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Fatwa CenterNew to Islam and wants to accompany his Muslim wife working abroad
Question
My wife is about to return home here in the Philippines next month (March2008) after completing three years of working in Saudi Arabia. My wife told me that she would only return to Saudi to work again if I will go with her and that I should convert to Muslim. I have been self studying Islam since 2005 and recently I converted to Muslim (last Feb4/2008 with the assistance of Sammy Aql) There is another problem I have and that is of being jobless. If I will go with my wife to Saudi is it proper for me to live with her depending entirely to her income there? I asked Sammy what is the chance of finding a job in Saudi just to live with my wife in a meager income? Can you give me your opinion? Thanks
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, all perfect praise be to Allaah, Who guided you to Islam and we ask Him to make you firm and steadfast on His Religion until the day you meet Him.
Among the means of being grateful to Allaah for the bounty of guiding you to Islam is to seek beneficial knowledge, perform good deeds and befriend righteous and pious people and surround yourself with a good environment.
If it is possible for you to travel with your wife to Saudi Arabia then you should endeavor to do so. By doing so, many benefits can be achieved, among which is accompanying your wife, because it is not permissible in Islam for a woman to travel except with her husband or Mahram so that she will be protected from the means of temptation.
Also, you will travel to a good environment where there are many scholars and educational institutions from which you can benefit. Moreover, in Saudi Arabia there are two holy mosques (in Makkah and Madeenah) and the reward of acts of worship there is multiplied. It is most likely that you will find a job, and you will combine between the good of this world and that of the Hereafter.
It appears from the question that your wife was a Muslim while you were not before you embraced Islam recently. If this is the case, it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to stay with a non-Muslim husband; rather she is obliged to separate with him as soon as she became a Muslim. Then, if he becomes a Muslim before her waiting period expires, and she wanted to return to him, then it is not an obligation to renew the marriage contract. However, if her waiting period expired, a new marriage contract must be conducted. It also seems that when you became a Muslim her waiting period had already expired, therefore, you should renew the marriage contract with her. This is if you married her while she was a Muslim because in principle the marriage contract with her is not valid, and you are obliged to renew the marriage contract after your became a Muslim.
Allaah Knows best.
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