Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 221

(Ayah 221) ➊ {وَ لَا تَنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكٰتِ حَتّٰى يُؤْمِنَّ:} Previously, marriage ties between Muslims and disbelievers were permissible; this verse made it forbidden. If a man or woman commits shirk, their marriage is annulled. Shirk is to attribute any attribute of Allah to someone else, for example, to believe that someone knows everything, or can do whatever they wish, or that our benefit or harm is in their control, and to spend the reverence due to Allah on someone else, for example, to prostrate to something and, considering it to have authority, to seek needs from it. However, marriage with women from the Jews and Christians is valid; they have not been called polytheists. (Mawduh)
Shah Sahib’s last sentence requires some detail, which is that in several places in the Noble Qur’an, the People of the Book are mentioned in contrast to the polytheists; there, by polytheists, idol worshippers are meant, not Jews and Christians. Thus, it is said: « لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ وَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ مُنْفَكِّيْنَ حَتّٰى تَاْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ» [ البینۃ : ۱ ] “Those who disbelieved from among the People of the Book and the polytheists were not going to desist.” These and other verses in which the People of the Book and the polytheists are mentioned separately, for example, Surah Al-Baqarah (105) and Al-Hajj (17), and in some places, Jews and Christians are also declared to be committing shirk, as it is said: «وَ قَالَتِ الْيَهُوْدُ عُزَيْرُ ابْنُ اللّٰهِ… سُبْحٰنَهٗ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُوْنَ» [ التوبۃ : ۳۰، ۳۱] “And the Jews said, ‘Uzair is the son of Allah,’ and the Christians said, ‘The Messiah is the son of Allah’... He is exalted above what they associate with Him.” (See also Al-Ma’idah: 72) Thus, some Companions did not consider marriage with women from the People of the Book who commit shirk to be valid. Thus, Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said: “I do not know of a greater shirk than a woman saying, ‘My Lord is Isa,’ whereas he is a servant among the servants of Allah.” [ بخاری، الطلاق، باب قولہ : « ولا تنکحوا المشرکات … » : ۵۲۸۵ ] Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned only this statement in the commentary of this verse. According to this, marriage with only monotheistic women from the People of the Book is valid, but Allah Almighty, despite mentioning the shirk of the People of the Book Himself, has permitted marriage with their women, so there is no doubt about its permissibility. This is the fatwa of Amir al-Mu’minin Umar bin Khattab, Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with them), and other senior Companions, as it is said: «وَ الْمُحْصَنٰتُ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ اُوْتُوا الْكِتٰبَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ» [ المائدۃ : ۵ ] “Chaste women from those who were given the Book before you are lawful for you.” In summary, it is forbidden for a Muslim to marry a Hindu or idol worshipper, communist, or fire-worshipping polytheist woman, but although there is a danger to faith in marrying women from the People of the Book, Allah Almighty has permitted it despite its dislike. For details, see Surah Al-Ma’idah (5). The wisdom in this is that idol worshippers, atheists, and fire-worshippers neither accept nor adhere to any heavenly teaching, whereas women from the People of the Book can be invited to monotheism and prophethood with reference to their own book, as it is said: « قُلْ يٰۤاَهْلَ الْكِتٰبِ تَعَالَوْا اِلٰى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۭ بَيْنَنَا وَ بَيْنَكُمْ» [ آل عمران : ۶۴ ] “Say, O People of the Book! Come to a word that is equitable between us and you.” And due to the dominance of the man, there is a strong hope for them to accept monotheism. From this, it is understood that when marriage with women from the People of the Book who commit shirk is permissible, then marriage with Muslim women who commit shirk is also permissible, because they accept the Qur’an and Hadith and can be convinced of monotheism and Sunnah with reference to them.

➋ {وَ لَا تُنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ حَتّٰى يُؤْمِنُوْا:} From this, it is understood that whether a Muslim woman is free or a slave, it is not permissible to give her in marriage to a polytheist; then whether the polytheist is an idol worshipper, Jew, Christian, Magian, or atheist, marriage of a Muslim woman with any non-Muslim is not permissible, because after forbidding marriage with polytheist women, Allah Almighty permitted marriage with women from the People of the Book in Surah Al-Ma’idah (5), but after forbidding giving your women in marriage to polytheist men, He did not permit marriage with any non-Muslim. Qurtubi has transmitted the consensus of the Ummah on this, that the marriage of a Muslim woman with any non-Muslim cannot take place (because this is against the supremacy of Islam).

Note: Just as marriage of a Muslim woman with any polytheist is not permissible, whether he is a Jew or Christian, similarly, if any professing Muslim also commits shirk, as Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) has clarified at the beginning of this footnote, then marriage of any monotheistic Muslim woman with him is not permissible, because due to the dominance of the man, there is a danger of forcing the monotheistic woman into shirk.

➌ {وَ لَا تُنْكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ :} This sentence is clear evidence that a woman cannot contract her own marriage, rather her guardian will contract her marriage for her. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) clearly forbade marriage without the permission of the guardian; see Sahih Bukhari, in which Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) has established this issue from the verse under commentary and two more verses and hadiths.

221. 1. By polytheist women are meant women who worship idols. The Quran has permitted marriage with women of the People of the Book (Jewish or Christian). However, a Muslim woman cannot marry a man from the People of the Book. Nevertheless, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked marriage with women of the People of the Book as a matter of expediency (Ibn Kathir). In the verse, the believers are urged to marry believing men and women, and marrying solely on the basis of beauty while ignoring religion is considered ruinous for the Hereafter. Just as in the hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said that a woman is married for four reasons: wealth, lineage, beauty, or religion. You should choose the religious woman (Sahih Bukhari). Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ declared the righteous woman to be the best possession of this world, saying: "The best possession of this world is a righteous woman" (Sahih Muslim).

221. And do not marry polytheist women until they believe. A believing slave woman is better than a free polytheist woman, even if she pleases you. And do not marry (your women) to polytheist men until they believe. A believing slave man is better than a free polytheist man, even if he pleases you. These (polytheists) invite you to the Fire, but Allah invites you, by His permission, to Paradise and forgiveness. And Allah makes His commandments clear to the people so that they may take heed.

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Why is Marriage with a Polytheist Prohibited?

Because the relationship of marriage between a man and a woman is not merely a carnal connection, as it may appear at first glance, but its effects are far-reaching, deeply influencing each other's minds, morals, and culture. For example, if a believer marries a polytheist woman, then if that believer is firm in his faith, superior to his wife in knowledge, and resolute in determination, in that case, he can reform his wife and, to some extent, his in-laws. Otherwise, it generally happens that the man becomes subdued and the woman dominates his thoughts, and if both are steadfast in their respective positions, there will be constant conflict between them. And if both are lax, they will be compelled to compromise between polytheism and monotheism, and this situation is absolutely unacceptable from the Islamic point of view, and even such a situation is considered polytheism. And if the man is a polytheist and the wife is a monotheist, the dangers of polytheism can increase even more. Therefore, due to the greater likelihood of harm, such a marriage has been declared unlawful, and it has been stated that instead of looking at outward virtues and qualities, only faith should be made the condition for marriage. Incidentally, it is also understood from this that if, after marriage, either party becomes a polytheist, the previous marriage is automatically annulled.