Q: I think u can help me about my problem so I am writing to you. Please help me. My name is Karim & I am 20 years old. I want to get married with a Hindu girl she is 18. I browse some site and found that male can only get married when they are 21. Is there is any way I can marry her. And what sort of problem I may have to face in future if her father takes any legal action about me. Please help me. I need your advice as soon as possible. Please help me.

Karim, from E-mail.

Your Advocate: You are a Muslim boy of 20. You want to marry a Hindu girl who is 18. Your concerns are: a) you came to know that a male can marry only at the age of 21 b) if you marry her and her father goes into action against you what consequence may ensue and finally c) is there any way you can marry her.

Very legitimate concern for a young man. As human I have nothing to say against such an inherent natural urge. But as a lawyer it is difficult to give you such an easy go. Because law does not permit you to sail so straight.

As a Muslim you cannot contract a valid marriage with a Hindu. Nor a Hindu can marry a Muslim. Though not a complete taboo, there are restrictions in the personal laws in matters of inter-religious marriage of the kind. Added to it is the bar imposed by the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, which, as you have heard, makes marriage between a male below 21 and a female below 18 punishable. Even the persons solemnizing and promoting such marriage are punishable under law. If Court is informed beforehand about the arrangement, marriage may be stopped by injunction. Therefore, father of the girl has legal weapons to fight against you should necessity arise.

In spite of all these impediments I do not feel like telling you anything that tend to defeat the emotional development between or desire of a young boy and a young girl intending to found family. With that end in view let me see within my knowledge if there is at all any way out for you.

Firstly, you can wait until you are 21 and meanwhile propose the girl to embrace Islam and if she is found agreeable, fine, as soon as you attain age let her be converted into a Muslim and marry each other in accordance with Muslim sharia. In this case there would be no legal complications but some social hazards may crop up which you must have courage to confront.

Secondly, taking the advantage of controversy of Muslim law that a marriage between a Muslim man and an idolatress i.e., a Hindu or with a fire worshipper is merely irregular and not void you can have a civil marriage after you attain marriageable age. Consequence would be your children would be legitimate but the marriage will not create mutual right of inheritance between you and your wife. Of course, she will be entitled to dower.

And finally if you are ready to take venture both of you can renounce your respective faith and declare that you don't profess any religion and thus having secularized yourselves sit for marriage in accordance with the provisions of the Special Marriage Act,1872 that too after attaining age.