Is Islam passed on through dad?

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My uncle, who is Jewish, has married a Muslim woman and they have a child.
Obviously Judaism is passed down though the mum, at least in the Orthodox/Federation background, which we observe.
Is Islam passed down through the father?
I am just interested in the religious status of my cousin, neither parent is hugely observant but of course each are influenced by their own background and high holidays.

If the father wants to

Yes usually if the father is Muslim then the child is. But of course that could change when the child grows up and decides to observe whichever religion they like.

Mainstream Islam (both Sunni and Shia) generally holds that children are Muslim if either parent is, because Islam should prevail over other religions, and other religions are seen as prefiguring Islam.

Children below the age of 7 are not expected to do anything about religion (although if they're brought up in a practising household obviously they'll join in), and between 7-10 and puberty they should be taught to pray, without an obligation to do so. It's only when they reach puberty that they're obliged to keep to all the rules. There is a prayer called Shahaadatayn which technically makes someone Muslim. If a child of Muslim parents recites this prayer, they don't have to repeat it once they reach puberty, they are definitely Muslim. I think the status of a child raised by one Muslim parent who never recites Shahaadatayn is disputed.

I'm not a Muslim, so all this is what I know from the outside. Muslims might disagree.

Traditionally yes, I was always taught that religion is passed down through the father. This is probably why Muslim women are forbidden from marrying non Muslim men. Your uncle's wife will probably be a very secular Muslim as many Muslims wouldn't consider her marriage to a Jewish man as valid.

In Islam if a Muslim man is married to a christian or a Jewish woman then the children by the Islamic law should follow the father’s religion. But by Islamic law, marriage of a Muslim woman to a Christian or Jewish man is actually void. But the marriage between Muslim man and Christian or Jewish woman is allowed.

So basically, the child has no choice but to be Muslim? Because if a Muslim woman marries a man who is not Muslim then the marriage is void?

It's not passed on through anyone

It's a perspective that one has

That's all. Nothing more

Why am I not surprised by this? The rules are never made in favour of the women are they?

The way you're describing religion being "passed on", it sounds like you're likening it to genetically inherited characteristics?
I don't understand, it's religion - surely it's just about what you choose to believe as you grown up? How can religion be passed on like eye colour?

Islam isnt passed on. All children are innocent and then the child grows into islam or they choose not to be muslim. Most people follow their family values though so most children of muslims grow up to become muslims.

This isn't true. Muslim women cannot marry muslim men because islamically men pay for all the finances and women are given a dowry. A muslim woman marrying outside of her religion is not given the same security.

I think you are getting confused because Judaism follows more of a lineage and you need to be born a jew to be a jew. Islam is different because you don't inherit the religion.

@PoundlandColumbo actually this rule is in favour of the Muslim women, it’s to protect the women and give them security. I will give you a couple of reasons for now but there are many more, in Islam women have rights over their husbands, one is financial rights. It is obligatory on a Muslim man to provide for his wife even if she is rich. Now even if they get divorced the men are obligated to pay a sum of money, in Islam it’s called “mahr “to the wife so she can start fresh. If a Muslim couple get divorced while the woman is still nursing her child, it is obligatory on the father of the child to continue to provide for her until she weans her child off. I’m not saying every Muslim man follows these obligations, but a practicing Muslim with strong faith and belief will follow these commands of God. Now if a Muslim woman was to marry a non Muslim man, he wouldn’t be obligated to follow those rules. I hope that makes a little sense.

I've always been curious about this in religions - how can you define the start of puberty? It's something that lasts years. As what point is it considered to have begun? And how would anyone necessarily know unless the child was being quite open about bodily changes?

@anxiousmessallday ofcourse the child will have a choice when they are old enough to make that choice. But have you ever seen in a Catholic household or a Hindu household or even an atheist household parents raising their children as Muslims? No right? so ofcourse Muslim parents would raise their children as Muslims right? Or Jewish parents would raise theirs as Jewish. Later if they choose not to follow what they were raised to follow then that’s their choice.

@Nineandtwenty In Islam prayers become obligatory on boys and girls once they hit puberty, and as we all may know girl's can start as early as 9 and boys usually a little later around 12 or some not till a lot later. So usually as soon as a girl starts her first period. Boys are a little more trickier I found as mine has recently turned 12 and I have been looking for signs lol! With Boys you’ll notice the sudden growth spurt, voice changing, body hair ect. And then you know they have officially entered puberty! But this is something I have discussed with my son before he hit puberty, that once he does he will need to start praying and certain other things also become obligatory. But it’s not a big deal because they have been practicing for years and it’s just a way of life for us to stay connected with our creator. Hope that helps. 😊

p.s the bodily changes children go through even if the child isn’t completely open about those changes, as parents we can see the changes too. And if a little girl was to start her period she will most likely tell her mama.

Nah, you're not really trying to convince us that this rule was devised to protect women are you? You can't be that naive. There might be one benefit to women of marrying within the religion but this is a side effect. The main point of it is to reserve muslim women for muslim men, while allowing muslim men to marry anyone they please.

Judaism is matrilineal, but most religion isn't really 'passed on' through either parent -what a peculiar idea.
A child born into a family of faith will be culturally exposed to the beliefs, customs and traditions inherent in their parents' chosen religion, and may eventually decide that they too embrace the faith of their parents. But it's not passed on. In fact, there is a function of many religions that a young person must undertake a deliberate act of committing themselves to the faith, hence why Baptism as opposed to Christening is a more powerful declaration of faith in Christianity on the grounds that it is a result of autonomous choice.

@PoundlandColumbo I am not trying to convince anything to anyone ha! You made an incorrect comment “the rules are never in the favour of women are they?” which I replied with the correct information. And now you’re still making up your own rubbish. When you have no knowledge on a religion the least you can do is not make things up. I will add though Muslim men aren’t allowed to marry just anyone, it has to be Muslim Christian or jewish, sorry you got it wrong again😂

Thank you, yes that was helpful. I wondered if the first period was used for women, even though other signs of puberty generally happen first. I would just have hated for everyone to know that had or hadn't happened as a teenager! But I'm probably a prude! Thanks again for your answer.

Islam is not based on any ethnicity, tribes or region.

It is for everyone.

Therefore, one cannot be a Muslim just because they are born into a Muslim family or parents.

As every person is responsible for themselves in front of God, so they must individually declare their belief in One God and His Messenger (s) and work accordingly.

So, the short answer is, your cousin is neither a Jew nor a Muslim until he chooses for himself what he believes.

One can be born into a Muslim family and yet be a disbeliever if they were to choose to.

In Islam, no person bears the burden of another. Each person is accountable for their own bad and good deeds and only God will judge them on the Judgement Day.