Islamic marriage advice and family advice

Can baptised baby be made a Muslim by his father?

father and baby

Can a baby who has been baptised into the Christian faith, and is taken faithfully every week to church by his devout Christian mother, become a Muslim by his Iranian father by having the azan read at the mosque or some other muslim ceremony?

This father has no interest in the boy other than the possibility of his existence helping his immigration status, and is not religious at all.  He has a totally haram lifestyle in every way, but considers some Islamic things to be essential due to Iranian culture which he thinks is superior and should overrule the mother's culture.  The baby's parents were never married and the mother named the baby, he does not have his father's name  in any way.

Would this baby be considered a Muslim anyway by other Muslims because he has a Muslim father? or would he be seen as Christian since his mother has baptised him, takes him to church,  and he is being brought up with Christian values and principles? Can he be taken to a mosque and made a Muslim without the mother's permission? The mother is a strong Christian who would never change her religion, and will bring the baby up Christian, but she is anxious that he could never be charged with apostasy or another offense if the two religions get mixed/confused in the child's life.  I hope this post makes sense and does not offend.  Thank you for your help.

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6 Responses »

  1. Assalaamualaikam

    It is the responsibility of a pious Muslim, man or woman, to ensure that their child has an understanding of Islam and is brought up as a Muslim. But this doesn't mean getting someone to recite a prayer and then saying "that's that" - it's about bringing up a child in an Islamic environment, showing them the beauty of Islam, and guiding them away from sin.

    From what you've written, it doesn't sound like your child's father is really interested in doing those things, and that is very sad. Ultimately, this guy will be the one who misses out - on a life with you and your son, on the benefits of living a lifestyle that is halal... May Allah guide him back to the straight path and help him see the errors of his ways.

    I'd recommend that you try to find out more about Islam, as I suspect that your experiences so far haven't really been representative of our faith. Islam is part of your son's heritage, so he has a right to be aware of that part of his identity - if you can tell him a little and can then show him where to find out more about it if he wants, then this can be a part of his heritage that you can help him accept and even celebrate. Children have questions - make sure that you have at least some of the answers. Many larger towns and cities will have Islamic bookstores and community centres - they should, inshaAllah (God willing), be able to suggest some appropriate books to read. You may also want to read some of the other articles on this website.

    If you have concerns about your baby's father, then it's important to make sure that you have protection for your legal rights. Speak with a lawyer in your home country to make sure that you have legal proof of your parental rights and of any custody arrangements.

    Midnightmoon
    IslamicAnswers.com editor

    • No, you are right his father is not interested in teaching him about Islam, but I am not keen on him doing so either and I am not interested in learning about Islam myself. I will bring him up as a Christian and thank you for your answer regarding whether or not he would be considered a Muslim or not. There are grave concerns about the father which are currently being addressed via the courts. He does not see my child at the moment, as court ordered.

  2. The editor that answered you gave you the best and correct answer. Now I will add a little that is not as good. Islam is most of all, a belief system, so for us, your son at this time is only following his nature. He will be taught in this vulnerable state until he reaches puberty. We say that a person in their natural state knows there is only one God and does not associate anything with him. This is Muslim in its common-noun meaning. It means someone who submits to God and finds peace in his or her submission.

    Only humans can rebel against God. God gave us adults the ability to choose. A Western court has jurisdiction over the parents' rights. If the child is with you every day and you teach the child to worship Jesus, the child, because of his nature, will love you and worship what you worship. Your question is premature. We parents have so many responsibilities that often we fail to see the big picture and plan for the long term.

    Your child needs a father. In Islam, we say he needs his blood father, but I am Western and I was abandoned and I know kids are abandoned. I am a convert. There are bad Muslims and there are bad Christians. Please concentrate on your child being brought up without you spending your time fighting around him. You have a huge job. If the guy who got you pregnant is no good, you are only going to hurt your child fighting with him about something you don't know about and he doesn't follow. Let your focus be on your child and making a stable peaceful environment for you and your child. God controls our destiny. God will decide your child's destiny.

    Don't be someone engaged in useless fights that cause you to ignore your child, not even for one minute. We are Muslims, so we ask you learn Islam, most of all. We believe in our faith and that it is right. But as Muslims, we also believe in you having the freedom to reject what we know as the truth. But the editor and I ask, that you visit a local mosque and learn about Islam. None of us can force you to teach your child Islam. You decide what you tell us here, but a child out of out wedlock means your dedication to Christianity has holes in it. If you did not marry the man and then you had a baby with him, for me, you show what is wrong with not being a Muslim. Immigrants come to the West and sometimes don't do what they know is right. Please don't judge us because no one is perfect and I do not mean to judge you. I am not putting you down. I am asking you don't use your misadventures with this guy to drag us into useless fighting that does not advance the interests of your child.

    Please visit your local mosque. Use Islamicfinder to locate it and learn our faith. You are the mother and now you have a huge job. Please don't make the mistake of fighting about religion. Instead, your job is to be open to all beneficial truth and to work hard to make sure you have the best knowledge that will help your child's soul make it to heaven. The whole world belongs to Allah (the God of Abraham) and to Him belongs everything above, on or in it.

    • Thank you for your reply. There is no fighting going on around my child, rest assured. I understand that you are a Muslim and as such will recommend it but my question was not about me or my faith. I have investigated Islam in the past and I am satisfied that I will remain a Christian. You are correct that my faith had wavered when I met my baby's father and that I was not following what I believed. I did not marry as I will not marry an abusive man who is only using me for papers/passport to remain here, but I do not believe in termination of a life just because it did not suit the parents...so he was born out of wedlock. I have since rededicated my life to God and I am fervent in my faith. I am concerned only to know my child's status regarding Islam and have no wish to argue or debate religion. Thank you.

      • I appreciate that you take the step and courage to raise your child alone. It must take lot of guts to make this decision as being a single mom is not easy. Regardless, I truly hope God will guide you and prepare the best for you and your child.

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