سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 221
وَلَا تَنكِحُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكَـٰتِ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنَّ ۚ وَلَأَمَةٌ مُّؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن مُّشْرِكَةٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ ۗ وَلَا تُنكِحُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ ۚ وَلَعَبْدٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن مُّشْرِكٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۖ وَيُبَيِّنُ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿221﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And do not marry Al-Mushrikât (idolatresses, etc.) till they believe (worship Allâh Alone). And indeed a slave woman who believes is better than a (free) Mushrikah (idolatress), even though she pleases you. And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al-Mushrikûn till they believe (in Allâh Alone) and verily, a believing slave is better than a (free) Mushrik (idolater), even though he pleases you. Those (Al-Mushrikûn) invite you to the Fire, but Allâh invites (you) to Paradise and Forgiveness by His Leave, and makes His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) clear to mankind that they may remember.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَنكِحُوا۟
tankiḥū
[you] marry
ٱلْمُشْرِكَـٰتِ
l-mush'rikāti
[the] polytheistic women
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يُؤْمِنَّ ۚ
yu'minna
they believe
وَلَأَمَةٌۭ
wala-amatun
And a bondwoman
مُّؤْمِنَةٌ
mu'minatun
(who is) believing
خَيْرٌۭ
khayrun
(is) better
مِّن
min
than
مُّشْرِكَةٍۢ
mush'rikatin
a polytheistic woman
وَلَوْ
walaw
[and] even if
أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ ۗ
aʿjabatkum
she pleases you
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تُنكِحُوا۟
tunkiḥū
give in marriage (your women)
ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
l-mush'rikīna
(to) [the] polytheistic men
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يُؤْمِنُوا۟ ۚ
yu'minū
they believe
وَلَعَبْدٌۭ
walaʿabdun
and a bondman
مُّؤْمِنٌ
mu'minun
(who is) believing
خَيْرٌۭ
khayrun
(is) better
مِّن
min
than
مُّشْرِكٍۢ
mush'rikin
a polytheistic man
وَلَوْ
walaw
[and] even if
أَعْجَبَكُمْ ۗ
aʿjabakum
he pleases you
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
ulāika
[Those]
يَدْعُونَ
yadʿūna
they invite
إِلَى
ilā
to
ٱلنَّارِ ۖ
l-nāri
the Fire
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
and Allah
يَدْعُوٓا۟
yadʿū
invites
إِلَى
ilā
to
ٱلْجَنَّةِ
l-janati
Paradise
وَٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ
wal-maghfirati
and [the] forgiveness
بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۖ
bi-idh'nihi
by His permission
وَيُبَيِّنُ
wayubayyinu
And He makes clear
ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ
āyātihi
His Verses
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnāsi
for the people
لَعَلَّهُمْ
laʿallahum
so that they may
يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
yatadhakkarūna
take heed
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
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).
