Marraige: Remarriage upon a
Christian couple beneting Muslim

Q367 :If a Christian couple benete Muslim, do they
have to be married anew under Islamic law?

A367 : At the time of Prophet, people embraced Islam
either as individuals or as married couples. The Prophet never asked
anyone of them to have a fresh marriage contract, even when there was a
gap of time between their embracing Islam. In other words, even when a
man or a woman became a Muslim and his or her marriage partner had not,
the marriage was left in abeyance. When the partner became Muslim, he
or she was united with his or her spouse with a new marriage contract.
Therefore, if a married couple who do not belong to any faith benete
Muslims, their marriage is considered valid from the Islamic point of
view, unless the marriage itself cannot be sanctioned by Islam. This
proviso applies in the case of the marriage of brothers and sisters,
uncles and nieces,.etc. which may be acceptable in certain societies.
In such cases, the marriage is nullified. If only one spouse benetes a
Muslim, the marriage is considered to be suspended for the duration of
a waiting period. If the other benetes a Muslim in that period, the
marriage is considered to be still in force. If the waiting period
lapses, then the marriage is nullified if it is the woman who has
benete a Muslim, or if the man benetes a Muslim and the wife belongs to
any religion other than Christianity or Judaism.

Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )