Marriage Rulings and Objectives Concerning Women of the People of the Book
✍ Written by: Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad
Analysis of Ghamidi Sahib's View
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi and his students have argued that the permission to marry women from the People of the Book implies that it is permissible to form friendly relations with non-Muslims. However, in criticizing this view, it has been pointed out that the purpose of allowing marriage with women of the People of the Book, as mentioned in the Qur'an, was not merely to foster friendly ties but to incline them towards Islam.
If the objective were simply the establishment of friendly relations, then Muslim women would also have been permitted to marry men from the People of the Book — which is not the case.
Some of Ghamidi Sahib’s students have further asserted that the prohibition of marriage applied only to those non-Muslims upon whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had completed the proof (Itmam al-Hujjah), and that modern-day non-Muslims do not fall under this ruling.
This opinion contradicts the consensus view of Islamic jurists. It has been critiqued based on the principles of Maulana Islahi.
"ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُۖ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ حِلّٞ لَّكُمۡ وَطَعَامُكُمۡ حِلّٞ لَّهُمۡۖ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ…"
"This day [all] good things have been made lawful for you. And the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you..."
(Surah Al-Ma'idah, Ayah 5)
The use of the word “ٱلۡيَوۡمَ” ("This day") in this verse suggests that it was revealed at a time when the People of the Book had already been conclusively conveyed the message. The phrase “ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ” refers here to the wicked elements among the People of the Book, while the permission to marry chaste women among them aimed to offer them an opportunity to embrace Islam — not to fulfill base desires or for mere companionship.
The purpose behind granting permission for such marriages was to remove these women from the corrupt environment of the wicked among the People of the Book and to bring them under the influence of Islam.
An example of this can be found in the story of the Queen of Sheba, where the Qur'an narrates that although she lived among a polytheistic nation and followed shirk, she accepted Islam upon being exposed to a better environment:
"وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَتْ تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللّٰہِ إِنَّہَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ"
"And that which she used to worship besides Allah had hindered her. Indeed, she was from a disbelieving people."
(Surah An-Naml, Ayah 34)
Muslim women were not permitted to marry men from the People of the Book due to the danger that they might be inclined towards disbelief instead of Islam.
Maulana Islahi connected this permission to a specific time and context when Muslims were not at cultural or moral risk. At that time, the objective of marrying the People of the Book was to influence them and bring them closer to Islam — not as a common or encouraged practice.
Ghamidi Sahib at one point stated that the permission for marriage signifies permission to develop friendly relations with the People of the Book. However, this contradicts his own stance, because in the same Surah Al-Ma'idah, Muslims are forbidden from forming friendships with the People of the Book.
According to Maulana Islahi, the permission to marry women from the People of the Book was granted under specific circumstances and with a particular wisdom in mind — it should not be understood as a general principle.
Interestingly, Ghamidi Sahib also expressed a similar idea in his book “Mizan”, but his view in a later interview appeared to contradict that position.
The permission to marry women from the People of the Book was intended as a means of inviting them to Islam and removing them from the corrupt environment of their people, thereby offering them a chance to understand the truth. This permission was never intended to justify general friendly relations or social integration with non-Muslims.
✍ Written by: Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad
Analysis of Ghamidi Sahib's View
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi and his students have argued that the permission to marry women from the People of the Book implies that it is permissible to form friendly relations with non-Muslims. However, in criticizing this view, it has been pointed out that the purpose of allowing marriage with women of the People of the Book, as mentioned in the Qur'an, was not merely to foster friendly ties but to incline them towards Islam.
If the objective were simply the establishment of friendly relations, then Muslim women would also have been permitted to marry men from the People of the Book — which is not the case.
Some of Ghamidi Sahib’s students have further asserted that the prohibition of marriage applied only to those non-Muslims upon whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had completed the proof (Itmam al-Hujjah), and that modern-day non-Muslims do not fall under this ruling.
This opinion contradicts the consensus view of Islamic jurists. It has been critiqued based on the principles of Maulana Islahi.
✦ Context of the Noble Verse
"ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُۖ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ حِلّٞ لَّكُمۡ وَطَعَامُكُمۡ حِلّٞ لَّهُمۡۖ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ…"
"This day [all] good things have been made lawful for you. And the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you..."
(Surah Al-Ma'idah, Ayah 5)
The use of the word “ٱلۡيَوۡمَ” ("This day") in this verse suggests that it was revealed at a time when the People of the Book had already been conclusively conveyed the message. The phrase “ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ” refers here to the wicked elements among the People of the Book, while the permission to marry chaste women among them aimed to offer them an opportunity to embrace Islam — not to fulfill base desires or for mere companionship.
✦ True Purpose of Marriage
The purpose behind granting permission for such marriages was to remove these women from the corrupt environment of the wicked among the People of the Book and to bring them under the influence of Islam.
An example of this can be found in the story of the Queen of Sheba, where the Qur'an narrates that although she lived among a polytheistic nation and followed shirk, she accepted Islam upon being exposed to a better environment:
"وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَتْ تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللّٰہِ إِنَّہَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ"
"And that which she used to worship besides Allah had hindered her. Indeed, she was from a disbelieving people."
(Surah An-Naml, Ayah 34)
✦ Restriction for Muslim Women
Muslim women were not permitted to marry men from the People of the Book due to the danger that they might be inclined towards disbelief instead of Islam.
Maulana Islahi connected this permission to a specific time and context when Muslims were not at cultural or moral risk. At that time, the objective of marrying the People of the Book was to influence them and bring them closer to Islam — not as a common or encouraged practice.
✦ Contradiction in Ghamidi Sahib’s Stance
Ghamidi Sahib at one point stated that the permission for marriage signifies permission to develop friendly relations with the People of the Book. However, this contradicts his own stance, because in the same Surah Al-Ma'idah, Muslims are forbidden from forming friendships with the People of the Book.
✦ Views of Maulana Islahi and Ghamidi Sahib
According to Maulana Islahi, the permission to marry women from the People of the Book was granted under specific circumstances and with a particular wisdom in mind — it should not be understood as a general principle.
Interestingly, Ghamidi Sahib also expressed a similar idea in his book “Mizan”, but his view in a later interview appeared to contradict that position.
❖ Conclusion
The permission to marry women from the People of the Book was intended as a means of inviting them to Islam and removing them from the corrupt environment of their people, thereby offering them a chance to understand the truth. This permission was never intended to justify general friendly relations or social integration with non-Muslims.
