Interfaith marriages are recognized between Muslims and non-Muslim People of the Book (usually enumerated as Jews, Christians and Sabians).
Islam permits marriage between Muslim men and women who are People of the Book (i.e. Jews and Christians); in the case of a Muslim-Christian marriage, which is to be contracted only after permission from the Christian party, the Christian spouse is not to be prevented from attending church for prayer and worship, according to the Ashtiname of Muhammad, a treaty between Muslims and Christians recorded between Muhammad and Saint Catherine’s Monastery.
In some societies outside the traditional dar al-islam, interfaith marriages between Muslims and non-Muslims are not uncommon, including marriages that contradict the historic Sunni understanding of ijma (the consensus of fuqāha) as to the bounds of legitimacy. In the United States, for example, about one in ten Muslim women are married to non-Muslims, including about one in six Muslim women under 40 and about 20% of Muslim women who describe themselves as less devoutly religious. The tradition of progressive Islam, however, permits marriage between Muslim women and non-Muslim men; Islamic scholars opining this view include Khaleel Mohammed, Hassan Al-Turabi, among others.
More recently, studies have also been undertaken about attitudes towards interfaith marriages in Muslim majority countries.
In Lebanon, a Muslim man can only marry a Christian woman if she converts to Islam. However, Islamic marriage rules between Muslim men and non-Muslim women are regulated by Islamic principles. There are restrictions to whom a Muslim man can marry which are further explained below.
According to Qur’an (5:5),
“This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them. And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you have given them their due compensation, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse or taking [secret] lovers. And whoever denies the faith – his work has become worthless, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers”.
From this verse, it can be understood that Muslim men are allowed to marry women from the People of the Book (i.e. the Jews and Christians).
The Quran (2:221) also states,
“And do not marry Polytheist women until they believe, And a believing slave woman is better than a Polytheist women, even though she might please you. And do not marry Polytheist men until they believe. And a believing slave is better than a Polytheist men, even though he might please you. Those invite [you] to the Fire, but Allah invites to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission. And He makes clear His verses to the people that perhaps they may remember”.
From this verse, it can be understood that Muslim men are not allowed to marry women who are polytheist unless they becomes Muslim.
Having all the above verses taken into account, it can be concluded that Muslim men can marry non-Muslim women with following conditions:
- Muslim men can marry the woman from the People of the Book (i.e. the Jews and Christians).
- Muslim men cannot marry polytheistic women unless she converts.
Though historic Sunni Islam prohibits Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men in Islam, in parts of the diaspora, interfaith marriages between Muslim women and non-Muslims take place at substantial rates, contravening the traditional Sunni understanding of ijma.