Converted to Islam, seperated from husband ten years ago. Can I marry?
Assalamalaikum...I just converted into islam last year, it's not because I have a muslim boyfriend but it's because I found peace in here.. Allahamdulila! But right now I'm facing a problem which I need help. I've been married before when I'm still a christian, but it's already a decade (2001 I got separated but not legal). Now, me and my muslim boyfriend wants to get married. Am I allowed? Please I need your help. Thank you and May Allah bless us all.
-Janah
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Salamu'alaikum,
Sister, first of all, I'd like to congratulate you for the choice of Islam as your way of life.
May Allah keep you firm upon His Deen.
Regarding the question, Ulama say that once you become a Muslim, you should imvite your husband to Islam. If he becomes a Muslim, then he has more right over you than any other man. But if he denies, then you need to wait for the 'Iddah and then he is no more your husband according to Islam. Now that you say its been 10 years, you could try to contact him and inform him that you've become a Muslim (if possible) and if a legal divorce happens, that'd be great. If you can not contact him, then you can marry the man you mentioned insha Allah because if its been 1 year since you reverted to Islam, then the 'Iddah would have been completed.
May Allah make it easy for you, if the man you mentioned is good for your Deen and Dunyaa.
Aameen
Wassalamu'alaikum
Muhammad Waseem
Here's the link to the fatwaa: http://islamqa.com/en/pda/ref/islamqa/4775
brother you misquoted in the second sentence the fatwa actually states that "Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “According to our opinion, if a woman becomes Muslim when her husband is a kaafir, then he becomes Muslim, then he has more right (to go back) to her as long as she is still in her ‘iddah period, but if her ‘iddah has expired, he has no right to go back to her.”
please what is iddah
Salaams,
I would just like to add that if you have a legal marriage with someone, it's best to seek a legal divorce before you remarry, even if your remarriage doesn't include a civil license. The reason for this is because if you remarry a man Islamically after your iddah without being legally divorced to the first husband, he can sue you for bigamy and cause custody issues if you have any children. By the way, Razaq, iddah is the waiting period a woman must wait between a marriage ending before she can remarry...usually it is about three months.
-Amy
IslamicAnswers.com Editor