Jumu’ah Khutbah (Jumadal Awwal 20, 1446AH)
As-Salamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh,
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَزْوَٰجِكُم بَنِينَ وَحَفَدَةً وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ٱلَّذِىٓ الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ
All praises belong to Allah Who has made spouses for you from yourselves and from these spouses He (SWT) created sons and grandsons. And (in addition to these favours) He (SWT) has provided for you, pure foods (of various types and flavours) to eat. Limitless is He in His glory and sublimely exalted above anything to which men may ascribe a share in His divinity!
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ علَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّددٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
O Allah, exalt the mention of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as you exalted the family of Ibrahim. You are Praised and Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim. You are Praised and Glorious.
يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam” (Q3:102).
O servants of Allah! We shall continue the discussion from where we stopped last week.
Allah instructed the believer in the matter of choosing a spouse thus:
وَلَا تَنكِحُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكَـٰتِ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنَّ وَلَأَمَةٌ مُّؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن مُّشْرِكَةٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ وَلَا تُنكِحُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ وَلَعَبْدٌ
مُّؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن مُّشْرِكٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ وَٱللَّهُ يَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِۦ وَيُبَيِّنُ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
“(O Muslims) Do not marry Mushrik (Kaafir) women until they have Imaan (until they become Muslims). A Mu’mln (believing) slave woman is undoubtedly better (to marry) than a (free) Mushrik (non-believing) woman even though she (the Mushrik woman) may be pleasing to you. And (O Muslims) do not give your (Muslim) women in marriage to Mushrik (Kaafir) men until they have Imaan (until these men accept Islam). A Mu’min slave is better than a (free) Mushrik man even though he (the Mushrik) may be pleasing to you. They (the Kaafiroon and Mushrikeen) invite towards the Fire (of Jahannam), while Allah (through His Prophets) invites towards jannah and forgiveness by His order. He (Allah) makes His revelation clear to mankind so that they take heed (accept His advice). (Q2:221).
In this verse, Allah gives the instruction concerning the marriage of Muslim males with Kaafir (disbeliever in Islam) females and the marriage of Kaafir males with Muslim females is not permissible. The reason is: Kaafir males and females become the cause that leads man. into the Hell.
O servants of Allah! Let us consider a few issues pertaining to the marriage of non-Muslims:
1. If the word, Mushrik in this verse is taken to mean non-Muslims as a whole it would be necessary to exempt non-Muslim women of the Ahl al-Kitab (the people of the Book) from the purview of this injunction, because it is expressly stated in another verse that:
ٱلْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتُ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ حِلٌّ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّ لَّهُمْ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتُ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَـٰفِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِىٓ أَخْدَانٍ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُۥ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلْخَـٰسِرِينَ
“Today, all the good things of life have been made lawful to you. And the food of those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime is lawful to you, and your food is lawful to them. And [lawful to you are], in wedlock, women from among those who believe [in this divine writ], and, in wedlock, women from among those who have been vouchsafed revelation before your time -provided that you give them their dowers, taking them in honest wedlock, not in fornication, nor as secret love-companions. But as for him who rejects belief [in God] – in vain will be all his works: for in the life to come he shall be among the lost” (Q5:5).
But if the word Mushrik is taken to mean specially those non-Muslims who are not from amongst the Ahl al-Kitab (People of the Book i.e. the Jews and the Christians), this verse needs no exception, because it covers only those non-Muslims who do not believe in any prophet and scripture.
2. Let us take the second important point. The Qur’an forbids marital relations between Muslims and disbelievers for the reason that such close relations could become the source of involvement in Kufr and Shirk. Now this is apparently true of all non-Muslim groups. Why then, the women from amongst the Ahl al-Kitab (the Jews and the Christians) have been excluded? The answer is obvious. The difference the people of the Book have with Islam is relatively lesser and lighter as compared with other non-Muslims. Islamic belief is tri-polar, that is, tawhid (Oneness of Allah), Aakhirah (Hereafter) and Risalah (Prophethood). Out of these, if we consider the belief in Aakhirah, even the Jews and Christians from amongst the people of the Book agree with Muslims in accordance with their original faith, wherein, very similarly, it is kufr (infidelity) even in their original faith to attribute partners with Allah. That the Christians, in their love for Sayyidna Isa (AS), and in their over-enthusiasm towards respecting him, entered the borders of Shirk, is a different matter.
