Validity of nikaah if any of the spouses becomes a kaafir

Q: If a Muslim man and Muslim woman are married and either one of them utters a statement of Kufr (becomes a murtad [apostate]) while the other one stays Muslim, will their marriage terminate?

Will the marriage terminate at the moment that the statement of Kufr was uttered? Or will it terminate after 3 menstrual cycles? 

A: If any one of the husband or wife becomes a kaafir, the nikaah immediately terminates.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)