The Lead Pastor and founder of Celebration Church International, Pastor Emmanuel Iren, has advised Christian women to avoid interfaith marriages with Muslims, emphasising that spiritual alignment in Christ should take precedence over romance, compatibility, or emotional fulfilment.
In a viral video circulating on social media, the cleric responded to a question from a woman who sought guidance about her relationship with a Muslim man.
The woman explained that her boyfriend was not deeply rooted in Islam and did not oppose her Christian faith.
She said he encouraged her spiritual growth, possessed qualities she admired, and fit her vision of marriage. However, she noted that her parents strongly disliked Muslims.
She also revealed that she grew up in a broken home and that her father is a pastor, adding that she understood the pain of marrying someone who does not genuinely love or respect their partner simply for religious reasons.
The lady’s question reads, “I have a Muslim boyfriend, but he’s not a deeply rooted Muslim. He’s not against my religion. He pushes me to do better and get closer to God. He fits into the qualities I like and the things that I like, and I view him in a marriage way. But my parents don’t like Muslims at all. I also grew up in a broken home, and my father is a pastor. I know what it’s like not to marry someone who really loves you or respects you, just for religion’s sake. I’m one year in; should I leave him?“
In his response, Pastor Iren used a “shortlet” analogy, stating that one does not enter a shortlet apartment and attempt to redesign it because it was already designed by its owner.
He said marriage was designed by God and must follow divine standards. Citing the biblical injunction against being unequally yoked with unbelievers, he stressed that Christians, whom he described as the temple of God, should not form marital unions that conflict with their faith.
He maintained that this position was rooted in scripture and not personal opinion.
The pastor recounted the story of a woman in Abuja who married a Muslim man she considered responsible, loving and respectful of her faith during courtship.
According to him, shortly after their wedding, the man allegedly barred her from attending church. He said the situation escalated after the birth of their son, whom the husband dedicated according to Islamic rites, gave an Islamic name, and prevented from attending church with his mother.
While acknowledging that such outcomes may not occur in every interfaith marriage, Iren referenced an alleged Islamic concept of Takiyah, which he described as permitting deception if it advances the cause of Islam.
He added that some individuals may begin relationships with genuine intentions but later confront religious conflicts, particularly when children are involved, and insist that their household and children practise their own faith.
He advised the woman to consider Christian suitors who may not meet all her personal preferences but share her faith, arguing that purpose is more important than pleasure in marriage.
According to him, a purposeful home grounded in Christ outweighs a relationship built primarily on romance, respect or emotional satisfaction.
He said, “Let me remind you of the shortlet example. You don’t go into a shortlet and try to change the design. It is God who designed it. And God’s standard is this: do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. How can you, who are the temple of God, have any association with Baal? Is that serious? It’s very serious. That’s the Bible standard.
“I didn’t make the rules. In Islam, I’m telling you something I’m dealing with. There’s a lady in Abuja. The same thing you are saying: responsible guy, loves her, respects her, has no problem with her religion, and all of that ticks all the boxes. As soon as they got married, he said, you must not step foot in any church again. She thought he was joking. He wasn’t. And then he stood on business in that regard and all of that.
“So she was still coming for special programmes and all of that, until she gave birth to a son. Now, when they gave birth to a son, he carried the son, dedicated him the Islamic way, gave him an Islamic name, and forbade her from taking him to church.
“Every single thing he said he would not do, he did. And guess what? I’m not saying this is the case all the time, but there’s something called Takiyah. Have you heard of it? You don’t know what it is? In Islamic doctrine, they are permitted to deceive you if they think that deceiving you will propagate the cause of Islam.
“They are permitted to. I want to give the benefit of the doubt to some of them. There are some of them who actually had good intentions.
“They just didn’t think through the difficulties and the complexities. So when they got married, for some of them, it was when they started having children that they started thinking, okay, this is a problem here, because this is my house and my children will practise my religion. So if it changes, what do you do? All I’m trying to say is this: there are probably Christian brothers around you who don’t tick as many boxes. What I’m saying might be a hard thing, but I know it from the word of God. Purpose is more important than pleasure.
“A purposeful home is more important than a home that has pleasure. I’m telling you this so that when you stand before Jesus, you will know that I told you. So it is first in Christ before any other thing.
“How romantic is he? How respectful is he? Is he in Christ? That’s the most important thing. That’s the biblical standard. That’s the covenant of marriage. Amen, somebody.”
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