Q. Does Islam permit that a Muslim marries a Hindu or a follower of any religion other than Islam or Christianity?
M.A. Rathore, Riyadh
A. No marriage may be valid between a Muslim person and a follower of Hinduism. In fact, this applies to all religions other than the divine ones, which are Islam, Christianity and Judaism. However, a Muslim man may marry a Christian or Jewish woman, but a Muslim woman may not marry anyone other than a Muslim. Nowadays, people may marry according to civil law, and in many countries, people are not asked about their religions when the marriage is made in a registrar’s office. This means that the law of a particular country may recognize as valid a marriage between a Muslim and a Hindu, but from the Islamic point of view, such a marriage is not valid and has no effect. It is up to the individuals concerned to bring their marriage in line with Islam.
A child’s name
Q. A person called his son Muhammad Saaduddin. Yet this is the name entered in official documents. However, the boy is called Ikram by everyone in the family, but someone told us that since this is a name of God, it cannot be used for people. Please comment.
A.H. Uddin, Riyadh
A. Ikram is a root word in Arabic which means generosity, or hospitality. It is not a name or an attribute of God. The divine attribute derived from this root is Kareem. It is perfectly appropriate to use that attribute in a boy’s name, either on its own or as Abd Al-Kareem. As a root word, Ikram may be used as a name for either a boy or a girl. In Arab countries it is far more common to use it as a girl’s name. It is rarely used for boys.
