I am a married man with 3 children. I fell deeply in love with a woman who is also married with two children. After my frequent advances, she finally responded and fell in love with me just as I had with her, and even more. We got to a point where we can’t be apart from one another, bearing in mind that we live in two different Gulf countries. I don’t know what attracted me to her. When I met her and fell in love I felt that I found something that I lacked for a long time, and she feels the same towards me. She has a lot of problems with her husband. When she met me she told me all of her problems and it was as if she was waiting to meet me in order to pour her heart out to me. She said that her husband harasses her eldest daughter who complained several times to her mother. He mother didn’t believe it. The servants also informed her of this but she didn’t believe them. It was only after she saw it with her own eyes that she finally expelled her husband from the home. He does not financially take care of her, he only lives with her in the home as a husband. She said that I used to always tell myself that “its better to be under the shade of a man than the shade of a wall.” She handles all financial responsibilities in the home: rent, home expenses, children’s’ expenses, etc. Yes, I fell in love with her and she fell in love with me and we had relations. We couldn’t hold ourselves back. Her husband does not give her a penny and they are now on the verge of divorce. She tells me, I beg you, Oh Omar, don’t let us fall into haram. So I decided to marry her after she gets divorce, even if I have to do so secretly. When I asked about this I was told that this is not allowed even if she gets divorced because she is now haram upon you but I love her intensely as does she and we can’t bear to be away from each other. We are ready to marry and meet in secret without the knowledge of anyone but Allah but we don’t want to go back to haram. Please answer.

In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may the peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. You have oppressed yourself severely by taking this path. Your corrupting this woman’s relationship with her husband and speaking with her regarding marriage while she is married is a major sin. The strange (sexual) behavior of her husband and her complaining to you does not make it okay for her to betray him or to betray her religion and her covenant with her Lord, the Most High. She could have requested a divorce from him or khul if he refused to give her a normal divorce. If she did this, she would be able to make independent decision regarding herself and her who she wishes to marry. Allah and His Prophet declared adultery haram and it is a major sin. It is even more severely haram upon anyone who was or is currently married. Both of you are married, so rush rush to repent unto Allah, the Most High. Cry upon your sins and do not be deceived by Allah’s patience and forbearance with you. The so-called “deep love” will not help you with Allah nor will your excuse that neither of you can bear to be away from the other. This is from the deception of shaitan upon both of you. We ask you to immediately cut your relationship with her and then if she happens to divorce her husband and completes her waiting period with her, then such a situation will warrant another discussion. We ask Allah to protect both of you. And Allah is the Highest and All-Knowing.