhar.
In response to Nosair’s comment, Al-Tayyeb — regarded by many as the highest authority on Sunni Islam — weighed in. He reissued his ruling on marriage in accordance with Islamic tradition: Muslim women are banned from marrying non-Muslim men, but Muslim men may marry non-Muslim women.
There’s a specific reason for this tradition, as was revealed by Professor Nosair when she was asked what religion the children of Muslim men married to non-Muslim women would follow. Nosair “responded that the children follow the father.” She went on to say that this is the reason why Muslim women are traditionally forbidden from marrying non-Muslim men: because that would “decrease the number of Muslims in the world.” The supremacist imperative should be obvious.
“Azhar Grand Sheikh: Islam bans marriage of Muslim women to non-Muslims,” Egypt Independent, November 18, 2020:
Statements made by Al-Azhar’s Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb in 2016 refute the controversial statements made this week by Azhar University Professor of Islamic Thought and Philosophy Amena Nosair on the marriage of Muslim women to non-Muslim men.
Nosair had sparked a fierce debate among social media users after stating in an interview that nothing in Islam prevents a Muslim woman from marrying a non-Muslim man.
Responding to questions from members of Germany’s Parliament in March of 2016, Ahmed al-Tayyeb said that Islam forbids a Muslim woman from marrying a non-Muslim, because affection is missing in this marriage.
Tayyeb clarified that a non-Muslim does not believe in the Prophet Muhammad, and his religion does not command him to enable his Muslim wife – if he marries her – to perform the rituals of Islam, or respect her sacred things, because Islam came after Christianity.
He concluded that the husband, in this case, hurts his wife morally by not respecting her religion, her prophet, and her sacred things.
“Marriage in Islam is not a civil contract as it is with you [Germans], but rather a religious bond based on affection between its two ends,” Tayyeb said.
However, he went on, a Muslim man may marry a non-Muslim woman, because Islam orders a Muslim man to allow his non-Muslim wife to practice her religion freely, therefore ensuring affection and respect in the marriage.
Nosair argued that Christians and Jews are people of the book, meaning they believe in the same god and are not idolatrous worshipers, but practice a different religion.
“In such a case, he [the husband] does the same as a Muslim man when he marries a Christian or a Jew, he does not force her [the wife] to change her religion, does not prevent her from her mosque, does not deprive her of her Quran and does not prevent her from performing her prayers,” she said.
When asked what religion would the children of such a marriage follow, Nosair responded that the children follow the father…..
mortimer says
Prof. Amena Nosair is making up her own ‘new-improved’ version of Islam. Only the Ismaili Muslims permit a Muslim woman to marry a dirty kafir.
DiploNerd says
Mortimer, you are correct. It’s in the Qur’an. When this issue came up in 2016, Sheikh Ahmed El Tayyeb said that this matter was “kati’a” meaning clear-cut; that is, a dogma about which there can be no question. Dr. Nosair is trying; give her credit for that. She is trying to pull Islam out of the 7th century. But in this case, it’s not working.
Gizzy says
Hope everything is functioning properly in there?
CogitoErgoSum says
I disagree with he statement that a Christian woman worships the same god as Muslims do. If she does, she’s not a Christian.
mortimer says
It is the Koran which claims to worship the same god, rather than the Bible or the church’s creeds.
‘Allah’ has many characteristics that are different from those of Jehovah, especially the eternal name of the deity in Ex. 3.15 which the god of the Koran is unfamiliar with.
gravenimage says
+1
Westman says
“Ahmed al-Tayyeb said that Islam forbids a Muslim woman from marrying a non-Muslim, because affection is missing in this marriage.”
……
“Marriage in Islam is not a civil contract as it is with you [Germans], but rather a religious bond based on affection between its two ends,” Tayyeb said.
……
“When asked what religion would the children of such a marriage follow, Nosair responded that the children follow the father…..”
It must be an art form to appear flexible while maintaing a strict reality. All the unbelieving brides, forced into Muslim marriage and mosques, tell the real handmaids tale.
And as always, the West is expected to believe subterfuge as doctrine while observing the opposite in Islam-ruled nations.
gravenimage says
“Ahmed al-Tayyeb said that Islam forbids a Muslim woman from marrying a non-Muslim, because affection is missing in this marriage.”
……………….
Yes–talk about projecting! He means that there is no affection in Muslim marriages.
Michael Copeland says
“ensuring affection and respect in the marriage”….
How about Mohammed’s “marriage” to war booty Safiya?
What did she say?
“Of all men I hated the prophet the most. He killed by husband, my father, and my brother.”
(Baladhuri’s ninth century Kitab Futuh al-Buldan (“Book of Conquests”))
https://www.yonkerstribune.com/2014/10/middle-east-forum-muhammad-and-islams-sex-slaves-by-raymond-ibrahim
The Perfect Man, remember, the “excellent pattern of conduct”.
gravenimage says
+1
gravenimage says
Egypt: Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar refutes claim that Islam allows Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men
…………………
No surprise here–Muslims always want to control women–hence Muslims can marry (and rape) Infidel women and girls, but Muslim women are not allowed to marry Infidel men.