Question:
A Muslim girl has committed fornication with a Muslim boy. In the beginning he wanted to correct his mistake by marrying her, but then he decided he does not want to get married. Is it obligatory for him to marry her after they have already fallen into sin? What are the steps toward repentance if they don’t end up getting married?
Answer:
It would be very good for them to marry if they are compatible and there is a good chance the marriage will last and not cause them to fall into more sin. However, there is no jurisprudential obligation as such. In any case, the steps to repentance are:
-truly and sincerely regretting the sin that was committed
-not committing that sin again
-righting the wrongs that were committed through that sin (e.g. seeking forgiveness of people who were hurt etc…)
-doing a good action to compensate for the sinful one (e.g. committing to a halal healthy marriage to prevent fornication occuring again)
Answered by: Dr Ali Alsamail
Certified by: Sheikh Jafar Fathullah