3. A question may be raised here that the difference between the people of the Book having been declared lighter, it was made permissible for Muslim men to marry their women. So the converse of this proposition, that is, the marriage of Muslim women with non-Muslim people of the Book, should also be permissible. But a little reflection will be sufficient to establish the basic difference between the two situations. Women are somewhat weaker by nature. Then the husband has been given a controlling and care-taking role. So the likelihood of a woman being impressed by his beliefs and views is not that remote. Therefore, should a Muslim woman stay in a marriage relationship with a non-Muslim Kitaabi, (Christian or Jew) the chances of her belief being spoiled are strong.
Contrary to this, should a non-Muslim kitaaibl woman (Jew or Christian) live married to a Muslim man, it is unlikely in principle that her ideas will impress the husband. Is someone takes to a converse position in total disregard of the normal principles and falls prey to his wife’s instigation, it will be because of his own fault.
4. Let us clarify another doubt which may be raised here. The marital relations may influence both the parties equally. Therefore, if there is an apprehension that a Muslim spouse will be influenced by his or her counterpart in the matter of faith, there is also a counter possibility that the non-Muslim spouse will be influenced by his or her Muslim spouse, whereupon he or she will embrace Islam. Both possibilities being equally open, the marital relations between Muslims and non-Muslims should not have been prohibited.
But the wisdom behind this prohibition is that where the danger of a harm and the hope of a benefit are equally applicable, then the reasonable attitude will be to pay more attention to preventing harm than to seeking benefit. There is a well-known Persian saying: “A wise man does not eat the antedote with certainty and the poison with doubt.” On the basis of this principle, the hope of the non-Muslim spouse embracing Islam has been ignored, and the apprehension of a Muslim spouse being impressed by the anti-Islamic faith or behaviour has been effectively taken care of.
5. Finally, the meaning of the permission to Muslim men to marry Jewish and Christian women under formal nikah (marriage contract) is simply to state that such nikah, if made, will become valid and the children born out of this wedlock will be legitimate. But there are statements in ahadith which prove that even this nikah is not viewed with favour. The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said that a Muslim should seek to marry a woman who fully observes Islamic faith and conduct — so that she becomes for him a source of strength in their joint pursuit of their faith, and their progeny may have the opportunity to grow up under their care as practicing Muslims. When marriage with a non-practicing Muslim woman was not looked at with favour, how would it become favourable in the case of some non-Muslim woman? This is why Sayyidina ‘Umar al-Faruq (RA) on learning that such marriages are finding alarming currency in Iraq and Syria, stopped these with an executive order which pointed out that such marital relations cause corruption in Muslim families both religiously and politically. (Kitab al-Athar-lil-Imam Muhammad). The effect of such marriages in contemporary times when non-Muslim people of the Book (the Jews and the Christians) have a record of political deception, political marriages, entry into Muslim families with persuasion techniques and spying objectives is too obvious and has been admitted by Christian writers themselves. It appears that Sayyidina ‘Umar (RA) was virtually looking into the future as it would come to be.
O servants of Allah! The prevalent experiences on the marriage of Christians show that where the man is able to keep his Islam, the children are either completely turned away from Islam or they actually become complete Kaafir as they neither practice Islam nor Christianity. It has also been recorded of Muslim men who succumb to the pressure of their wives to become Christians of even Kaafir as they stop offering salat and also refusing to go to church. This is really calamitous and, therefore, should be avoided.
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، أَنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ، كَانَ إِذَا سُئِلَ عَنْ نِكَاحِ النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ، وَالْيَهُودِيَّةِ، قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ الْمُشْرِكَاتِ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ مِنَ الإِشْرَاكِ شَيْئًا أَكْبَرَ مِنْ أَنْ تَقُولَ الْمَرْأَةُ رَبُّهَا عِيسَى، وَهْوَ عَبْدٌ مِنْ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ.
