Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
1- Generally speaking, a Muslim woman is not allowed to marry a non-Muslim. So, your sister is committing a grave sin by doing that.
2- However, it is NOT advisable to cut relations with her in the hope you may convince her one day that she is violating her religion which may lead her to Allah’s anger.
Responding to the question in point, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
The sister who has married a non-Muslim is guilty of a grave offence. However, she is still considered a Muslimah.
Although you should express your anger and displeasure and admonish her, it is not advisable to boycott her; for by doing so you are burning the bridge.
Therefore, I would advise the family to continue to talk to her and deal with her wisely. Perhaps that would have a more positive effect on her than simply cutting off relations.
Lastly, never stop praying to Allah to guide all of us and guide others through us and make us all instruments of guidance.
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.