Took Another Man’s Wife and Holds It Lawful

Question

Zayd abducted the questioner’s lawfully wedded wife for his own desires and fornication and, disregarding the questioner’s marital right, declared his marriage void; he regards himself as a Muslim and holds my wife, who is forbidden to him, to be lawful. Are the imamate, the slaughtering, the testimony and the like of such a person valid or not? Has he left the fold of Islam or not? Should the Muslims break off relations with such a person, and what is the ruling on one who does not sever ties with him?

Answer

Knowingly to marry another man’s wife is categorically forbidden, and cohabiting with her is zina; if the conditions for the punishment of zina are present, the hadd of zina is to be carried out upon him. Their immediate separation is obligatory.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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