” Narrated Nafi`: Whenever Ibn `Umar was asked about marrying a Christian lady or a Jewess, he would say: “Allah has made it unlawful for the believers to marry ladies who ascribe partners in worship to Allah, and I do not know of a greater thing, as regards to ascribing partners in worship, etc. to Allah, than that a lady should say that Jesus is her Lord although he is just one of Allah’s slaves.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, 5285].
A spouse should be selected from those who share common love. However, the Christians, especially in Nigeria, habour so much hatred against the Muslims that they are always planning for our downfall. Allah warns us of this condition thus:
وَلَن تَرْضَىٰ عَنكَ ٱلْيَهُودُ وَلَا ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم بَعْدَ ٱلَّذِى جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
“The Jews and the Christians will never be satisfied (pleased) with you until you follow their religion. Say, “(True) Guidance (the true path) is only the guidance (the path) of Allah. Without doubt, if you were ever to follow their wishes (their religions) after the knowledge (revelation) that has come to you, you will have no protecting friend nor any helper (to protect you) against (the punishment of) Allah (Q2:120).
Specially in our days, there is another important reason for avoiding marital relations with the People of the Book. If the lives of a majority of contemporary Europeans (and Americans), who are called Jews and Christians, and are registered as such in their census records, were researched, it will be discovered that an enormous lot of them have nothing to do with Christianity or Judaism. They are atheistically irreligious. They do not believe in Sayyidna Isa (AS) or in the Bible. They do not believe in Sayyidna Musa (AS) or in the Torah — not even in Allah or a Day of Judgment. It is obvious that such people do not come under the purview of the Qur’anic injunction permitting marriage (with the people of the Book). Nikah (marriage) with their women is absolutely haram (unlawful). It is clear that such people do not qualify for the exception given in the Qur’anic verse: “… And good women from among those given the Book before you (marriage with whom is lawful for you) …” (Q5:5). Therefore, nikah (marriage) with their women, like those of other non-Muslims, is absolutely haram (unlawful).
O servants of Allah! It is not proper to marry women from among the group of people who, on the basis of their name and identity, are considered from among the people of the Book but are not proved to be so after a scrutiny of their beliefs. For instance, common people these days take white westerners to be generally Christians although some of their beliefs have turned out to be totally atheistic under critical observation. How can people who do not believe in God, in the prophethood of Jesus Christ and in the Bible as revealed scripture be Christians? Marrying a woman from such a group of people is not allowed.
Similarly, it is not correct to give a Muslim woman in marriage to a man who, in his outward status, is supposed to be a Muslim but whose beliefs are identical with those of a non-Muslim. And should such corruption of beliefs occur after having been married, the nikah or the marriage-contract breaks ipso facto. For instance, a large number of Muslims, in ignorance of their religion and under the influence of the so-called ‘modern thinking’, ruin their beliefs. It is, therefore, obligatory for the guardians of a girl that they should first investigate into the beliefs of the proposer before they accept the proposal.
O you who have Imaan! Fear Allah and speak what is right. (If you do this,) Allah will correct (accept) your (good) deeds and forgive your sins. Whoever obeys Allah has succeeded tremendously (Q33:70-71).
PART 2
الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ , وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاْ إِلَهَ إِلَّاْ اَللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاْشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَاً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ
All praise is to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
O servants of Allah! Understanding the Islamic perspective in the choice of a spouse is an antidote to a healthy Muslim life and a good preparation for the Aakhirah. Select a spouse who will constantly make you remember and obey Allah and His Rasool. Allah warns us thus: يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَكُمْ وَإِخْوَٰنَكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ إِنِ ٱسْتَحَبُّوا۟ ٱلْكُفْرَ عَلَى ٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ “O you who have attained to faith! Do not take your fathers and your brothers for allies if a denial of the truth is dearer to them than faith: for those of you who ally themselves with them – it is they, they who are evildoers!” (Q9:23).
