Peace be upon you. Islam has permitted marrying the women of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), but how is the contract? I want to marry a Catholic woman and she believes and according to her beliefs, she has to get married in the church in order for her marriage to be valid. I believe that two contracts—one Islamic and the other Christian—does not make sense; which rules would we follow in our lives—those of which contract? What does the Shari`ah say and how could I handle the obligation for her to go to her church as she believes? Thank you very much.

In the name of Allah, all praise is for Allah, and may peace and blessing be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and followers. To proceed:

 

It is permissible under Islamic law to marry the chaste women of the People of the Book, on condition that this does not force you into falsehood in word or deed. If she agrees to marry you according to the rules of the religion of Islam, it is okay and it is a good thing. If she refuses, then I hope that Allah will replace her with someone better than her. In general, we do not advise anyone to enter into a marriage of this sort, nor would we encourage it due to the great number of crises and problems that occur in real experiments. And Allah Almighty is more exalted and more knowledgeable.