A Muslim woman asked about marrying a Christian man. My response was, that given their circumstances each person should be sure to speak only for him or herself. I got letters from all fronts asking why I had said so little. You might remember the woman was convinced about her relationship and her future. You might know from life (and from this column) that one cannot convince the convinced no matter how hard one tries.

Here’s an enlightening reader response:

“Muslims submit completely to the Will of God. So if God says, ‘Jump’, Muslims do not ask ‘Why?’ or ‘How high?’ They will jump as high as possible. For a believer, divine laws take precedent over personal desires. The prohibition of marriage between a Muslim woman and a Christian man is a divine injunction. We may not understand the reasoning. With our logic and thinking, it may sound unreasonable and cruel. But it is a divine injunction. The feeling of displeasing our Creator can take its toll on the conscience, with challenges from in-laws and the upbringing of children. The latter will have its set of problems. The question for the Muslim woman is: ‘How strong is your belief in God?’”

Posted on December 27, 2010 at 4:08 am in Difficult Relationships   |  RSS feed |   Reply   |   Trackback URL