Expert: Jamshaid Zubairee - 10/30/2009

Question
QUESTION: My husband and I have been married (by the justice of the peace) for almost 5 years. He is Muslim and I (Was) Christian at the time we were married. We never had a islamic wedding or had a marriage performed by an Imam. Are considered married? Is this going to cause us punishment as if we are not married?

ANSWER: Sister! Are you now Muslim?
Whether you are married or not depends upon the procedure of marriage in court and I don't know that so it is better if you ask it from some local Imam or Scholar who knows such thing.

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QUESTION: We were married in the court but not an Islamic marriage. I have converted recently to Islam. Everyone that we have asked has said that it is like we are not married and really there is no way to be forgiven for what we have done. I am so afraid of the punishment that we will be given for this.

ANSWER: No sister.
They are absolutely wrong. The only thing you need to do is to ask forgiveness from Allah and He will surely forgive you.
It is the commandment of ALLAH that we must ask forgiveness for our sins.
Please read this
http://leedsgrandmosque.com/khutbahs/khutba-20030523.asp
and then only thing you will have to do is to go to some Imam and ask him that you need to remarry or not if he says yes, then please remarry.
If you don't find any scholar then tell me I will ask from someone in Pakistan. But it is better if you ask from someone in US.
If you still have problem then feel free to contact me again.
Allah Hafiz


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We have asked several people what we have to do and they said we need to divorce legally, then wait the three months and ten days to divorce in Islam and then we can get married in Islam. Does that seem right?

Answer
Salal Sister!
I asked a Great Mufti here in Pakistan and He said that if judge in the court was Muslim then your marriage is OK. You should carry on living as you are and If the judge was Non-Muslim then you should go to some Imam and do your Nikah again.
I clarified him regarding your divorce issue that people were saying to you that you need to divorce legally, then wait the three months and ten days to divorce in Islam and then we can get married in Islam.
He said that this is ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
Go to Imam and simply request him to do your Nikah again in front of TWO Muslim Witnesses. Don't tell him your history otherwise he will ask you such strange questions. Tell him (if he objects) that we have asked a Mufti from Pakistan and we don't need your fatwa.

If you still have problem then feel free to contact me again.
Allah bless You.
Allah Hafiz