His wife has left Islam

Question 7328

A brother came to me and Asked "What does he do if his wife told him that she no longer desires to be a muslim. She believes that there is a God but she does not want to be a Muslim. She said she does not care if it takes her to the Hell-Fire. She has stopped praying, remove the cover from her and her daughter(who is not his daughter), and said that they no longer follow Islam." She has also said that she wants to move. Shaikh, we urgently need to know what to do. If she is guilty of ar-riddah, then how does it affect their marriage? Are they still married? Does she go into a state of Iddah? Can he be alone with her? Should he remain in the same home (she asked him to leave and she is bringing statues and other impermissible things into the home)? It could present fitnah and weaken his eemaan because of his emotions. We(the members of this community) definitely would appreciate a rapid response as there may be serious implications from the matter.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Undoubtedly if this is the case, she has chosen kufr over eemaan. She does not want to stay a Muslim and she is insulting Islam and its symbols, and going against its teachings. In this case she is a kaafir and an apostate, so it is not permissible for him to stay married to her, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Likewise hold not the disbelieving women as wives”

[al-Mumtahanah 60:10]

i.e., if he has a kaafir wife, it is not permissible for him to stay married to her. He has to advise her and establish proof against her, then leave her. If he is in a place where there is an Islamic government and sharee’ah law, then he has to refer her case to the Muslim qaadi, for him to ask her to repent. If she does not repent then the ruling of Allaah should be carried out on her, which is execution, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever changes his religion [leaves Islam], execute him.”

But if that is not possible and there is no Islamic rule or sharee’ah law in his country, then at least he should separate from her completely; it is not permissible for him to live with her after she has clearly stated her kufr.

Support IslamQA

Question 7328

Answer