A daughter’s marriage is one of the most important chapters in any parent’s life. Every careful guardian hopes for a son-in-law who is devout, honest, of good character and responsible. Marriage is not only a social union of two people; it begins a new family life bound up with the wellbeing of both sides in this world and the next.
In practice, though, parents sometimes find that a suitor’s income is tied directly to interest or other unlawful financial dealings. That naturally raises questions. Is it permitted under Islamic law to marry a daughter to a man who earns from interest or other forbidden income? Will that income affect the new household? And if the suitor is otherwise good, what should a guardian do about his work in an interest-based trade? What follows sets out the answer in the light of the Quran and the Sunnah.
Interest in Islam
Islamic law counts interest (riba) among the gravest of the major sins, and the warnings against taking part in it, directly or indirectly, are severe. The Quran says: “Allah has permitted trade and forbidden interest” (Al-Baqarah 2:275).
Ordering believers to give up whatever interest remains owed to them, it says: “O you who believe, fear Allah and give up what remains of interest, if you are believers” (Al-Baqarah 2:278).
The sin does not rest with the one who takes interest alone. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cursed the one who takes interest, the one who pays it, the one who records it and its two witnesses, and said they are all alike in sin (Sahih Muslim 1598).
An interest-based trade therefore cannot be treated as a light or ordinary occupation; under God’s law it is defiance of the highest order.
Is the marriage valid?
Here a distinction matters: the suitor’s own involvement in interest is one question, and whether a marriage to him is lawful is another.
Under Islamic jurisprudence, a marriage contract with a man does not become void or unlawful because he deals in interest. But a man who knowingly persists in forbidden interest dealings and does not repent shows a serious lack of faith and a clear moral lapse.
Guardians should take the greatest care with such a suitor. If he knows interest is forbidden and still refuses to give it up, a wise guardian’s duty, for the sake of the daughter’s faith and her hereafter, is to turn him down.
The late Saudi scholar Sheikh Ibn Baz was once asked about a suitor who worked at an interest-based bank and would not leave until he found other work: should a daughter be married to him? He answered plainly that if that was the man’s attitude and situation, it was better not to give her in marriage to him while he stayed in that job. Guardians should therefore not compromise on the honesty of a suitor’s work, and should press him firmly to return to lawful earnings.
Faith and character first
The Prophet told believers to value a suitor’s faith above his rank or wealth: “If someone whose religion and character please you proposes to you, then marry him” (Jami at-Tirmidhi 1084).
The guidance is clear that a believer should not decide on the strength of material wealth, a luxurious house and car or social standing. The main measures should be the suitor’s regular prayer, his religious observance, his trustworthiness, his care over what is lawful and forbidden, and his good conduct.
Forbidden income in the household
Unlawful income takes away blessing and peace of mind and brings God’s displeasure, and every mouthful a believer eats should be lawful. The Prophet said: “Allah is pure and accepts only what is pure” (Sahih Muslim 1015).
In practical rulings, however, it is wrong to assume that every coin in the household becomes forbidden to the wife because her husband’s income is mixed with something unlawful. Much depends on the actual nature of the earnings, where the money comes from and how little choice the wife has. Even so, to secure blessing in family life, a condition that the suitor’s income be entirely lawful should be set at the time of the proposal.
If the suitor has repented
If a suitor was once involved in interest but has sincerely regretted it, given it up entirely and is working to find a lawful alternative, the law does not mean for his past to rule him out for life. God keeps the door of forgiveness open to those who repent: “Say, O My servants who have wronged themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins” (Az-Zumar 39:53).
So if a suitor shows sincere repentance and takes care over lawful earnings, his proposal may be accepted in view of his faith as a whole.
The daughter’s own consent
Islam leaves no room to ignore the daughter’s view at any stage in choosing a husband, and forcing a guardian’s decision on her is forbidden. The Prophet ordered without ambiguity: “A woman who has been married before is not to be married without being consulted, and a virgin is not to be married without her permission” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5136; Sahih Muslim 1419).
A daughter’s marriage is not merely the formality of handing her to a man of means. It is the search for a devout companion and protector under whose care she can keep her faith and her practice safe.
Marriage to a man engaged in interest dealings is not void in law, but declining a son-in-law who knowingly stays in interest is the cautious and beneficial choice. Considering the proposal of a man who has seen his error, left interest behind and returned to lawful work is part of Islam’s principle of forgiveness.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report