If you are warned concerning taking your parents and brothers who are non-Muslims as allies, what more is expected of the spouse who is a non-Muslim? The spouse is supposed to be the closest of all people but the moment there is a difference in your faith, there cannot be any closeness as it will only serve as distraction from obeying Allah. This should become more apparent to you when you know the plan of Shaytan to obstruct humankind from obedience to Allah.
Allah advises us further:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا۟ بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا وَدُّوا۟ مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ ٱلْبَغْضَآءُ مِنْ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِى صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ “O you who have Imaan! Do not take as confidants (as intimate friends with whom you share secrets) those besides your own (Muslims). These people (non-Muslim) will spare no pains to ruin you (materially and spiritually). They wish for that which causes you suffering. Enmity (jealousy, hatred) has been made clear from their tongues, but what (enmity, malice, rage) their hearts conceal is far worse (enmity, malice, rage, hatred). Indeed, We have made the Aayaat clear to you if you will (attempt to) understand” (Q3:118).
هَـٰٓأَنتُمْ أُو۟لَآءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِبُّونَكُمْ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْكِتَـٰبِ كُلِّهِۦ وَإِذَا لَقُوكُمْ قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا۟ عَضُّوا۟ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْأَنَامِلَ مِنَ ٱلْغَيْظِ قُلْ مُوتُوا۟ بِغَيْظِكُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ
“You (Muslims) are the ones who love them (the Non-Muslims because of your relationships with them) though they have no love for you (because they dislike your Deen) and (this is despite the fact that) you believe in all the Books (in all the previous divine scriptures theirs included – whereas they do not believe in your Qur’an). When they meet you they say, “We have Imaan,” but when they are alone they bite their fingertips in rage (because of the spread of Islam and the brotherhood of the Muslims). Tell them, “Perish in your rage (because you will never have the pleasure of seeing Islam fail)] Surely Allah is Aware of what is within (yourj hearts (and Allah has also informed the Mu’mineen about this).” (Q3:119).
إِن تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ وَإِن تُصِبْكُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَفْرَحُوا۟ بِهَا وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْـًٔا إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ
“It upsets them if good (unity, victory, prosperity) comes to you (Muslims) and they rejoice if misfortune (hardship, difficulties) strikes you. If you exercise sabr (patience) and adopt Taqwa (consciousness of Allah), their schemes cannot affect you in the least. Verily Allah encompasses (has complete knowledge of) their actions (and will punish them accordingly and make their schemes fail).” (Q3:120).
According to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, Muslim men who left Makkah to join the Muslims in Madinah had to be returned to Makkah. However, women were excluded from the clause by mutual agreement Referring to this, Allah says,
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا جَآءَكُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ مُهَـٰجِرَٰتٍ فَٱمْتَحِنُوهُنَّ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَـٰنِهِنَّ فَإِنْ عَلِمْتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤْمِنَـٰتٍ فَلَا تَرْجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى ٱلْكُفَّارِ لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَّهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ وَءَاتُوهُم مَّآ أَنفَقُوا۟ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوا۟ بِعِصَمِ ٱلْكَوَافِرِ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ مَآ أَنفَقْتُمْ وَلْيَسْـَٔلُوا۟ مَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ ذَٰلِكُمْ حُكْمُ ٱللَّهِ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
“O you who have Imaan! When Mu’mineen women come to you (in a Muslim country) as immigrants, then (instead of sending them back) examine them (test whether they are sincere Muslims). (Of course, you can only judge the sincerity of their Imaan because only) Allah best knows the (true) condition of their Imaan. If (after examining them,) you determine that they really are Mu’mineen women (and not impostors), then do not return them to the Kufaar…(to be continued).
Written by: Imam Suleiman Zubair
Source: Seyyada Bilkis Grillo (Coordinating Secretary, Ahlu-l-Faydah Global Peace and Leadership Foundation)
Edited by: Abdulmalik King Suleiman (Project Manager, AMDC)