Too many technicalities, too little common sense.

Submitted by Prashant (India), Sep 13, 2022 at 22:08

Dear Jessica, from what I have read from various sources, if you do not consider yourself Jewish or Christian, your Islamic Nikah will not be valid. I do not know how the Islamic scholars will react if you do a token-conversion to Judaism or Christianity to get married to a Muslim (sounds a bit bizarre).

My personal advice, for whatever it is worth, is that no one should ever say a perfunctory shahada for any reason marriage or otherwise.
Only exception would be if you say the shahada in self-defence to save your life.

Tell your Islamic priest explicitly that you won't say the shahada and that you are a buddist and want to stay that way for as long as you choose to. That will be the honest thing to do.

In most other modern nations, you and Muhammad can walk into a court and do a civil marriage and live your lives. "Too many rote technicalities and too little common sense" is my problem with Islam.

Good luck.

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