Question Summary:
Marrying a non muslim

Question Detail:

Assalamu'alaikum,I have tried searching for the answer for my question but cannot find it.
 
Marriage by a Muslim male to a Christian Woman but MARRIED (this is know is allowed as per your site) but-:
- Currently She is married/(SEPARATED -not living with him for years ) -   to a Christian Male - 
a) Can Nikah be Made to her in this state?
b) Will her accepting islam, automatically break her christian marriage to her first husband?
 
Please advise.
 
Regards
 

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In principle, it is permissible for a Muslim man to marry a Christian woman with conditions. We have explained this in many of our previous fatwas.
It is not permissible to marry a married woman even though her husband is Christian and they separated. If they divorce according to Christian rights, then it is permissible to marry her.
If a Christian married woman accepts Islam and her husband refuses to accept Islam, then her marriage with the Christian man will terminate after her iddah which is three menstrual cycles if she experiences menses or three months if she does not experience menses. ^[[i]^] At that stage, it is permissible to marry her. ^[[ii]]
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Imran Patel
Student Darul Iftaa
Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.